MTN to sing Opera

MTN has signed a global agreement with Opera Software to boost mobile Internet services across Africa and the Middle East by offering its users a co-branded version of Opera Mini.

As more mobile users connect to the Internet, many for the first time on their mobile handsets, the thirst for faster downloads is becoming more acute.

To meet this challenge and provide the best internet experience available, MTN will soon offer a fuller and faster mobile Web experience to its 150 million mobile subscribers across Africa and the Middle East.

MTN has signed a global agreement with Norway’s Opera Software to boost mobile Internet services across the two regions by offering a special co-branded version of Opera Mini, the world’s most popular mobile Web browser.

The collaboration with Opera Software will provide MTN subscribers with a more affordable, user-friendly and faster mobile Web experience. By using Opera Mini people get the most out of the web, plus get one-click access to MTN content portals via their Opera Mini startpage.

Opera Mini is a clever tool. It shrinks down websites and web data by up to 90 percent before delivering them to the phone ‚ for faster and lower-cost page loading for users, and increased network capacity for operators.

The introduction of customised versions of Opera Mini strengthens MTN’s small-screen strategy to take customers’ mobile Web experience to the next level.

‚By offering faster access to websites and easy entry to MTN portals, MTN subscribers can reach the content they want, with less frustration and less expense. With just one click, customers have music, news, games, and information on MTN products and services at their fingertips,‚ says Christian de Faria, MTN Group’s Chief Commercial Officer.

De Faria says MTN wants to offer its subscribers innovative mobile Internet services that have a positive impact on information, sharing and communication in their everyday lives.

‚We are eager to bring the best Web experience to Africa and the Middle East, and working with MTN Group’s network enables us to achieve that. We have seen incredible uptake of Opera Mini in that geography so far, and we look forward to building on that success with one of the region’s leading mobile communications providers‚ , says Lars Boilesen, CEO of Opera Software.

Under the agreement, MTN will centrally launch a tailor-made version of Opera Mini to each of its 21 markets, with localised links and content.

Opera Mini has more than 115 million monthly users around the world, and is available on over 3000 different phone models including basic feature phones.

*