NTEL targets cheaper roaming, wider broadband access with WakaGo, AirFibre

NATCOM Development and Investment Limited, trading as NTEL, has said its WakaGo global eSIM and AirFibre wireless broadband services will help Nigerian travellers reduce roaming costs and expand internet access for businesses and underserved communities.

The company said it was leveraging the two products, alongside infrastructure sharing and existing telecommunications assets, to rebuild its network and improve connectivity across Nigeria.

Speaking in an interview with Vanguard, NTEL’s Chief Technology Officer, Kingsley Uwazie, said WakaGo was designed to keep Nigerians connected while travelling abroad without purchasing local SIM cards at their destinations.

“WakaGo is a global eSIM service designed to help Nigerians travelling abroad stay connected without having to buy a local SIM card at their destination or remove their existing SIM card.

“The service enables users with compatible devices to access mobile data for internet services, including WhatsApp calls and messaging, while retaining their primary SIM cards for regular calls.

“WakaGo operates on a pay-as-you-go basis, allowing customers to pay for their usage without being locked into a particular country or fixed bundle.

“It allows Nigerians to stay connected to their loved ones locally. And the rates are very fair when you compare WakaGo to our competitors out there.

“When I say fair, I mean fair against roaming charges, better than the existing roaming charges,” he explained.

Uwazie cited customer experiences in Japan, the United States and China as evidence of the service’s potential, including a traveller who used WakaGo to make a video call from a crowded stadium in New York.

On AirFibre, he said the wireless broadband service was designed to address the high cost of extending fibre-optic connections to homes and offices, as well as disruptions caused by frequent fibre cuts.

“One of the biggest challenges we have is last-mile connection in Nigeria. There is sufficient fibre to the tower, but then last mile, fibre to the home, fibre to the office, you have problems there,” he said.

He explained that AirFibre would enable internet service providers, ISPs, to use NTEL’s wireless infrastructure to reach customers without undertaking expensive fibre deployments.

“We believe with wireless broadband, with sufficient wireless broadband that can provide fibre-like speeds, we can bridge that gap, and that’s where AirFibre comes in,” he said.

According to him, the technology can deliver speeds of up to 1.2 gigabits per second per link, while NTEL’s network points of presence can carry more than 12 gigabits per second in capacity.

“Today, AirFibre exists in Lagos and Abuja, but this is what we call our trial phase,” Uwazie said, adding that the company planned to extend the service to Ibadan, Abia State and Benin before expanding into other cities.

He said NTEL would also leverage infrastructure sharing and national roaming to extend mobile coverage, while satellite services would support connectivity in rural and underserved communities.

“At NTEL, we believe that no single technology can solve Nigeria’s connectivity challenges,” he said.

Uwazie said the company was rebuilding its business through its BET strategy, which focuses on telecommunications infrastructure, real estate and digital services.

“Our aim is to keep Nigerians connected, whether you’re abroad or you’re local. We want Nigerians to trust us, and we’re building it brick by brick,” he said.