Nigerians clamour for affordable fixed lines

FOR the second national operator (SNO) Globacom, events in recent times depict audacious statements of its preparedness to take the telephony landscape by storm, reports CHARLES OKOH.

With the recent coming of its Glo 1 cable, the telco last week, followed with the launch of its fixed line service codenamed ‘Glo Broad Access.’

The launch is seen by industry observers as filling the void created by the inability of the first national operator (NITEL) after many years of operations.

Since the inception of NITEL until it became plagued by the burden of inefficiency and administrative bottlenecks which is the hallmark of government’s foray into businesses, the national operator could only achieve about 500,000 lines across the length and breadth of the federation.

Unlike other climes where the Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) came after fixed lines, the reverse is the case in the country. Therefore, there is the fear by industry stakeholders on the health implication on a society that is almost completely dependent on GSM.

Granted that there is no conclusive evidence of the effect of electromagnetic radiation on health, experts are quick to warn that there is a need to exercise caution, since the implication, if any eventually, could take several years to manifest.

Recently at a stakeholders forum in Lagos, the chief regulator of the industry and Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC), Dr. Ernest Ndukwe said because the nation did not catch up with the rest of the world on fixed lines, GSM has turned out to be the only way out for a communication-starved Nigerians.

Also, at the event some experts equally cautioned on the use of more than one GSM lines at the same time. Equally, parents were warned on the need to moderate the level to which their wards are exposed to the GSM as a preemptive measure.

The implication of the scenario is that the average person relies on GSM from when he wakes up in the morning at home to when he is in the office and eventually gets back at home for 24 hours, year-in and year-out.

The introduction of this new service by Globacom will bring the nation closer to the advanced worlds that have benefited from broadband services which include convergence of high speed internet and video and television at very low cost.

Responding to this development, a cross section of Nigerians expressed excitement on the development, provided, they argued, it would be cheaper to maintain.

For Chidi Okezie, a librarian, it is a good and welcome development that should be cheaper to maintain since it would be powered by the Glo 1 cable.

According to him, the operator should be encouraged by government to enable it offer Nigerians rock-bottom telephony services.

Also reacting, Mr Sina Adebowale,a public affairs analyst, said it will be healthy for the industry and if it will be cheap and affordable to subscribers then, it will be desirable at homes and the offices.

Joseph Nnaji, a trader at the Trade Fair Complex, said he will be interested in anything that will see tariff come down and if this will ensure that, then, it is welcome.

Femi Layinka, a student, said the cost will determine if he will be interested or not. You will observe that there is hardly any difference between costs among these service providers. They simply play around with figures. “Fixed lines should be by far cheaper else the essence will be defeated,” he said.

Commenting also, Mr. Jimoh Olatunde, commercial bus driver, it will be good if it is cheap. According to him, he already has three lines, two for himself and one for his wife. “To add another will mean more cost. And for me to add that I will drop one of mine and get the fixed line if it is cheaper to maintain,” he declared.

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300m adults without mobile payment access in Africa – JBB

Los Angeles-based research company with focus on telecommunications, JBB Research, has disclosed that over 300 million adults are without access in the African mobile payment market.

JBB Research in its latest newsletter, volume 16 made available to ITRealms Online, the firm noted that over the past few years, mobile payment solutions have experienced strong adoption in emerging markets like Africa as they perfectly fit the needs of many Africans who have limited resources or don’t have a bank account.

“With 116 mobile payment services already available or set to go live in the coming quarters, the mobile payment market has become an overcrowded space in the African region,” the company said.

The level of competition in certain African markets like Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda or Tanzania has increased dramatically over the past few years.

For instance, JBB cited Ghana, saying that eight mobile payment services are now available against seven in Tanzania and Uganda.

JBB research also revealed that Nokia in association with Obopay, which is set to introduce its Nokia Money service early next year, is well positioned to become a serious player in this space as well as a peacemaker. “However, several issues need to be overcome before the market reaches its full potential,” according to the Principal Analyst and CEO of JBB, Julien Blin.

This is coming as Mobile Web Revenue is expected to reach $23.6 billion by 2013 with 50 per cent of United States (U.S.) wireless subscribers.

As said by Blin, 2010 is the year of mobile application stores, unlimited data plans and smartphones with full browsing technologies, providing a perfect storm of adoption, carrier revenue realization.

JBB equally predicted a robust growth in mobile web usage in the U.S. given the increasing openness in mobile networks, the growing popularity of smartphones, including iPhone 3G S, Palm Pre, BlackBerry Storm.

By 2013, JBB said, mobile users will be able to enjoy a full mobile web experience across various platforms through cell phone, PC, laptop, digital camera, in addition to network types such as 3G, LTE, WiMAX, WiFi and business models.

Further, Blin said that by the end of 2013, the total U.S. mobile web revenue will reach a total of $23.6 billion, up from $5.5 billion in 2008, representing a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 34.0 per cent.

“We are seeing all the key ingredients for an explosion of mobile web usage in the U.S. in the coming years” Blin said, noting that the U.S. wireless consumers could now enjoy more advanced mobile browsers such as open-source mobile browsers like WebKit or Gecko; more capable and affordable 3G Smartphones such as iPhone, 3G S,Palm Pre, and soon the Motorola Droid among others.

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Zaku, Bilbis lead delegates to NIG’s e-biz seminar

The minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Alhassan Bako Zaku and Minister of State for Information and Communications, Alhaji Ikra Aliyu Bilbis, would lead delegations to the 2009 edition of the Nigeria Internet Group (NIG)-organised one-day seminar on electronic business (e-biz) in Lagos.

Also, the Chief executive officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Ernest Ndukwe and his counterpart at the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Prof. Cleopas Officer Angaye, have been scheduled to lead speakers at this year’s electronic business seminar.

President, NIG and chief executive officer, PiNet Informatics, Mr. Lanre Ajayi, said both ministers have confirmed presence at the event, while Ndukwe and Angaye would give the keynote addresses at the occasion, billed for next week Thursday, at the Golden Gate Paradise, Ikoyi-Lagos.

According to him, NIG has finalised arrangements to ensure the successful hosting of the e-business seminar scheduled to hold in Lagos, with other industry leaders from the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Institute of Software Practitioners (ISPON) and Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) have confirmed participation of their various leaderships and members.

The seminar with the theme “Enabling e-Business in Nigeria for Accelerated Economic Growth” he said, would bring to the front burner the subject of using Internet technology to drivebusinesses and to consistently speed up economic growth in a country like Nigeria.

He pointed out that with recent developments in the nation’s Information and CommunicationTechnology (ICT) sector, Nigeria looks set to join the rest of the world in driving its economy using e-business platforms.

“Some of the most significant development, include the re-delegation of .ng Top Level Domain (TLD), the budding e-payment services and the emerging international fiber cables from Globacom andMainsOne,” he noted.Stressing that NIG is thrilled about these developments, thus decided to make e-Business the focus of the 2009 annual conference.

He explained that the seminar is being put together in collaboration with the telecommunications apex regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).

Ndukwe and Angaye, he said, would use the platform to look at the crucial role e-business adoption in the country would bring to the populace.

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77.6% South Koreans now online

Senator and Chairman of the Culture, Sports, and Tourism, Broadcasting and Communications Committee at the Korean National Assembly, Mr. Heung Kil Ko, has said that 77.6 per cent of South Korean citizens are now online.

Speaking at the recently concluded meeting of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN’s) 36th international public session in Seoul, South Korea, Mr. Kil Ko, highlighted the importance of an efficiently and stably managed Internet Protocol (IP) address system, as well as dealing with security threats such as hacking and phishing.

He stressed the fact that the conference would lead to closer ties between ICANN and Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA), a public agency that plays a major role in developing and researching the Internet in Korea.

Equally speaking at the opening session of ICANN public meeting, the chairman of the Korea Communications Commission, Mr. See Joong Choi, noted that though the Internet in the last 40 years has had immense impact globally.

He also emphasized on the importance IP addresses as assets for the future and has become a common resource for all, thus welcoming the introduction of Internationalization of Domain Names (IDNs) as paving a “new way toward the future.”

Ms. Hee Jung Kim also applauded the introduction of IDNs, and recent change in the Joint Project Agreement (JPA) that ICANN had with the United States government as strengthening the autonomy of the IP addressing system.

ITRealms Online recalled that the JPA deal was concluded last September, 2009, while over 1,207 participants attended the conference from 111 different countries, who engaged in a wide range of discussions about the Internet’s domain name system and related issues.

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Igbalode wins ICT prize @ NMMA-09

Senior Reporter of IT & Telecom Digest, Mr. Oluwaseun Igbalode, has won the 2009 Nigerian Media Merit Award (NMMA) in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) category.

The award hosted in Enugu, the capital of Enugu State saw Igbalode emerging as the winner of the MTN prize for Telecommunications Reporter of the Year.

Igbalode, who won in the same category in the 2008 edition of the prestigious NMMA, while Helen Eni of Tell magazine, got the position of first runner up, Chikodi Okereocha, a Staff Writer with the Broad Street Journal, took the second runner up in the category.

For his prize, Igbalode was presented with an HP Pavilion Laptop provided by MTN Nigeria.

Equally, the first and second runners-up also went home with one home theatre set, and a 10 megapixel digital camera respectively, courtesy of MTN.

Presenting the prizes to the winners at the ceremony, the External Communications Manager, MTN Nigeria, Mr. Andrew Okeleke, who represented the Corporate Services Executive, Mr. Wale Goodluck, at the occasion, commended the three finalists and remarked that all the three nominees in the Telecommunications category endowed by MTN seven years ago should also be regarded as winners.

“MTN recognizes their dedication and contribution to the development of telecommunications industry through their insightful reports and analysis. That is why we have decided to encourage them with these prizes,” he said.

He recalled that three years ago, MTN Nigeria, reviewed its endowment of the Telecommunications Reporter of the year category to include the winner, and the first and second runners-up.

Okeleke said, this was done to encourage excellence in the reporting of the telecommunications industry by recognizing a wider pool of talents.

In his address, Chairman, NMMA, Alhaji Alade Odunewu, described the awards as the most prestigious media award ceremony in the country, established to promote excellence in the media.

Also, he said that NMMA had over the years earned the recognition and respect of the media industry, the government, and corporate bodies, among others.

As said by him, the role of NMMA is to identify individuals, groups, and organizations that demonstrate their commitment to the pursuit of excellence and honour them in suitable ways.

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Galaxy, NPHDA sign MoU on connectivity

Galaxy Backbone Plc has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHDA) of the Ministry of Health.

Announcing this at the weekend, the Manager, Corporate Communications at Galaxy Backbone Plc, Mr. Franklyn Ekeh quoted the Managing Director, Mr. Gerald Ilukwe as saying that the MoU was concluded last Wednesday at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja.

Ilukwe explained that under the terms of the MOU, Galaxy will provide Internet connectivity, data, Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP), Virtual Private Network (VPN) and video conferencing solution to improve health care delivery system through live training via video conferencing to midwives in 40 concurrent locations.

He also said that his company will deploy Movable Community Communication Centre (Portacabin) fully equipped for training and ready to be moved anywhere in the country.

“This can also be used to support the slightest report of any disease outbreak, for training in underserved areas and also for other services as may be deemed necessary,” he said.

Equally, Ilukwe said, the network has been designed to provide NPHCDA with its own VPN thereby enabling modernization and automation of its operations for ease of file sharing and effective means of emailing with the head office.

Further, he said that the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) solution would automatically reduce time and dependence on hard copies for communications between the NPHCDA head office in Abuja and its six zonal offices, the strategic Central Store, 40 selected model MSS clusters and 160 primary healthcare facilities linked to 40 General Hospitals where the midwives scheme is being implemented in the 36 states and FCT.

This, he pointed out would result in more efficiency since trainings would be conducted at each midwives location rather than travelling to the head office and cost savings in terms of amount of money spent on voice calls through the provision of voice over internet protocol (VOIP).

“There is also availability of content before or after training sessions for the midwives and others who should benefit from the content for safe motherhood,” he asserted.

The Executive Director of NPHCDA, Dr. Mohammed Pate, in his comment noted that effective communication has contributed greatly in the level of development and successes recorded in the implementation of healthcare services nationwide. “ICT connectivity is today recognized as a potential strategy that will enhance the effective implementation and management of the Midwives Services Scheme (MSS) and primary healthcare in general” he said.

Additionally, Dr. Pate said there are many success stories of ICT application in healthcare delivery in different countries in and outside Africa, stressing that it’s gratifying that after extensive exploration of potential partners, the agency discovered Galaxy Backbone Plc and found it worthy to facilitate ICT-led health development in the country.

“It is our belief that the new drive will assist to address some of the challenges faced over the years by healthcare providers and programme managers on how best to ensure effective communication between the centre, States, LGAs, health facilities, healthcare providers and indeed, the communities,” he declared.

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MTN reiterates excellent customer services @ King’s banquet

LEADING mobile operator in the country, MTN Nigeria Communications Limited, has reiterated its resolve to always offer subscribers excellence services.

Giving this commitment in Lagos recently at a banquet specifically put together by MTN for its customers, the Chief Executive Officer, MTN Nigeria, Mr. Ahmad Farroukh, who used the platform to unveil the company’s “MyCustomer Charter” assured on the best-in-class customer experience on the network.

According to him, the “MyCustomer Charter” encompasses golden rules to guard the conduct of customer care representatives, as well as other MTN staff in their relationship with the company’s teeming customers.

He pointed out that the unveiling of the charter was the highpoint of the reception held for the company’s customers, tagged MTN King’s Banquet at the Victoria Island, Lagos, while the banquet was the climax of a week-long celebration of customers, tagged ‘MyCustomer Week’.

“The MyCustomer programme is designed by MTN Nigeria to deliver a one-to-one preferential, world class, best-in-class customer service experience. The programme is about ensuring that our people delight our customers beyond their expectation, and strike that emotional connection with them during every interaction,” said Mr. Farroukh.

He equally said that the customer represents the nucleus of MTN’s operation, promising that the company would spare no resources to ensure that the desires, aspirations and expectations of customers are met if not exceeded on the network.

Emphasizing that the ultimate goal of the MyCustomer programme is to thrill MTN customers and make them enjoy the branded experience.

“In order to achieve this objective, MTN Nigeria has since last year, embarked upon a multi-billion Naira comprehensive customer service support programme,” he said.

MTN Customer Relations Executive, Mr. Akin Braithwaite said that part of the multi-billion Naira customer service support project is the implementation of a robust Internet Protocol based technology which has given the company capability to process over 500 million calls per annum.

This infrastructure, he said, also allows MTN to deliver customer service through multiple channels including voice, short messaging service (SMS), web and video as well as supporting multiple locations of the online customer assistance centres.

“This is of course the largest online customer management space in West Africa and on the way to becoming the best in Africa,” he asserted.

Additionally speaking, MTN Corporate Services Executive, Mr. Wale Goodluck, said the company’s systematic implementation of its customer service support programme has won it recognition from the globally respected research agency, like Nielsen, which gave the operator the highest rating in the customer satisfaction index survey conducted earlier in the year.

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Mafiana tasks IT managers to be innovative, proactive

The Manager for Nigeria and Ghana at NetApp, Mr. Rex Mafiana, has called on Information Technology (IT) Managers, especially in the Insurance sector, to be more innovative and proactive in their adoption of IT tools as the sector becomes bigger.

Mafiana said unlike in other parts of the world where the insurance companies own banks, the reverse is the case in the country, predicting that the future for the sector is bright.

He bemoaned the current over reliance on paper work in the sector, saying data storage and management is very important for prompt and immediate attention to issues on insurance, stressing that storage efficiency requires both hardware and software approaches.

Speaking on Doing More with Less, the benefit of feature – rich unified storage, he identified three stages of IT maturity as, a supplier, aligned with business and competitive differentiation.

“Competitive differentiation looks beyond immediate business needs, considers technology trends and competitive landscape to play proactive role in shaping business strategy,” he said.

Mafiana who was speaking at the Insurance Technology Expo 2009 last week, also said IT infrastructure should be flexible and scalable to support growth.

Speaking earlier the convener of the event and chief executive officer (CEO) of Private Media Mart Limited, Mr. Ejiofor Agada said the desire to help change the business processes in the insurance sector from “its brick and mortar outlook to the 21st century click and buttons age,”
was the motivation behind the expo.

“With our idea to showcase the technologies suitable for the insurance sector and have the proponents explain the inherent advantages and features of their solutions to their target market, as well as using this avenue to discuss and ascertain the future direction of the sector,” he said.

He said the intention of PMM is to recreate the same level of awareness for ICT tools in the insurance sector as was achieved in the banking sector in the late 90s.

Tagged, E-insurance: Issues and expectations in a growing economy, the event, he said, has introduced the award component to recognize industry movers and propel others especially at chief executive level to make them interested in ICT adoption in the insurance sector.

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C’Wealth leaders call for investment in ICT

HEADS of State and Government of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) have called for an inclusive and development-oriented information society, outlining the important contribution of Information and Communications Technology (ICTs) in stimulating economic growth and development within the region, reports CHARLES OKOH.

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Connect CIS leaders Summit which ended over the weekend in Belarus also recognized the “essential role of governments in devising national e-strategies and establishing an enabling policy and regulatory framework to foster ICT investment. Achieve the vision and goals of the World Summit on the Information Society in the CIS region.”

In a press statement the Chief, Media Relations and Public Information (ITU) Mr. Sanjay Acharya, said the two-day summit brought together some 350 participants, including five Heads of State and Government from Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, as well as seven Ministers and other leaders from the CIS territories and neighbouring countries, the ICT industry, financial institutions and international and regional organizations. The Summit was hosted by the President of the Republic of Belarus Mr Alexander Lukashenko.

In his message to the Summit, United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Mr. Ban Ki-moon said, “unequal access to ICT impedes productivity and innovation,” stressing that this directly affects efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

“We want to enhance digital opportunities for all, and find new ways for these remarkable technologies to advance economic and social development,” he said.

As the specialized UN agency for information communication technologies (ICT), this landmark event was organized as part of ITU’s Connect the World series, an ambitious multi-stakeholder effort aimed at connecting the unconnected by the year 2015.

Acharya also said overall objective of the Connect CIS is to mobilize the human, financial and technical resources required to support a rapid, region-wide transition to digital infrastructure and services, widely recognized as the engine of future employment, economic growth and social and economic development.

In his opening remarks, ITU Secretary-General Dr. Hamadoun Touré said the time has come to turn words into action, and that was the reason behind the summit.

“This can only happen through a renewed commitment to partnership — in particular partnerships between the public and private sectors. It can only happen if policy and regulatory frameworks are conducive to doing business profitably. And it can only happen with the political will on the part of governments to make ICTs a key priority in their development agendas,” Toure said.

Director, ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau, Mr. Sami Al Basheer Al Morshid focused his remarks on the increasingly important role of broadband Internet access for the overall economy.

“Broadband is no longer a luxury. It has become the core infrastructure of the modern economy, which is needed to support advanced applications and services for governments, businesses and consumers. If we take the right steps together now, broadband networks will serve as a platform in the coming years for innovation, growth and development across the CIS region,” he said.

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Glo unveils ‘Biiig Dash’ unlimited call for N40

In its revolutionary step, the Second National Operator (SNO), Globacom, has introduced Biiig Dash, which offers prepaid subscribers daily free call on the network, that is, Glo2Glo for just N40.

Announcing this in Lagos, the Group Chief Operating Officer (GCOO), Mr. Mohammed Jameel said that a revolutionary package is aimed at changing the way Nigerians communicate, even as the network has a relative package for those on the postpaid.

According to him, the impact of the new package from Glo is comparable in scale only to the Per Second Billing (PSB) system the operator introduced at the launch in August 2003, which invariably crashed the cost of telephony in the country.

Also speaking, the company’s Group Executive Director, Mr. Paddy Adenuga, said the Biiig Dash would enable subscribers on the Glo network to make unlimited Glo to Glo for free every day anywhere in the country by just ensuring that they have N40 on their phone per day.

“All Nigerians should not only come onto the Glo network but should also bring all their friends, family members and business associates to Glo so that they can talk endlessly with each other at virtually no cost,” he asserted.

Further, Jameel, said that having pioneered the Per Second Billing system in the country at a time other operators described it as ‘impossible,’ it became necessary for the network to introduce another big excitement targeted as enabling subscribers to communicate at an affordable rate.

“Now, with just N40.00 daily, our subscribers can make unlimited calls within the Glo network. Nowhere else have Nigerians been offered this golden opportunity. This is to enable them reach out to their friends and loved ones all over the country at a cost everyone can afford”, he said, stressing that the new offering would give Glo subscribers an unequal cost saving opportunity while at the same time offering them limitless calls within the network daily.

Describing it as a really big dash for Glo subscribers, Mr Jameel said there is no limit to the number of Glo to Glo calls that subscribers who embrace the offering can make.

“This is the next biggest thing to shake the telecommunications industry after Per Second Billing and we are proud that, again, it is coming from Globacom”, he declared, saying that December 1 should be declared free speech day for Nigerians.

Mr. Jameel said subscribers can best feel the impact of the Biiig Dash offering if they calculated what they would save daily from their telecommunications cost.

“If for instance you were making an average of 10 calls per day at N30 or thereabout, that will add up to N300 per day and about N9,000 in a month. With the Biiig DASH, that will drop incredibly to N40 per day,” he said.

Jameel noted that beyond the huge savings on the cost of making calls, it is the icing on the cake in the package which is the unlimited number of calls subscribers could make on Glo network. It is probably the biggest revolution in the Nigerian telecommunications history.

“The Glo Biiig Dash is available to all existing and new customers on the Glo network. Glo existing customers can dial *100*1*1# to activate the package while new customers can buy a prepaid SIM for only N100 to join the Glo family and activate the Biiig DASH by dialing *100*1*1#,” he explained.