The high cost of international calls and mobile connectivity in Nigeria is creating demand for alternative digital communication services, with technology firm Esdiac Global unveiling a platform aimed at reducing calling expenses for individuals and businesses.

The platform combines international and local calls, travel eSIM, mobile data services and artificial intelligence-powered customer support in a single application.

The platform, introduced at the Esdiac Global media parley and stakeholders’ engagement in Abuja, combines international and local calling, mobile data services, electronic SIM (eSIM), digital top-ups and business communication solutions in a single application.

Austin Ugbebor, managing director and chief executive officer of Esdiac, said the platform was developed to address the high cost of international calls, expensive roaming services and connectivity challenges facing individuals and businesses in Nigeria.

He said international calls through conventional mobile network operators could cost an average of N234 per minute, while Esdiac’s platform could significantly reduce the cost of reaching people outside the country.

He added that the company was positioning the platform as an alternative to conventional app-to-app communication services such as WhatsApp and Messenger.

“Esdiac is an app-to-phone platform, not app-to-app like WhatsApp or Messenger. So on that, we operate on a different way.

“With that one unit, you can call the U.S., China for at least an hour,” Ugbebor said

According to him, the technology allows users to call people who do not have the application or access to the internet, including those using conventional mobile phones and landlines.

Ugbebor explained that the platform uses Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology to connect calls to regular telephone numbers, allowing recipients to receive calls without registering on Esdiac.

The company also introduced eSIM services targeted at international travellers, who often face expensive roaming charges or depend on public airport Wi-Fi when they arrive in foreign destinations.

The business segment of the platform incorporates artificial intelligence-powered agents designed to handle customer enquiries, make bookings and respond to calls when business owners or their employees are unavailable.

Daramola Olugbenga, lead infrastructure and security engineer at Esdiac, said the company had developed a scalable technology infrastructure designed to support up to one million concurrent calls.

He said the platform was built by a team of engineers, leveraging existing technologies to improve call reliability and voice quality, particularly in areas with weak internet connectivity.

“We are looking at the initial scale of maybe a million customers, one million concurrent calls at the moment,” Olugbenga said.

He added that the company was targeting a call delivery rate of more than 90 per cent, with the technology designed to maintain clear voice communication even where users experience poor data connections or weak Wi-Fi signals.

On its business offering, Olugbenga said the company had integrated artificial intelligence agents that could engage customers in conversations rather than rely solely on conventional automated voice response systems.

“If your agents are not available 24-7, you have your AI agents get to answer calls on your behalf, make bookings. So when you wake up or whenever you’re available, you get to see those bookings,” he said.

The company also addressed concerns about data security and local data storage, with Olugbenga saying it had established a point of presence in Nigeria to enable data storage and processing within the country.

He said the platform was designed to comply with requirements of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Nigeria Data Protection framework.

Responding to questions on data protection, Ugbebor said the company was required to comply with NCC regulations and restrictions governing the handling of customers’ information.

He said the company also maintained a United States licence from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), alongside its Nigerian regulatory obligations.

Ugbebor further explained that although Esdiac uses major mobile network operators for subscriber authentication, it operates its own telecommunications backbone.

He said the arrangement allows the company to authenticate subscribers through mobile network operators while running its own calling infrastructure.

The company’s approach, he said, was designed to ensure that Nigerian customer data was not transferred outside the country in violation of applicable regulations.

Also speaking at the event, Tope Fasua, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Economic Matters, described the platform as a potential step forward for telecommunications services in Nigeria.

Fasua, who said he attended the event as a prospective customer, said the platform could help individuals and businesses reduce communication expenses.

“From what I’ve seen today, it’s a great product, and I think it’s the next level for telecommunications in Nigeria,” he said.

He recounted his experience of purchasing an expensive eSIM at the Abuja airport for a trip to Bangkok, which worked in London but failed to provide connectivity in Bangkok.

Fasua said he hoped Esdiac’s eSIM service would offer better value to travellers, adding that the platform appeared more affordable than the service he previously purchased.

“If it tells you that you can make a call abroad for 13 Naira, believe him that you can make it for 13 Naira,” he said, comparing the company’s claim with international calling rates charged by conventional mobile network operators.

He urged Nigerians seeking to reduce communication costs to consider the platform, while indicating that he would test its services.