From Buzz GSM to Tigo Ghana

Telecommunication networking in Ghana took a new dimension in the early 1990’s with the introduction of the Global System for Mobile )GMS) network. With this came the growth of many telecommunication networks which provided mouth-watering services to lure the masses into their fold.

Millicom Ghana Limited, a cellular network was the first mobile cellular network was incorporated in Sub-Saharan Africa in March, 1990. Provision of service commenced in April, 1992. Millicom International Cellular S.A. (MIC) is a leading global operator of cellular telephony services with several investments across the world. Millicom's portfolio of assets currently comprises 17 cellular operations and licenses in 16 countries in Asia, Latin America and Africa, covering a population under license of approximately 392 million people.

Millicom Ghana Limited - a subsidiary of MIC, best known by many in Ghana simply as "Mobitel/Buzz," is down in history as the first company to launch a mobile telecommunications network in Sub-Saharan Africa.  

In 2002 Millicom Ghana introduced its GSM service under the brand name Buzz GSM. Buzz GSM with its trendy lifestyle image offered very exciting services to its numerous clientele.

Mobitel has, over the years, been able to maintain a fast rate of subscriber and revenue growth and a very high quality of service, acclaimed by most users as being second to none. 

With the youth as their target audience, advances were made towards ‘catching them young’ as the mobile communication was just introduced into the country and was becoming a fashion of owning a mobile phone.

Buzz excelled in establishing itself as on of the juggernauts in the industry so much that mobile phones were called mobitels (another name by which buzz is known).

The country’s cellular market was moving a step further with the introduction of Millicom Ghana’s GSM service- BUZZ: ‘Now you are talking!’ being its motto became quite a popular go to phrase in Ghana, gradually increasing the popularity of the service. It brought to three, the number of GSM service providers, with Scancom Ghana (Spacefon) and Ghana Telecom (OneTouch) taking the lead. The entrance of Mobitel- BUZZ, to increased competition in the cellular market, improve quality of service and reduce cost.  

Being the first communication network in Ghana to introduce the analogue network in Ghana, its call clarity was best to none. Blazing the trail with internet accessibility of mobile networks, it increased its subscription of mobile users in Ghana as people could access internet services on the go.

As the ever improving technological took another leap of improving, Buzz upgraded its system from the analogue system to the digital system which meant the era of GSM was gradually ending and a new General packet radio service (GPRS) or Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), which meant data could be received and sent via the internet at a faster rate. This was the introduction of the 2G network in Ghana.

As Buzz GSM’s efforts to provide a better service for its customers, it rebranded in to Tigo Ghana promising to give their customers improved services like:

- International roaming
- National coverage
- IDD at local rates
- Best tariff
- Internet
- Per Second billing
- Games
- Share Your Credit
- CRBT – Caller Ringback Tone
- Picture, Video & Sound Messaging

Tigo is still in operation in Ghana but is not as fierce a competitor as it used to be. It gradual decline is as a result of poor network reception and difficulty in internet accessibility which used to be its strength. Subscribers go days without internet service and once mighty Tigo can be said to be one of the poorest telecommunications network in Ghana.      

MTN over the years

The last years has seen massive evolution in the telecommunication landscape in Ghana. One cannot talk about this without mentioning the massive evasion of the private telecommunications networks in the country gradually pushing the government owned enterprise to follow.

 MTN, a major name in the Ghanaian telecommunication industry is the hallmark of such an evolution. From spacefone, which was one of the earliest to reach the shores of this land it was patronized by the rich and well to do in the country. Their sim cards sold for about 100 thousand cedis in the old currency which was a sign of wealth for those using the network and the general mobile phone using majority as cell phones now did not have the popularity they once had. It was then sold Areeba, a multi-nation company in 2005, with its evolution characterized by the name spacefone-areeba.

 This take over was soon completed when the company became finally known as Areeba. Areeba had its fair share of challenges as the competition from buzz, now Tigo and Ghana telecom, now Vodafone was very stern; they finally raised the red flag and sold the company to world communication giants MTN, who saw Ghana as a new market after conquering Nigeria. With the signature 024 pre-fix code MTN Ghana reached out to many, making their network the most oughted for network in the country with over a million subscribers nationwide. Their landmark achievement was characterized by the introduction of a new pre-fix code, 054. in order to fight off competition from the growing telecommunication market MTN has a lot of mouthwatering call and internet packages just to meet the market demand, these included the MTN free beyond where customers could make call for free after paying for the first three minutes.

Despite their great deals and offer we subscribers have our own problems with the network as they massively suck credits when we make calls or try to browse. You sometimes buy a two-cedi scratch card only to be told you have no call minutes left just five minutes into the call.

The only thing which kept my hopes in the network was the little bonus credit you are given for recharging your account which we both know how that ends.