Expresso Telecom (now Celtel Ghana) is set to resume operations over the next three months.
According to the original owners of the company, Khudjeson International Limited, they have expedited measures to ensure that on its resumption of operations, Celtel gains a firm footing in the country’s telecommunications industry.
Expresso Telecom, was taken over by its first owner – Khudjeson International in an out-of-court settlement which brought to an end an over 20 years battle for ownership of the company by its top shareholders.
Commenting on the development during an encounter with the media - Executive Chairman of Khudjeson International Limited, Dr. Prince Kofi Khudjeson stated that, “the new Celltel is going to be the best company in Ghana because we are going to provide a Wi-Fi strategy. We are moving to all the districts call it One-village One-Wi-Fiâ€.
He reiterated their plans to invest $300 million dollars in the company in order to achieve the goal of reasserting the struggling mobile telecom operator as a major player in the industry (beginning with the $250 million budget already signed for the initial phase of the project).
In an air of optimism over the whole process, Dr. Khudjeson said: “We have Cisco leading, we have Google, and we have Starlite from India for solutions. There is also Facebook monetizing, as well as Apple, Foscam. We’ll create jobs, we’ll create wealthâ€.
While Ghana’s telecommunications industry has obviously been a highly competitive but profitable one, Expresso Telecom (now Celtel Ghana) has largely been choked by it.
With a record high of about 394,051 as of 2008, Expresso’s total subscribers reduced to 40,111 by March and down to 23,264 as at the end of April 2017. It also currently has a dismal market share of 0.06% in an industry of less than 7 licensed mobile telecommunication operators.