By Mohamed Massaquoi

Miatta conference center was Friday connected to a live global communication concert through a satellite link.

The link was made during the official launch of Zain Sierra Leone, a telecommunications network that has taken over operations from Celtel mobile company in the country and Africa as a whole. 

Subscribers from Nigeria , Kenya , and Ghana and all over Africa were connected through satellite link to the Miatta conference center, to celebrate the occasion.

President Ernest Bai Koroma was among those who communicated through the linkage to the many subscribers in Sierra Leone .

In a television broadcast Koroma said Celtel was able to create a positive impact on the lives of people in Sierra Leone as it was the first mobile company that started operations in the country shortly after the civil conflict.

He said Celtel changing over to Zain Sierra Leone was an additional value to the mobile communications system in the country.

Speaking at the ceremony, vice president Samuel Sam Sumana said the aim of any business is to maximise profit and improve services.

He said Zain Sierra Leone should take the good steps of Celtel as mobile companies operating in Sierra Leone still have virgin grounds to penetrate in the country.  

“It is obligatory on network providers to encourage customers. Celtel brought good initiatives into the country. They pay their taxes in a regular manner and abide by the rules and regulations in the country. I hope Zain will continue,” he said.

Sam Sumana pledged that his government would give it fullest support to the smooth operations of the company.

Managing Director of Zain Sierra Leone Ted Sauti-Phiri said his company's vision was to be among the tenth mobile companies in the world by 2011.

He said Celtel arrived in Sierra Leone in 2000 and that they have succeeded in creating a market and bringing a new life to the people of Sierra Leone .

“The re-branding of Celtel to Zain is part of the new strategy to serve our customers effectively. We want our customers to choose the network they deserve and to distinguish ourselves from other companies by providing the best services. Zain Sierra Leone will continue the good work. We have invested over $100 million on communications equipment in order to cover remote villages in the country. Currently we have covered sixty percent of the geography of Sierra Leone and ninety percent of the population,” he said.

Sauti-Phiri said the business was committed to sustainable development and that it has donated educational materials to learning institutions, citing the hospital construction at the Njala University College .

He said Celtel sponsored the first set of musicians to be trained and took some of the local artists to London on festivals.

Zain's marketing director Evans Muhanga said he was pleased with the massive turnout of people to make the occasion colorful.

He said Zain is a global company and that they were taking Africa 's success story to the world as their intention was to improve on the lives of millions of Africans.