Brussels, February 28th, 2019 – MTN and BICS are pleased to announce that they have extended their long-term commercial partnership, effective 1 March 2019 (subject to MTN Group Board ratification). This extension to their current partnership comes as a natural next step following a long journey of strategic cooperation, initiated in 2009 and renewed in 2014.
The agreement includes changes which reflect MTN’s growing role as a leading connectivity and infrastructure provider in Africa and the Middle East. MTN will progressively insource the transport and management of its traffic within the MEA region, while BICS will remain MTN’s preferred provider for international voice and messaging services to and from the rest of the world. BICS will remain MTN’s primary provider of mobility services, pending MTN’s own platform developments. BICS and MTN will also leverage MTN’s assets and customer base in Africa and the Middle East, such as infrastructure services.
Jens Schulte-Bochum, MTN Group COO says: “Over the last few years, MTN has built a pan-African and Middle East network to support MTN customers’ growing needs for data and connectivity. MTN has been satisfied with BICS’ services over the last ten years. We are very happy to benefit from the market position and expertise of one of the world leading carriers, in full complementarity with the capabilities we are developing”.
Daniel Kurgan, BICS CEO further says: “BICS is pleased to accompany MTN in developing their regional capabilities while remaining their primary partner for international carrier services, and to extend our relationship towards new and innovative services. We are hereby fostering a partnership that will leverage complementary footprints, assets and expertise”.
About the MTN Group
Launched in 1994, the MTN Group is a leading emerging market operator, connecting subscribers in 21 countries in Africa and the Middle East. The MTN Group is listed on the JSE Securities Exchange in South Africa under the share code: “MTN”. As of 30 September 2018, MTN recorded 225,4 million subscribers across its operations in Afghanistan, Benin, Botswana, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Republic, Iran, Liberia, Nigeria, Republic of Congo (Congo-Brazzaville), Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, South Sudan, Eswatini, Syria, Uganda, Yemen and Zambia.
About BICS
As a leading international communications enabler, BICS is connecting the world by creating reliable and secure mobile experiences anytime, anywhere. We are a global voice carrier and the leading provider of mobile data services worldwide. Our solutions are essential for supporting the modern lifestyle of today’s device-hungry consumer – from global mobile connectivity, seamless roaming experiences, fraud prevention and authentication, to global messaging and the Internet of Things. We are headquartered in Brussels, with a strong presence in Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe and Middle East.
