GSM Expanding to Rural Nigeria

interWAVE Communications says that it has secured a second order with Commercial Facilitators (CFL), a value-added telecom service provider in Nigeria. The second phase, which doubles the scope of the first phase, announced August 4, 2003, is valued at approximately US$3 million. The network, including local switching, will cover additional remote cities of the same region of Nigeria.

"We continue to believe the Nigerian wireless market is well positioned for explosive growth, and this significant market opportunity provided CFL with confidence to move forward quickly with an additional order," commented Niyi Oyedele, chief executive officer of CFL. "interWAVE has proven itself to be a valued partner for CFL, and we are pleased to utilize interWAVE's sophisticated and scalable infrastructure to bring advanced GSM-based telecommunications to second and third tier economic centers. This project called for deployment in remote areas with environmental challenges, and interWAVE's solutions proved the ideal fit. We are convinced that the development of a telecommunications infrastructure will have a significant impact on the local and regional economies. We look forward to an ongoing relationship with interWAVE."

Erwin Leichtle, interWAVE's chief executive officer, commented, "interWAVE is the established technological leader in the rapid deployment of robust and affordable wireless infrastructure to remote locations, and this is a perfect example of just such a project. Providing telecommunications to a region like this in Nigeria can profoundly affect the economy, education and quality of life for residents, by linking them with neighbors, family, business partners and the rest of the world via a state-of-the-art wireless network. For our partners, CFL and Private Networks Nigeria, this deployment represents an opportunity to quickly recognize revenue and a rapid return on investment, making further expansion not only possible, but profitable in the nearer term."

Posted to the site on 5th September 2003