Movitel, SA, a joint venture between Vietnamese telecommunications group Viettel and Mozambique’s SPI company – has won the “Best Mobile Innovation Award” in the Mobile Innovations Awards 2014, becoming the first and the only operator in Africa to win 3 prestigious international awards in 3 consecutive years. They have won the Judges’Award: “Best Mobile Innovation Award” as well.
This is the most notable prize among the 18 others of the Mobile Innovations Awards 2014. The Mobile Innovations Awards rewards the companies bringing mobile technology innovation into a business context across the Europe, Middle East and Africa region. Especially, the Judges’ Awards are not open for individual entries but considered by the Judges based on all the shortlisted entries in the awards to look for the most outstanding entry for the “Best Mobile Innovation Award”.
Movitel has outpaced many other strong telecom and electronic commerce companies such as PayPal, IMImobile, Vodafone, TSYS, Ericsson to convince the Judges thanks to the unique mobile operating solution of popularizing telecom services in Mozambique. The solution initiates from the concept that telecommunications is a commodity that everyone, regardless of their locations and income conditions, needs.
The company has built a great network infrastructure of 2,800 towers – accounting for 50 percent nationwide, 25,000km fiber optical cable – accounting for 70 percent nationwide and a widespread supplying chain to every village with 153 shops, 12,600 agents and points of sales and nearly 4,000 direct sales staff to cover services to 85 percent of rural population and more than 70 percent of all population. Besides, the low and flexibly tailored tariff plans for different customers also makes it is easier for the people to access telecom services. Movitel has brought services to rural and remote areas; provided free internet to 2,500 schools; and created nearly 20,000 jobs in rural areas; considerably contributing to uplifting the telecommunication status of the country and creating the field for e-commerce in Mozambique.
This is the third consecutive year in a row that Movitel has been selected for the coveted award for its achievements and innovation in mobile technology. Formerly, Movitel won the Rural Telecom Award of the AfricaCom Awards in 2012 and the Competitive Strategy Leadership award by The American Research and Consulting firm Frost and Sullivan in 2013.
