IN the ensuing competition for subscribers in the GSM market, many operators have thrown quality over board as they scheme to get people on their networks. The strategy they adopt is to bring down the costs of their SIM packs to encourage more people pick them up.
In the process, the operators do not give any consideration to the capacity of their networks, as the ultimate desire is to grab as many subscribers as possible.
This is an area where Vmobile however stands out. As a responsive network with the interest of its subscribers top-most in its priorities, Vmobile has since the current rash of competition in the industry, ensured that it kept to its business plan which details the steady growth of its capacity matched by corresponding drop in price.
Indeed, Vmobile initiated the recent wave of slash in the price of SIM price or cost of connection in August in line with its business plan which aims at empowering more Nigerians by lowering the cost of connection, expanding its network/capacity, improving on the quality of service and expanding/improving on call centre facilities/services. It is the hallmark of a responsible network.
Since August, Vmobile has dropped the price of SIM pack from N4,980 to N 2999, and currently to N1000. This sequential movement of the connection price of Vmobile is in line with this business plan.
This is why the slash in the price of SIM cards has not had any known significant negative impact on quality of service from Vmobile. What the company is actually doing now is to aggressively expand its network capacity to accommodate more subscribers and more traffic on the network and enlarge its coverage map.
What this means is that the company has made adequate preparation for the number of new subscribers that have joined the network and those who will join in the coming months.
Part of the on-going network upgrade exercise is expected to cut over most of the company’s radio facilities to the newly completed West to East Transmission Backbone in order to accommodate current and future demands on the network especially in high traffic areas like Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt.
The transmission capacity of the network is currently being expanded and re-engineered. With the integration of another Home Location Register (HLR) the network can now accommodate at least 2.4 million subscribers. The ongoing expansion programme will raise the subscriber base capacity even further.
Vmobile is painstakingly building a stable and robust network, which will meet world-class standards and ultimately meet subscribers’ expectations in coverage and customer service quality.
In the last few months, new Short Message System Centre, Flexible number Range platform, Service order Gateway, Service Data Point (SDP), Service Control Point (SCP) and new Base Station Controllers (BSC) have been integrated into the network. The interconnect routes towards other mobile operators have been expanded while some BSCs have been re-parented. All Master Switching Centres (MSC) have been expanded to BSCs and MSC to MSC routes to cater for increase traffic.
Vmobile has also signed new interconnect agreements with international carriers to facilitate improved quality and reliability of our international traffic.
Apart from ensuring that more subscribers can afford to get on its network with its price offering, Vmobile, as a customer focused company has also ensured that the cost of running the phone is not burdensome for the subscriber. So new subscribers are now able to enjoy Vmobile’s newly extended airtime validity of recharge cards each time they load airtime.
Vmobile also recently increased the airtime validity period of its N500 recharge voucher from 5 days to 7 days (2 additional days); from 10 days to 17 days for its N1000 card; from 20 days to 27 days and from 60 to 67 days for its N2000 and N5000 recharge cards respectively.
In addition, the Vmobile also has an array of free offerings such as free voicemail retrieval, access to 24 toll-free customer care service, free validity enquiries, subscription-free conference calling service, 24-hour emergency medical care services (V199) upon registration and “Call Me Back” service (a free SMS system that Vmobile phone users can use to get other phones users to call them).
The mobile operator is the first and only operator to offer toll free customer care services. Vmobile also runs a 24-hour registration cost-free emergency service (V199) for its subscribers.
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