Telecom Lead Africa: Airtel has launched mobile Internet
services on 3.75G platform in Malawi and Madagascar.
This improved technology will enhance multimedia
functionality, high speed mobile broadband and Internet access, allowing
users to make video calls, watch live TV, send and receive emails and download
music from the devices.
Airtel Malawi Managing Director Saulos Chilima said the
company has spent US$5.2 million to upgrade the platform from 3G to 3.75G in
its 187 sites.
According to data from McKinsey & Co, 2.5 million
mobile subscribers in Africa are with Airtel Madagascar.
Moses Kunkuyu, minister of Information and Civic
Education, said that issues of Internet are no longer a luxury, but rather a
necessity. Mobile Internet users can now access information on
their handsets and other mobile devices even faster than before .
Internet is proving to be a focal point of any aspect of
development in the world. There is a need to make it easily accessible through
such latest technologies which improve Internet speeds even in Malawi,” Kunkuyu
added.
Besides rural areas, Airtel has added selective places
like the University town of Zomba, tourism attraction areas of Mangochi and
Salima and border districts of Karonga, Mchinji and Mwanza.
3.75G technology will give our customers the opportunity
to interact with data in a completely different way. This is why Airtel doesn’t
see 3.75G as a product but a platform that enables customers to have access to
data and the internet,” said Heiko SCHLITTKE, managing director, Airtel
Madagascar.
