Nepal based mobile network operator, Spice Nepal has plans to invest US$250 million over the next two years to expand its network and improve services. The company trades under the Mero Mobile brandname. TeliaSonera recently acquired a 40.8% stake in the firm after buying a 51% stake in the Kazakhstan based holding company, Visor Group which in turn owns 80% of Spice Nepal
The company will invest US$120 million in 2009 and US$130 in 2010, Dilip Singh, chief executive officer of Spice Nepal, said at a press conference. Some of the investment is to go on increasing back-up power supplies to cope with the unreliable national power grid. Rival operator, Nepal Telecom also recently announced plans to boost its own back-up generators and switch to renewable power supplies where possible due to the same reliability issues.
"Our aim is to be the number one mobile operator in Nepal," Lars Nyberg, president and chief executive officer of TeliaSonera told the local media, adding that "We want to provide the best network quality to Nepali consumers."
Whilst committed to the mobile sector, he scotched rumours that the company was considering applying for a landline license as well.
Spice Nepal launched its operation in September 2005 and is the second largest mobile operator in Nepal, with around 1.6 million subscriptions and an estimated market share of approximately 41 percent as of August 2008.
On the web: eKantipur - The Mobile World
Posted to the site on 6th April 2009
Posted to: www.cellular-news.com/story/36869.php