Airtel is offering service known as SmartConnect, it’s a four-in-one Family subscriber identity module (SIM) Pack with tempting offers to new subscribers upon activation.
Analysts say by restricting the benefits of the new offerings to only new subscribers, it is wooing new customers to beat its closest rival, Globacom.
The product offers bonus recharge for Family and Friends calls; bonus on recharge; data bonus on recharge; 4-in-1 family pack as well as seven hours of early night calls (from 11 pm and 6 am) at 11kobo per second on Airtel-to- Airtel and across all networks.
Efforts by Airtel to reclaim its second place, which it narrowly lost to Globacom in the second quarter of last year did not yield any dividend as Globacom emerged the second largest telecoms firm in the country based on subscriber statistics released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
Last year, Airtel started as the second market leader but was displaced to third place by the end of second quarter by Globacom.
Data from the regulator had shown that Globacom had 23.4 million subscribers on its network while Airtel had 25.5 million in the first quarter. In the second quarter, Globacom emerged second largest with 27.3 million while Airtel’s mobile subscriptions stood at 25.3 million.
Also, in the third and fourth quarter, Airtel failed to regain its second position, as Globacom’s subscriber base remained at 27.6 million and 28.2 million respectively, while Airtel had 26 million and 27.5 million respectively.
MTN continues to maintain its position as market leader.
According NCC data, MTN Nigeria led the industry in 2014 with its subscriber base increasing from 57.2 million; 58.5 million; 58.3 million and 59.7 million in the first, second, third and fourth quarters respectively.
The fourth carrier, Etisalat, which came into the industry in 2009, also continues to grow its customers which is now 21 million, having hit 18.7 million; 19.3 million and 19.8 million in the first, second and third quarter respectively.
