Out-going MTN CEO optimistic about future of company

Accra, April 4, GNA - Leading mobile company, MTN Ghana will maintain its number one position and make more gains in the sector, despite the stiff competition, which includes the mobile number portability, Brest Goshen, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) said. Speaking to journalists in Accra at the end of his four- and =96half- year- term in the country, Mr Goshen said the company was certain to rake in more subscribers and increase its customer base when the number portability project takes off later this year. MTN Ghana, he said, currently controls more than 53 per cent of the mobile market with more than nine million subscribers from the two million in 2006.

Mr Goshen, who is taking over the CEO position at MTN Nigeria, said the success chalked out in Ghana was due to the stable macro-economic stability and investment opportunities, culminating in more than 2,000 base stations across the country, which has improved coverage and provision of internet services. He said there was huge potential for the mobile industry in mobile data, following the increasing number of users of mobile internet.

Mr Goshen said despite the current internet penetration rate of five per cent, there was an enormous opportunity for the telecom companies to tap into.

Answering a question on the low internet rate penetration in the country, he said limited data cable provision was the major contributory factor, but expressed the hope that the landing of new fibre optics cable by other operators would enhance penetration and increase the use of the internet.

"With companies coming on board with fibre optic cables, the issue of low penetration would soon be a thing of the past," he said. Commenting on the challenges that he faced during his tenure as the CEO in Ghana, he cited huge taxes paid by mobile companies and rigid site approval processes.

He said the outlook of the country's telecom industry was very bright and competitive.

"MTN will continue to introduce innovative products and services to scores of its subscribers and will stay on top," he said. On the performance of the company's mobile money transfer, he said there was steady growth although the company was expected it to do well in the long 0term. 4 April 11