NIGERIA’S Globacom announced over the weekend that its prepaid roaming service is now available in United Arab Emirates (UAE). It said the extension of the service to UAE enables prepaid subscribers on the Glo network to enjoy the network’s rich bouquet of services when they travel to that country.
Previously, roaming service on the Glo network in UAE was available only to postpaid subscribers. The company had last month extended prepaid roaming to South Africa.
Pankaj Pradhan, head of Glo Gateway, said the decision to extend the prepaid roaming service to more countries was informed by the desire to offer more value and convenience to subscribers.
He noted that UAE was particularly important considering the high number of Nigerians who travel to the country for business and leisure purposes.
“Our commitment is to ensure that our subscribers are able to enjoy our services irrespective of where they are,” Pradhan said.
“We offer postpaid roaming in almost all the countries of the world and we want to ensure that millions of our subscribers on the prepaid platform are also able to enjoy this service as much as possible. This is why we are extending prepaid roaming to more destinations.”
Other countries where Glo prepaid roaming is offered include United Kingdom, France, Spain, Belgium, Ukraine and Republic of Benin.
Pradhan said the next phase of service extension will include China.
He noted that arrangements had been concluded for the service to be launched in the countries shortly and that the plan was to make Glo prepaid roaming service available in most parts of the world.
“To enjoy the service, all a subscriber on the prepaid platform travelling out of Nigeria to any of the destinations with Glo prepaid roaming needs to do is to have sufficient credit on his line and he will be able to make or receive calls,” he added.
Globacom in December 2004 became the first network in Nigeria to introduce prepaid roaming services. Before the launch of the service, roaming facility was enjoyed only by subscribers on post-paid platforms in Nigeria.
Pradhan added that Glo Gateway’s roaming service “gives subscribers crisp clear calls.
The subscriber, whether on a prepaid or postpaid platform, is able to stay in touch with friends, family and business associates back home and the quality of service makes him feel as if he is just next door.”
OKORO CHINEDU in Abuja, Nigeria
