Mobile operator Visafone and BlackBerry smartphone maker Research In Motion (RIM) have announced the launch of BlackBerry services on Visafone’s CDMA mobile network in Nigeria
Visafone will also launch three BlackBerry smartphones, becoming the first carrier to introduce CDMA-enabled BlackBerry smartphones in Africa.
Visafone has informed that the combination of BlackBerry smartphones with BlackBerry services will give Visafone customers access to email, Internet and social networking apps, including BlackBerry Messenger (BBM), Facebook and Twitter.
RIM regional director in East, Central and West Africa, Waldi Wepener, said, “We are proud to support Visafone in the launch of BlackBerry solutions for Nigerian customers, and its attempt to bring CDMA-enabled BlackBerry smartphones to the region with Visafone for the first time.
“The BlackBerry solution from Visafone offers customers a strong selection of smartphones and a wide range of services that connects them to people and information around the country, across the continent, and throughout the world.”
Visafone chairman Jim Ovia, said, “This partnership represents a big step forward in Africa’s mobile history and we are very excited to be at the forefront of such a ground-breaking development in the Nigerian market.
“We have responded to our customers’ demands for BlackBerry services by being the first to provide them with a suite of CDMA-enabled BlackBerry smartphones that best meets the region’s growing mobile needs. More broadly, this launch is a major boost to the Nigerian Communications Commission’s efforts to achieve growth of data usage and quality voice services to the country’s 100mn active mobile phone lines,” he added.
