As part of it cooperate and social responsibilities, Qcell one of the leading GSM operators in the country yesterday launched a National Spelling Bee Competition for senior secondary schools across the country.
The competition, which is expected to start today at the Sheikh Mass Kah Senior Secondary, is part of a D10M (Ten Million Dalasis) project funded by Qcell.
The competition, which is covering 70 schools across the country, is organized by Qcell in partnership with the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education.
Winners will go home with prices ranging from Qcell 3G Qcell mobile phones, Qcell Sim cards, Qcell Credit, Qcell Calculator, Qcell Caps, Qcell T-shirt, Qcell pens, to Qcell pencil case, second.
Speaking at the launching ceremony, held at the Ministry of Education in Banjul, Qcell Chief Executive Officer, Muhammed Jah, said Qcell steams from QuantumNet group, the first Internet service providers in the Gambia and total Information Technology Solution Provider.
“Qcell SUNU BUSS started operation in July 2009, although Qcell is just 16 months old. We are always seen and perceived as if we have been in the Gambia for over ten years,” he said.
This, he added, is due to their strong marketing team and ideas coupled with their excellent products and services they offer to their esteem customers sine they started operations.
“We promised our customers and the entire Gambian population that we will bring the best and latest in the world of GSM mobile telecommunication coupled with cheapest tariffs”, he disclosed.
He said Qcell SUNU BUSS always give its customers more for less in the most competitive environment despite competing with competitors who have been in the market for over 10 years.
What is more pleasing, Jah disclosed is that Gambians believed in them and the Ministry of Education believed in their vision as they are one of the first institutions to patronize them by taking the CUG (Close User Group) and Data cards for their top managers.
“I could recalled the day I went to the president to present Qcell products and services, he (the President) was quick to point out the Minister of Basic and Secondary Education that Qcell is the right partner for the E-government project, because with our DATA card and 3G Network, one can now access 3G data and Internet anywhere and anytime in the Gambia,” he said.
“We are committed that Qcell is not going to be just another GSM operator. The idea of bringing to the Gambia “the highest and best” in the telecommunication technology is our goal,” he asserted.
According to him, nothing short of the best would do as they are aiming to place themselves as industry standards in The Gambia and as such, their goal and challenges are very high.
He said the President’s Vision 2020, the Silicon Valley Project, and many other initiatives, are all timely responses to the technological challenges of our age.
“You will agree with me that by any standard of reckoning, Qcell is what the Americans call a game changer. It continues to raise the bar in terms of its technology, its services and its products.
“Qcell is the only 3G network in the Gambia with facilities and services that no other operator can offer,” he said. With a Qcell sim card, he added, one can have a variety of services.
These services, he added, include the 3G Broadband Internet access on your mobile or on your laptop through the Qcell data card, video call, Qcell MMS, Qchat, Qtunes, Qalert, Qwap, Qcell CUG services, which allow users working in the same institutions to talk and see each other free of charge, thereby reducing the communication cost for both the individuals and institutions drastically.
He also highlighted the Qcell instant roaming postpaid and prepaid sim card, which enable Qcell subscribers to use their Qcell instant roaming sim card and talk anywhere in the world and the latest credit advance called E-fankanta.
“With the bonus promotion for the first time in the Gambia, our subscribers can use their Qcell to Qcell bonus not only for voice and SMS but also DATA. This service, he went on, gives flexibility to their customers in the way their bonus credit is used with no limitation on the services they offer (Voice, SMS&Data).
Jah noted that this also saves their customers money, in the sense that they get value for the money they spend.
“Product wise, we are the only GSM Company in the Gambia to produce our own branded telephones and data cards. I am sure some of you have got the feel of our Muslim phone, 3G phone and our double SIM phones, which you will agree with me that they are of top and very high standards and all our products come with one year warranty,” Jah stated.
“Despite all the noise around, Qcell was the first GSM operator to make this bold move by promising to always bring you the cheapest tariff ever,” he added.
He said Qcell SUNU BUSS for the first time in the Gambia has brought down GSM tariffs to its lowest; D2.50 per minute, making it cheaper than any network in the Gambia.
Jah posited that customers save nearly 50 bututs every minute by using Qcell SUNU BUSS. Qcell model, Jah went on, is to make communication clear and easy and at the cheapest possible cost.
He pointed out that the day was a big day for Madam Minister, Permanent Secretary and the entire Ministry of Education team, Qcell SUNU BUSS is once again renewing its commitment to the development of education in the Gambia by coming up with the biggest educational competition in the Gambia.
In his launching statement on behalf of the Minister of Basic and Secondary Education, the Permanent Secretary, Babucarr Bouy, said the day marks another important day in the history of his ministry. He stated that sometime ago, his ministry had discussions with Qcell for the company to sponsor a program for students in the area of education
“As we all know, English language in schools is weak, so therefore, there is need for an adjustment in that area,” he revealed.
He said the occasion was not a surprise to the ministry because education has been part of Qcell’s development agenda.
PS Bouy pointed that this Spelling Bee competition would help a lot in the area of English language for the students to master the spelling. He urged the students to compete with honesty.