Globacom has unveiled “Gloria,” an artificial intelligence-powered virtual assistant built into its Glo Café platform, as the telecommunications company marks its 23rd anniversary with a focus on technology, network upgrades and customer service.

Gloria can handle customer enquiries, help subscribers access services and resolve routine issues through an automated interface. The assistant supports six languages, giving Glo customers another way to manage their accounts without having to rely on a call center.

The launch comes as telecom operators in Nigeria and elsewhere expand the use of digital tools to handle growing customer demand. For subscribers, the shift means routine requests can be handled online and at any time, while operators can use automated systems to deal with common enquiries more quickly.

Globacom said the launch of Gloria is part of a broader investment in its digital services. The company has also been adding 4G LTE sites, upgrading its fiber and core network and improving its digital platforms as customers use mobile networks for more data-intensive services.

Network expansion fuels Globacom subscriber growth

Those investments come as competition for internet subscribers remains intense in Nigeria. Globacom recorded the largest increase in internet subscribers among the country’s major telecom operators in May, according to data from the Nigerian Communications Commission.

Nigeria’s total internet subscriber base rose to 157 million in May from 154.3 million in April, an increase of roughly 2.67 million users. Globacom accounted for almost half of the growth, adding 1.2 million subscribers and taking its customer base to 16.8 million from 15.5 million.

The increase gives Globacom a larger customer base to serve as it continues to spend on its network. The company has spent the past year adding base stations, expanding its fiber network and deploying new 4G sites in both urban and rural areas.

The upgrades aim to add network capacity as Nigerians increasingly use mobile services for streaming, social media, digital payments and work. A February report said Globacom had expanded capacity nationwide to improve data speeds and reliability in high-demand areas.

Globacom scales network, digital services

The latest subscriber figures provide an early indication that the network investment is being accompanied by stronger customer additions. Globacom’s gain of about 1.2 million internet subscribers in May was larger than the increase recorded by Airtel and came as the company continued to expand its network and digital services.

Against that backdrop, Gloria gives Globacom another tool for dealing with a growing customer base. The assistant is designed to take care of routine service requests while giving subscribers a digital option for managing their accounts.

For Globacom, the anniversary therefore comes with more than a look back at 23 years in Nigeria’s telecommunications market. The company is using the occasion to highlight the network and digital services it believes will shape how customers interact with Glo in the years ahead, including an AI assistant that can respond to customers in six languages.