MTN and Research in Motion yesterday announced the launch of the BlackBerry wireless solution to MTN subscribers in Ghana.
Both BlackBerry Enterprise Server and BlackBerry Internet Service will be available to MTN customers who will be able to choose between the BlackBerry Pearl, BlackBerry Curve, and the BlackBerry 8800.
Charmaine Eggberry, Vice President and Managing Director of RIM, EMEA added: “We are delighted to bring the benefits of the BlackBerry solution to MTN customers in Ghana. BlackBerry smartphones are ultimately great tools for enabling greater success, allowing users to be more productive and flexible in their business and personal lives.”
Read the full press release…
What’s cool is the thought of BB’s entering a third world nation…a sign of economic growth even in those countries, which is a great thing.
@ Thought
Well, not exactly. Government over there taxes their users for every minute used. They have over 3 million customers…good way for the Government to make up for their debt by hitting the one thing the population likes to use. Just when they get something that connects them to the world, bang…just like any third world country, the government jumps in. Not much of a choice either. Imagine getting hit on every email on a BB? Poor souls…
bluehorseshoe: how depressing that in these third world nations, it is often their own government that most stands in the way of progress for their people.
Like Thought I agree BB’s being available in the “3rd World” less well off countries is a positive sign. If there is a market then RIM being there is a good thing. Whats interesting is right off the bat MTN subscribers in Ghana will have a better selection of BB’s than vzw here in the USA. Not that qualcomm w/cdma has ever stood in the way of the progress of the wireless industry in NA or anything 🙂 ha ha ha
Is the tax pointed out above just “proposed” right now? (from 11 January 2008)
“THE MINORITY in Parliament has vehemently objected to government’s proposed airtime talk tax on mobile and fixed lines and raised legal and constitutional issues to buttress their point.”
http://allafrica.com/stories/200801110923.html
Sounds like it’s more a work in progress, cant see how wireless communication would work with a pesewa being charged for a minute of airtime, IMO it would get even more crazy when you add data into the mix.
http://www.ghanaonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1635&Itemid=335
How funny is this: 3rd world nations have a wider variety of current Blackberrys to choose from than Verizon customers.
It says customers will be able to choose from “BlackBerry Pearl, BlackBerry Curve, and the BlackBerry 8800.” Why even make the 8800 available? Who in their right mind would get an 8800 over a curve? There are only 2 reasons for people having them in North America: 1) you are unfortunate enough to be with Verizon, or 2) you work for the government in a high security job and aren’t allowed to have a camera on your phone. I somehow doubt there are government job no-camera rules in Ghana.
Thanks for sharing
I’d prefer reading in my native language, because my knowledge of your languange is no so well. But it was interesting! Look for some my links: