Brussels – Belgium, 10 September 2014 – BICS, a global wholesale carrier for voice, mobile data and capacity services, has provided its complete product range of voice and roaming services for Unitel’s newly launched MNO in São Tome and Principe, improving international connectivity for residents and visitors to the island in the Gulf of Guinea.

Within only two months, BICS had deployed full connectivity for international voice services, SMS messaging, signalling and GRX services, allowing residents and visitors to make international voice and roaming calls and use SMS and data roaming services. The scope of International connectivity services will be further enhanced later this year with the adoption of BICS’ Instant Roaming and OC Roaming Hub, offering a wider range of destinations to subscribers in the country.

BICS and Unitel have a long standing agreement for roaming services within Unitel’s home market of Angola. Last year, BICS solutions facilitated the first LTE roaming relation between Africa and Europe.

“Unitel came to us earlier this year with their project of launching a new MNO in São Tome and Principe,” said Clémentine Fournier, Regional Vice President Africa, BICS. “Located on an island, Unitel wanted to offer their very first customers not only the ability to call and send SMS abroad, but also access to roaming services.

“We had to accomplish the launch of these services under a very ambitious Unitel timeline and are very pleased to have completed this project successfully within the timescale set out. This shows BICS’ commitment to Africa, including smaller markets within this exciting continent.”

Ricardo Cardoso, Commercial and Marketing Manager, Unitel said: “Unitel selected BICS for this project due to its expertise in delivering a complete range of voice and roaming services from scratch within a very short timeframe. The wide product portfolio available, from basic connectivity to more sophisticated value added services, will allow us to evolve the service in line with our growing needs. By partnering with BICS, we have been able to provide truly innovative services into areas where mobile connectivity has been limited to date, providing differentiation through service quality.” 

The expansion of the BICS partnership with Unitel is the latest in a number of prestigious deployments of BICS’ services within Africa. Since the foundation of three new offices on the continent last year, BICS has signed agreements with newly launched MNOs in sub-Saharan Africa and the company is committed to further expanding its leadership in the region.