Intercellular Bounces Back with New Identity, Launches 4GLTE

* Targets 10m subscribers in 5yrs

Emma Okonji

Intercellular, one of the oldest Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) operators, also known as fixed wireless operator that had gone under alongside 26 other CDMA operators in the past, has re-launched its telecoms service offering that is completely different from CDMA service offering.

The telecoms company last week re-launched itself into the telecoms space with new brand identity and new service offering, targeting 10 million subscribers in the next five years.
It rebranded from Intercellular to InterC Network, on a 4G LTE network, also known as the fourth generation long term evolution network.

Announcing the new brand identity in Lagos, the Chief Executive Officer of InterC Network, Mr. Emad Sukker said the new company would shift completely from offering CDMA services, while focusing on broadband data services on its 4G LTE platform. He said InterC Network would not be offering voice service in the meantime, but would rather concentrate on broadband data service only.
Sukker explained that InterC Network would be rolling out services in Port Harcourt, Abuja, and Kaduna, with plans to expand to other cities like Lagos, Ibadan, Benin, Jos, Kano, soonest, before covering the entire country.

The return of Intercellular with a new brand identity of InterC, but with different service offering from CDMA service offering, is an indication that CDMA has no future in the Nigerian telecoms space, according to some of the guests present at the relaunch.

CDMA operators were very profitable in Nigeria before the advent of operators of Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) in 2001. Shortly after the emergence of GSM operations, the CDMA operations started losing relevance, until all the 26 registered CDMA operators fizzled out of telecoms business. The last operator standing was Visafone that was eventually acquired by MTN in January 2016.

Commending InterC Network for the bold return, the Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Gbenga Adebayo, said: “I commend InterC Network not only for coming back to the stage, but also for retaining its initial name, with emphasis on connectivity, because there is power in a name and brand identity. The telecoms market is big for every player to carve a market niche for itself and I salute your courage for focusing on data services, which has turned out to be the new trend in the telecoms sector.”

Announcing the new offering on InterC Network, Sukker said the telecoms company would be offering subscribers free one month data of 50 Gigabyte at first recharge, and a 25 per cent discount on total cost of recharge, at the second recharge. He said InterC Network would be working with Huawei as its technology partner and IHS as its colocation partner, as well as Yudala and Transium as partners that would help it reach out to large scale customers, while promising high speed data service offering to its customers.