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This portion of the transaction includes the transfer of 555 towers which is in addition to the
2,136 sites transferred on 7 August 2014.
The transaction is part of the broader strategy to drive improvements in the quality of Etisalat's network performance and to accelerate the roll out of 2G, 3G and 4G coverage throughout Nigeria. This second tranche contains many of Etisalat's strategically important sites, requiring the special care and dedication to customer service for which IHS has become synonymous.
Following the completion of this transaction, IHS will manage over 15,500 towers in Nigeria and over 23,100 towers throughout Africa. All acquired towers will be connected to IHS' Network Operations Centres which ensures operations are optimised and IHS' market leading network uptimes of over 99 percent are maintained.
Etisalat Nigeria CEO, Matthew Willsher, explained that this transaction will enable the company to increase its network coverage and capacity while providing its over 23 million customers with more innovative solutions.
'At Etisalat, we are focused on satisfying our customers, which is why we partner with the best infrastructure solution providers to reinforce and sustain the quality of our network performance and to accelerate the roll-out of coverage and new services to our customers.' he said.
Issam Darwish, Executive Vice Chairman & Group CEO of IHS, said:
'We are delighted to continue to be trusted by Etisalat Nigeria to manage their passive infrastructure. Etisalat already has one of the highest quality networks in Nigeria and our partnership is designed to further promote network sharing, and deliver higher quality and reliable mobile services. For Etisalat, the partnership lowers operational costs and supports a cleaner environment through reduced diesel usage.'
Over the past year, IHS has installed numerous alternative energy sites throughout Nigeria and continues to invest in energy efficiency through the deployment of advanced generators, batteries and alternative power solutions to reduce diesel consumption. By the end of 2016,
80% of all IHS towers will be run on hybrid solar solutions.
Through transactions such as this, IHS is creating significant local technical and engineering direct and indirect employment opportunities throughout Africa.
About Etisalat
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In just 6 years of operations, Etisalat Nigeria has become a major industry player with a growing subscriber base of over 23 million in a highly competitive market. Its portfolio of voice and data- centric products include: easy starter, easycliq, easybusiness, easyblaze, cliqlite, classic post- paid and easyflex; all tailor-made to meet the needs of its customers.
Etisalat Nigeria is one of the 19 operations of the Etisalat Group that span across Africa, Middle East and Asia serving over 182 million subscribers. Etisalat Nigeria is committed to delivering innovative and quality services to its growing subscribers.
For more information, visit: http://www.etisalat.com.ng/
About IHS Towers
IHS Towers is the largest mobile telecommunications infrastructure provider in Africa. Founded in 2001, IHS provides services across the full tower value chain - colocation on owned towers, deployment and managed services. Today IHS Towers has operations in Nigeria, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Zambia and Rwanda. Following the recent acquisitions of MTN and Etisalat's tower portfolios in Nigeria, IHS owns over 23,100 towers in Africa.
For more information, visit: www.ihstowers.com
Contact:
Carolina Desmeules
IHS Interim Communications Director
+44 (0) 7568 101230 carolina.desmeules@ihsafrica.com
Will Anderson
Brunswick Group
+971 (50) 557 2633 ihs@brunswickgroup.com
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