Vitel Wireless Gears Up for MVNO Launch with PortaOne and WTL Integration in Nigeria

As fresh MVNO ventures across Nigeria hurry to prepare their business systems for a competitive race in the country’s newly expanded telecom market, PortaOne and Wireless Technology Labs (WTL) have successfully completed a joint systems integration that has given Abuja-based Vitel Wireless  a critical edge: the ability to launch as soon as the nation’s regulators give the green light.

Vitel was the first telecom to receive a tier-3 Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) license under Nigeria’s new telecom framework, which is allowing an initial 43 new MVNOs to operate under five tiers. The expansion of Nigeria’s telecom market is expected to energize the country’s business community while expanding communications options for consumers, and the MVNOs that secured licenses are preparing themselves for fierce competition. Having the necessary technology tested and ready is key to capturing market share as the Nigerian Communications Commission allows the first of these new ventures to launch operations.

For Vitel, PortaOne is providing PortaBilling as the company’s BSS (business support system) and OCS (online charging system), while WTL is providing the core mobile infrastructure. These systems will communicate via the Diameter protocol and API interfaces, and will enable Vitel to connect with their MNO’s network infrastructure. The next step to prepare Vitel to start delivering their service – a dual-SIM-based data and voice offering with added security and social options for families – is interoperability testing with their CRM, subscriber information database (HLR/HSS), packet data network gateway (PGW), self-care and signup portals, and mobile app.

Vitel Wireless has already set itself up to succeed by targeting a specialized niche, and the completion of our systems integration with WTL is helping to ensure they are ready to sign up customers and secure their market share the moment their license and agreements are greenlit. We are looking forward to seeing how Vitel and all of the new Nigerian MVNOs help bring innovation to our industry as they continue to differentiate and compete in this new landscape.

– Andriy Zhylenko, CEO, PortaOne