Lone Star Cell MTN Injects US$30M in Economy

Lonestar Cell MTN as a good corporate citizen in Liberia has vowed to continue to invest in the country and contribute to the growth of the economy.  A member of the MTN Group headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, Lonestar Cell MTN has over the years contributed immensely to Liberia’s growth and development.

As the Leader in Converged Telecommunications in Liberia, Lonestar Cell MTN is a key private sector partner with the Liberian Government in many areas including getting the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) submarine fiber optic cable to Liberia at an investment of over US$2.5 Million.

Today, Lonestar Cell announces that for 2011/2012, it is spending upwards of over US$ 30 Million approved by the Board of Directors as Capital Expenditure on Network Infrastructure to continue the expansion and implement advanced innovative and exciting products and services for the benefit of its subscribers and the entire Liberian nation. 

Lonestar Cell MTN’s investment in Liberia spans over 10 years of its existence and has reached from Education, to Health, to Sanitation, the Media, Sports among others.

The continuous investment by Lonestar Cell MTN in Liberia has enabled job creation, direct and indirect for more than 50,000 Liberians and largely contributed to the overall growth of the Liberian economy.

Lonestar Cell MTN’s commitment to Liberia and Liberians is strong, driven and aligned with the government’s vision for Liberia – seeking to build and develop the capacities of Liberians, strengthen the nation’s economy and rebuild the infrastructure.

Lonestar Cell MTN’s   presence in Liberia and the various ways it has partnered with the government and people of Liberia have helped to restore health and wholeness by providing jobs, support in the medical area and educational and business opportunities to thousands of Liberians.

The investment of over US$30 Million for 2011/2012 will see a wider expansion of Lonestar Cell MTN’s network, reaching to more villages, towns and cities. Lonestar Cell MTN now has over 1 Million subscribers across Liberia’s 15 counties and as such must strengthen its coverage as the Leader in Converged Telecommunications.

Network extension and coverage are now being achieved in new geographical areas as well as being improved in areas where there had previously been network difficulties. 

Another 20 different locations were covered in last 12 months bringing Lonestar Cell MTN’s total coverage areas to more than 160 locations that now boast of improved network capacity and enabled quality access to Voice and Data services.

On April 3, the people of Grand Kru County celebrated as Lonestar Cell MTN’s network and its coverage extended with the commissioning of a new Tower or Base Station in Barclayville, Grand Kru’s Capitol City.

For Lonestar Cell MTN, consistently upgrading and optimizing the performance of its various towers/sites around the country is a promise made to the Liberian people that is being fulfilled.

The investment in Grand Kru has seen the site configured with voice over IP over satellite, using latest technology (DAMA solution) which  will give Lonestar Cell MTN the ability to expand the site’s capacity in the future with no need to acquire additional satellite bandwidth. 

Additionally, with the new DAMA solution, Lonestar Cell MTN has been able to increase the speed of Edge throughout Barclayville and surrounding areas which gives customers the benefit of similar internet speed as it is in Monrovia.

For Lonestar Cell MTN, expanding connectivity and extending network coverage around the country is also a matter of security, for if residents in areas particularly near borders towns and cities are able to communicate and Customs, Border Patrol Officers, the Liberia National Police and other personnel can effectively communicate, it helps to protect the Liberian  nation.

The Liberian government has consistently called upon the private sector to do more in providing jobs and supporting the overall development of the country.

Investing over US$30 Million for 2011/2012 will certainly produce jobs for Liberians from all walks of life, improve the telecom sector and support the overall development agenda of the Liberian government and indeed Vision 2030.