Glo Ghana loses subscribers

The drop in subscriber base for Glo Mobile has been described as a huge surprise to many telecommunications industry observers, following a sharp contrast witnessed by management of the telecom firm, which says its mobile network was not perturbed by the drop.

According to them, they are recording increases in all parameters of their business, including minute uses, and recharge usage.

Glo Ghana, a subsidiary of Globacom Nigeria began operations in April 2012, gaining 2% market share in the first month, 4.2% in two months, 5% in the third month, and currently 6.5% of the total of 24 884 195 mobile subscriptions in the country, according to the National Communication Authority (NCA).

The third quarter Mobile Voice Subscriber Base statistics from the NCA, between August and September hinted that Glo's subscriber base reduced by 3 254, from 1 613 688 to 1 610 434 subscribers, representing a marginal 0.2% drop.

The NCA results are based on activity over a 90-day period, the September figures may have been affected by losses in June, and the inability of the Glo network to recover from those loses within the 90 days from July to September.

Losses in June means some persons who registered new SIMs on Glo in April/May became inactive as early as June, and that is something industry watchers have expressed surprise about, admitted Patrick Awotwe, head of business at Glo Ghana.