Mobile phone technology was non – existent in Sierra Leone’s before the decade long civil war and people relied greatly on VHF communication set owned by the Police and Military forces to transmit messages from one place to another.
Africell Sierra Leone leading and most celebrated mobile phone provider with the highest number of grass root subscriber base started operations in Sierra Leone in 2005. They started with the principal goal of moving telecoms from the few to the masses and by challenging the norms and status quo, and the big boys then, to push prices down and increase penetration across Sierra Leone.
This was mainly because the bulk of Sierra Leoneans especially the grassroots could not by then access mobile phone services unlike the situation that was prevailing in other African countries where accessibility and affordability to the technology was far better. Other mobile operators who have been in the country before Africell were even selling Sim Cards and Airtime in dollars rather than in Leones.
This explains today why the many grassroots subscribers operating with Africell are grateful and will continue to stand with the network since it brought them closer to the technology at a time when many other operators were busy catering for the bourgeoisie class.
Even with the advent of Africell, other operators could still identify themselves with the upper class while they were steadily gaining grounds. This was due to their immediate introduction of cheaper and high quality products and services that the least Sierra Leonean could afford.
It is no surprise that Africell became a household name in mobile phone communications technology attracting a very huge subscriber base in the country with the cheapest, fastest and most reliable network.
The network has continued to make use of Sierra Leonean talents both in the engineering, marketing/sales/advertising/Public Relations /events management spheres as it takes over very remote areas in the country. For the past twelve years they have erected giant towers across the country in order to access very hard to reach areas.
With the introduction of data services in mobile phone technology Africell was the first to introduce the 3G LTE in the country at a very affordable and cheaper cost. It has continuously introduced cutting edge technology with the recent introduction of the 4th Generation Long term Evolution technology Mifi with 5Gb data.
It goes without saying that the company has also excelled and made history when it comes to meeting their corporate social responsibility to their customers and Sierra Leone as a whole and had equally challenged other companies to do likewise.
They have over the years undertaken the beautification of Sierra Leone at very strategic points/areas such as the cotton tree in Freetown ,Bottom Mango and Lumley round about, Makeni clock tower to name but a few especially on major holidays and independence holiday celebrations
Many sport lovers in the country can also attest to the company’s huge contribution to the sport sector through the sponsoring of the Sierra Leone Premier League and International Friendly and qualifying football matches and also provide support to other sporting disciplines such as volleyball, boxing etc.
Africell’s support to media development has also been tremendous with the company providing regular power supply to over ten Community Radio stations in different parts of the country and also providing quite a substantial support to the development of the country electronic and Print media landscape. The company’s AIRADIO is very much notable in the country’s airwaves and has served as a useful source of information to Sierra Leoneans in the areas such as International and local Politics, Sport, entertainment.
Quite recently the company provided 32 of its newly launched 4GLTE mifis to aid the acute internet problems facing print media houses in the country. They have also promoted a number entertainment shows and have always been partnering with Sierra Leone’s finest musical talents, business houses and other private sector players and also using Sierra Leone’s upcoming artist as brand Ambassador for their promotions and products countrywide.
Africell has significantly stood by Sierra Leone almost in all sectors even in the Ebola crisis providing support to Ebola victims and the national response. It is no secret they are in the country to stay.