” Metiss Cable will grow the network capacity” – Kresh Goomany

Since its inception, Emtel has always been at the forefront of innovation. Member of the METISS Cable project consortium, it aims to provide Mauritius with a supplementary high-speed access to the global network.

BUSINESSMAG. The telecommunications landscape(landline and mobile telephony) is undergoing importantchanges thanks to technological progress. How does Emtel align itself with this new landscape?

The telecom market and landscape have been at the forefront of the changes in the consumer technology sector. These changes are a result of various solutions and enhanced consumer offers that have been brought on by telecom companies themselves.

In the recent years, mobile Internet has fuelled multiple changes in the way people communicate with each other. Consumers increasingly delve in social media conversations. Video-calling is another trend that is fast catching up among the youth.

Emtel has been at the forefront of this technological change with its investments and deployments to enhance the Internet experience. We have deployed a countrywide robust Platinum 4G network that brings high speed Internet to everyone.

}

BUSINESSMAG. What are the latest technological breakthroughs that Emtel currently offers to Mauritians?

The countrywide Platinum 4G network and Airbox service are prime examples of Emtel’s way of catering for the needs of Mauritian consumers. These have been built on the basis of an extremely robust data network, with major local servers and huge investments to enhance the capacity of the undersea fiber cables.

For the Business users, we have a host of connectivity solutions. Through them, we can connect dedicated fiber lines to any part of the globe. We have a state-of-the-art Data Centre which is fully operational and comparable to any similar infrastructure in the world.

BUSINESSMAG. How does Emtel face this competition in the area of mobile telephony? What strategies does the company implement?

Emtel is the only operator to offer countrywide 4G in Mauritius.

We pride ourselves in bringing the first 3G service in Africa. We are also the sole operator to offer countrywide 4G in Mauritius. Our Airbox service all over the Island allows customers to be connected to high-speed Internet within 30 minutes. They can just walk out of one of our showrooms, and carry the activated Airbox router home. We have also taken initiatives to offer Airbox in Rodrigues, which is the only broadband service there.

We are the first – and only–provider of an unlimited package in the country. Thus, customers have a better control over their expenses, without having to worry about staying in touch. We are committed to deploy the best technology that is available in the communications and Internet space, and will continue to bring the best to Mauritians.

}

BUSINESSMAG. Competition increases year after year, namely with respect to Emtel evolved from a mobile phone service provider? How would you define Emtel today?

Emtel was the first mobile operator in the Southern hemisphere in 1989. Since then we have continually been innovating in the mobile cellular domain. We introduced GSM in 1999.

Also, we have set up a data centre, the first of its kind in Mauritius, in 2012, in anticipation of the Disaster Recovery Centre requirements for businesses.

Emtel has an extensive microwave network, and its own fiber ring in the island to provide connectivity services to the business community.

We have also invested in the Lion2 submarine cable, and are currently providing international connectivity via two submarine cables to countries out of Mauritius. We are also founder members of the METISS cable. It should be operational in 2019,linking Mauritius to South Africa, via Reunion Island and Madagascar. This will be the third submarine cable connecting Mauritius to the world.

Emtel is a total telecommunication services provider of products and services ranging from mobile telephony, fixed line services, PABX, Internet access, cloud solutions, managed services, security solutions and fibre Internet, amongst others.

}

BUSINESSMAG. There are often complaints from subscribers regarding connection speeds. In 2017, while Mauritius is positioning itself as a cyber-island, why is the connection issue still persistent?

Our Platinum 4G service provides mobile users speeds upwards of 15-20 Mbps. We have deployed huge investments in enhancing consumer experiences on Internet.

In 2017 alone, our international bandwidth has grown more than two times and our 4G coverage extends to more than 90% of the island. Consumers’ unquenchable thirst for data is growing at a breakneck pace at the same time. We are continuously engaged in expanding capacity and coverage to serve users wherever they are in the country.

We depend upon undersea cables to connect Mauritius to the rest of the world. With the METISS cable, beginning operations in the early part of 2019, the network capacity to the country will grow. Redundancy and backup in case of failure will also be fully ready with this.

Connection, we must reckon, is much better than it was before. In order to provide a better experience, Emtel has invested in a number of servers to deliver local access to a wide range of services such as Facebook, YouTube, and so on. But more importantly, we have also invested in submarine cable capacity out of Mauritius. Our total international capacity has more than doubled over the past year.

}

BUSINESSMAG. Where will growth opportunities arise for Emtel? Will they come from the region or from Mauritius?

We are at present fully focused in bringing the best to Mauritius and our investments in Rodrigues are equally strong.

To keep pace with digital revolution, we have recently launched our new Airbox service in Rodrigues. So far, Rodriguans had to settle for very unreliable and slow connections, which didn’t meet their needs in terms of digital communication and entertainment. Before launching its Airbox service, Emtel has installed an earth station with two satellite dishes that will provide connectivity to the Internet through a new satellite link.

Today, we have given Rodriguans access to a wide range of services to ease their transition in the technological era.

BUSINESSMAG. What are the main challenges facing Emtel? What strategies have been adopted to tackle them?

Traditional revenue from voice calls and SMS are showing deflationary trends globally and also locally.

Consumer needs and media consumption are changing rapidly. Consumer thirst for data is driving the capacity enhancements and necessitates regular and ongoing investments in the infrastructure.

Emtel is focused on driving innovative solutions to meet the growing consumer needs.

}

BUSINESSMAG. After many years of operation, companies often resort to rebranding. Is Emtel considering renewing its brand identity?

We have introduced Platinum 4G as a flagship subbrand to our mobile data offering. This is an aspirational positioning of the Mobile Data business. We have seen a tremendous response to the Platinum 4G campaign.

Emtel is a young brand with huge aspirational value. The brand has got a strong local connect and we are proud of this positioning. We will continue to maintain our strong position in our market as we will strive to do everything we can in order to provide customers the experience that they expect from us.

There is no further plan to review our brand identity.