Nigeria bars foreign operators on 3G

Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) has announced the barring of foreign interests from participating in the Third Generation (3G) and the 450 Mega Hertz (MHz) auction processes announced weekend.

Announcing this development came through the telecommunications regulator in the country, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), FGN said that participation on the proposed auction slated for April this year, is limited to local operators.

“Participation at the auction process will be limited to existing Nigerian Licensed Network Operators,” NCC said in its website.

The announcement, which came as the first public notice for the year, titled “Licensing of Spectrum in the 2 Gega Hertz (GHz) otherwise known as 3G and 450 Mega Hertz (MHz) bands,” NCC said, the notice was to inform and update interested parties on the bands in which spectrum would be allocated.

“… This spectrum can potentially support a wide range of services and technologies including 3G and Fixed Wireless Access,” NCC said.

NCC also said the notice would enable interested parties to know the allocation process and indicative timetable.

According to the timetable, NCC said it would auction the 3G licenses on April 2, and the 450 MHz bands would take place April 16, 2007.

NCC noted that the proclamation was to strengthen and develop the telecommunications services on the continent and Nigeria particularly. Stressing that this step is in line with its charges to implement the objectives of the nation’s telecommunications policy and Nigerian Communications Act 2003.

The Commission highlighted that interested parties would be expected to make submission of their issue on information memorandum for 3G before Friday, February 23, just as the 450 MHz would be expected on Friday, March 16, 2007, this year.

Bidders’ applications, NCC said, is required to reach the Commission for 3G interests by March 16, whereas submission date for the 450 MHz applications are due on March 30, 2007 respectively.

The auction date for the spectrum, NCC said will be in April with the 3G auctions scheduled for April 2, the 450 MHz has its date on April 16, 2007.

NCC said, the aforementioned timetable is subject to change, and advised interested parties to visit the Commission’s website on a regular basis for latest information.

Over the years, NCC has proved itself as an independent national regulatory authority for the telecommunications industry in the most populous nation on the continent.

Equally, NCC announced that information relating to the process will be made available through its website while applicants seeking further information should contact: spectrumauction@ncc.gov.ng.Meanwhile the three dominant telecommunications operators in the country, Globacom, Celtel and MTN have already expressed interest to that effect to NCC.

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NCC debunks non-transparent of MDC license

Apex telecommunications regulator in Nigeria, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has debunked news reports that granting of Unified Access Service License, recently granted to the Mubadala Development Company (MDC) of the United Arab Emirate (UAE).

It would be recalled that the granting of MDC unified license access to the tune of $400 million about N51.4 billion, came unannounced to stakeholders.

But reacting to the speculation of lack of transparency, which was the haul mark of the initial licensing of the Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) in the country in 2001, NCC said it was not true that the latest licensing was devoid of transparency.

Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of NCC, Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, while refuting this allegation in a chat with correspondent at Owerri, Imo State, recently after commissioning the two Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Parks, furnished and built by Zinox Technologies Limited.

He said that the granting of the license was an outcome of the federal government’s decision, stressing that it is only the federal government that has the authority to grant frequency allocation.

According to him, the decision was that of the government and all NCC has to do was to verify the viability of the company in this area, that is telecommunications.

He emphasised that the decision was capsulated by the recent plans by the government to improve the bilateral relations with the UAE.

He noted that NCC would continue to keep pace with the transparency level it set in 2001, assuring that they would not disappoint Nigerians at this time.

Noteworthy is that MDC met the NCC, requirement to pay the full licensing fee of $400 million within eight days of acquiring the license.

However, confirming this development, Head, Public Affairs at NCC, Mr. Dave Imoko, said that MDC adhered to time by completing payment before the close of business last Friday, January 19, 2007.

As said by him, NCC was pleased to announce the award of a Unified Access Service Licence to Mubadala Development Company of the United Arab Emirates.

This, he said, followed the confirmation of the payment of the full licence fee of $400million.
He also said that the license includes a mobile license and spectrum in the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) on 1800 and 900 Mega Hertz (MHz) bands.

He equally said that the latest license would increase telecommunications offerings nationwide through the award of radio spectrum to MDC.

He reiterated that it was granted based on a bilateral agreement between UAE and Nigeria.
Just as he recalled that the terms of offer specified that Mubadala pay the full license fee on or before 19th January 2007 and failing which, the offer shall automatically lapse.
Mubadala has accepted the terms of the offer made on January 11, in full and in accordance last Friday, made full payment to that effect.

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ITU, GSMA sign MoU to advance mobile access

Worldwide telecommunications regulator, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and Global System for Mobile Association (GSMA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to advance mobile access in the least developed countries and developing countries.

The signing, which held at the 7th ITU organised Global Symposium for Regulators (GSR) in Dubai, Tuesday, was endorsed by the Secretary-General, ITU, Dr Hamadoun Touré, and Chief Government & Regulatory Affairs officer of the GSMA, Mr Tom Phillips.

They said that the accord would strengthen cooperation towards improved access to mobile phone services aimed specifically at bridging the digital divide in both least developed and developing nations.

A press statement authorized by the Head, Corporate Communication at ITU, Francine Lambert, and Mark Smith of GSMA, which was made available to our correspondent, said the agreement focuses on fostering the development of information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure in least developed and developing countries.

It was gathered that the deal was driven by the overall objective of implementing the action lines of the two-phased World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Geneva 2003 and Tunis 2005, as well as the World Telecommunication Development conference, held in Doha 2006.

Speaking after the signing ceremony in Dubai, Dr. Touré said he was pleased with the development and looks forward to future collaboration between ITU and GSMA in developing wireless access to connect the unconnected globally.

"ITU is the leading United Nations agency specializing in ICT-related issues and represents a global forum for its 191 Member States and over 600 Sector members. GSMA represents a strong voice of the mobile industry and they are making real contributions towards increasing worldwide mobile penetration, including access in rural and underserved areas of the world," he said.

Also speaking, Mr. Phillips of GSMA, said, the organisation recognised the value of government policies that support private investment, as he expects that through this new relationship, operators would create a means of overcoming some evolution hiccups to pave way for new investment in telecommunications globally.

“Operators hope to create a dialogue that will cut through today’s hurdles and bottlenecks, creating new investment opportunities and integrating our members’ commercial agenda closely with that of government," he said.

The MoU would concentrate on three key areas, namely supporting developing market projects for low cost access to ICT in underserved areas, industry and government cooperation and global industry benchmarking.

Recently, it would be recalled that GSMA established a Developmental Fund to invest in sustainable projects that seek to extend access to and the value of mobile services in the developing world.

GSMA noted that by riding on these efforts in the context of ITU’s Connect the World initiative, attention will focus on identifying ICT development projects where the contributions of industry and governments can be leveraged to "connect the unconnected," particularly through low-cost solutions as well as the innovative use of mobile technology and connectivity in least developed and developing countries.

On the industry and government cooperation, the MoU tends to facilitate closer dialogue between industry and governments by building partnerships aimed at solving problems and facilitating future planning and investment, with special emphasis on developing an enabling policy and regulatory environment in addition to innovative approaches for the use of universal service funds to expand access to ICTs in rural and remote communities.

Just as the global industry benchmarking would be based on coordinating, enhancing research and statistical databases with a view to improving decision-making by compiling comprehensive shared resource of key industry performance indicators and benchmarks.

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DCU commences Associate programme

Data Centre University (DCU) has commenced the offer of Associate certification programme.

DCU is the American Power Conversion (APC) certification programme that validates knowledge, skills and ability for designing, building and operating data centres.

Regional Development Manager for the Middle East and Africa at APC, Mr. Carl Kleynhans, who disclosed this, said that DCU online curriculum now offers an Associate Certification, an international, vendor-neutral credential that recognises foundational knowledge in data centre infrastructure including power, cooling, racks, cabling, fire protection, management and physical security.
According to him, the DCU Associate Certification affords the Information Technology (IT) industry with a global standard for measuring competency in the core elements of a data centre.

He also said that the new certification bestow on today's data centre professionals the opportunity to advance their status in the designing, building and operating of data centres and gain credibility and respect within the industry.

He stressed that a recent survey conducted by AFCOM's Data Centre Institute (DCI), showed that by the year 2015, the number of qualified senior-level data centre professionals will have diminished by 45 per cent.

As the talent pool diminishes and the demand for these professionals grows, certifications will offer the assurance that individuals have the knowledge, skills and the ability to successfully implement data centre solutions.

Mr. Kleynhans said that certification is awarded to those passing an exam of approximately 75 conventional test questions administered by Thomson Prometric testing centres, an international testing provider.

“It is recommended, but not mandatory, that candidates complete the DCU Associate Certification e-learning curriculum that consists of 14 online courses covering a variety of data centre subjects,” he asserted.

He emphasised that since its launch in January 2006, DCU's on-line courses have become an invaluable resource for IT professionals seeking real world training on the fundamental issues surrounding data centres.

“Tens of thousands of registered students speak clearly to the increased need for education in the face of increasing server densities and increasing energy costs,” he said.

The Country Manager further said APC was pleased to offer the certification to individuals who want to validate their qualifications to design, upgrade or operate a data centre.

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Telecom transcends other economies - Ligali

Chief executive, Celtel Nigeria, Mr. Bayo Ligali has said that the role of telecommunications in today global development transcends into other sectors economy and not limited to telecom sub-sector alone.

Speaking at the second annual West African Forum in Abuja, weekend, Mr. Ligali who was represented by Head of Department, Commercial for the North Central Region at Celtel Nigeria, Mr. Ken Ogujifor, explained the impact of telecommunications in economies.

He noted that the development of full bodied telecommunications infrastructure and access, creates job opportunities, advancement in the mode of banking operations, increases speed of broadband services, improves productivity in terms of speed of decision making, just as family and social relationship as well as security and policing would be enhanced.

He stressed the effect of telecommunications in the grassroots areas, citing several examples from Tanzania and Nigeria.

“In Tanzanian, a recent survey revealed that fishermen use mobile phones to find out prices in distant markets thus determining where to land their catch, which is also the same thing that the fishermen in the Niger Delta experience” he said.

Mr. Ligali explained that even poultry farmers in Jos, Plateau State in the north-western Nigeria, use mobile phones to confirm the price of eggs in Abuja to locate attractive markets before undertaking delivery, which could not have happened before the introduction of Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM).

He reiterated that the next level of growth in GSM would witness deeper penetration into unserved areas, wider range of services enhanced with data offering and optimal quality of service.

Also commenting at the forum, Minister of State for Information and Communications, Dr. Obafemi Anibaba noted that Nigeria has greatly advanced the development of telecommunications on the continent.

“Nigeria is recognised widely as a major market for telecommunications equipment and services in the African continent,” he declared.

Dr. Anibaba stressed that the government equally recognises the role of communications in national development, hence committed towards ensuring that telecommunications facilities and services are rapidly expanding nationwide.

“Telecommunications holds the promise of achieving even greater gains and will continue to perform a crucial role in the transformation of the economy and the lives of Nigerians,” Anibaba said.

The telecommunication session was presided over by the International Trade Director at the Commonwealth Business Council based in the United Kingdom (UK), Mr. David Wakeford, while the likes of Joseph Tegbe, Partner, KPMG and Mr. Kaikai, Minister of Information and Communications, Sierra Leone.

The forum provided an avenue for dialogue among business executives, potential investors, policy makers and visionaries, to contribute to the development of the West African region.

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