Nigeria’s network subscribers are now closer to perfect phone calls with the introduction of two 4G LTE innovations by Smile Communications Nigeria (Smile Nigeria).
The operator is the first in West Africa to commercially offer its customers Voice over LTE services, giving them access to the fast growing global standard for voice and video calling through SmileVoice and SmileUnlimited while promoting its fair usage policy (FUP).
With the new technology, Smile has technically removed call roaming (for international calls to home) while offering services similar to the Skype call, video and social media chats via the App, hence connected to the internet.
Nigeria CommunicationsWeek gathered that Smile Nigeria has positioned to charge SmileVoice calls on megabytes (MB) per second to an active data which equates to a kobo/second rate.
According to Smile, when a subscriber has a 10gigabytes (GB) airtime bundle and makes a one minute local call, the customer will be charged 6MBs from their data bundle, which equates to N5.27k.
Dr. Ernest Azudialu-Obiejesi, chairman of Smile Communications Nigeria, confirmed that the effective call rate of N8.79k per second associated with the 10GB airtime bundle is lower than any local call rate in the market.
SmileVoice comes in two options of using a world-first downloadable free mobile app that affords customers with Android smartphone and Apple iPhone devices the ability to make voice calls over Smile’s 4G LTE network.The second option permits the use of VoLTE-enabled handsets plus a Smile SIM Card, such as the largest Samsung devices.
Re-echoing Smile’s readiness to serve the market’s interests, Azudialu-Obiejesi, said, “…We are committed to improving the quality of voice and data services in Nigeria.
With SmileVoice our customers can call anyone locally and in the world just like on any other mobile.
“With our recently announced funding, Smile has doubled the size of its 4G LTE network in Nigeria to seven (7) States and the FCT and now provides 30-days of unlimited access to SuperFast mobile broadband- there is no other provider that is offering its customers such value and convincence.
Elaborating on the SmileUnlimited offering, Mr. Michiel Buitelaar, managing director, Smile Nigeria, explained that any unlimited offering is subject to a fair usage policy (FUP).
He noted that Smile’s FUP is very generous when compared with other local offers and ensures that connectivity is maintained throughout the 30-day period.
“Not only is Smile’s pricing more affordable than that of competitors’ narrowband offerings, but Smile’s superior experience of true broadband makes SmileUnlimited a fitting application of Smile’s value proposition of speed, quality, reliability and simplicity.
He described the free SmileVoice App as the game changer, as the first across the globe, to enable customers that do not have VoLTE-capable handsets to make reliable Voice over LTE calls when connected to Smile’s mobile broadband network.
“In the Nigerian market Android is the leading handset and together with the free SmileVoice App, we are ensuring that all our registered customers have a way of experience high-quality voice calls from their mobiles,” Buitelaar said.
Nigeria CommunicationsWeek also learnt from Smile Nigeria that, to use SmileVoice, customers will be required to have a registered SIM card and active SmileData service.
But, when out of range of the Smile network, the SmileVoice App will enable the calls from any device that is connected to the Internet via 3G or WiFi at home or abroad.
