Billions shut out of Internet access by government inactions

ITRealms:

The 2017 Affordability Report has been released with indication that billions shut out of internet access by government inactions, reports ITRealms.

The report released by Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI) tracks policy progress toward affordable internet across 58 low- and middle-income countries.

According to the Communications Manager, A4AI, Lauran Potter the report found out that governments are failing their citizens when it comes to providing affordable internet access. 

“Just 19 countries surveyed have "affordable" internet access,” she said, stressing that policies have barely changed since this research series started in 2014.

They observed that nearly half the countries surveyed have badly outdated or non-existent plans to guide broadband development, whereas public funds to expand access to the disconnected, if they exist, are sitting dormant in over a third of countries.

ITRealms reports that ​Nigeria, for instance, ranks 13th out of 58 on this year's Affordability Drivers Index, which measures the policies in place to enable affordable access.

Last year's report, ITRealms recalls, showed a miss on the global target of universal, affordable access by over 20 years.

This year's report further confirmed that government inaction has remained a threat to entrench the digital divide and worsen global inequality.

A4AI, therefore, called on leaders to take urgent action to reverse this course and enable access for the over 4 billion offline as at the time of releasing the report.

Chuks Egbune/GEE

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Microsoft offers Ekovolt, 11 others grants to accelerate affordable Internet access

ITRealms:

Microsoft Corporation has awarded Affordable Access Initiative grants to 12 entrepreneurial businesses, including Ekovolt in Nigeria to scale-up their solutions and business models to increase affordable Internet access in communities around the world, reports ITRealms.

Each company, ITRealms gathered, received seedgrants, and resources including BizSpark tools such as free software, services and technology support to help extend the reach of their hardware, applications, connectivity and power solutions.

In Nigeria, the grant received by Ekovolt would enable simplify everyday life and connect people, places, and things with technology.

ITRealms also reports that with Affordable Access Initiative grant support, this wireless broadband and cloud services provider is expanding its solutions to small and medium-sized enterprises in Nigeria.

The Managing Director, Ekovolt, Mr. Emeka Ebo, the partnership would help in the application of new technologies in delivering Internet services to underserved markets and rural communities in Nigeria.

“As we combine Microsoft’s cloud solutions with Volt Internet services, we can offer bundled packages of customized Internet and Enterprise solutions for small to medium-sized businesses typically only found at large corporations,” he said. 

The executive vice president, business development at Microsoft, Peggy Johnson, pointed out that with more than half of the world’s population lacking access to the Internet, connectivity is a global challenge that demands creative problem solving.

“By using technology that’s available now and partnering with local entrepreneurs who understand the needs of their communities, our hope is to create sustainable solutions that will not only have impact today but also in the years to come,” Johnson said.

ITRealms recalls that Microsoft’s Affordable Access Initiative aims to democratize access to the Internet through grants, commercial partnerships, connecting new leaders and community engagement. 

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Unwin predicts Internet access to top agenda for 2015 SDGs

DigitalSENSE Business News:

The Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO), Professor Tim Unwin, has predicted that access to the Internet will top agenda for the 2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), reports DigitalSENSE Business News.

Professor Unwin, DigitalSENSE Business News gathered, made his prediction at the just ended inaugural Commonwealth Broadband Forum 2014 held between 18 and 20 November in Nairobi, Kenya.

He told DigitalSENSE Business News the importance of broadband and stressed how all should work collectively to ensure that the poorest and most-marginalised groups are not excluded, but able to grasp the opportunities provided by new technologies.

“Broadband connectivity should not only be used for economic growth but should also be used as a driver for social justice and effective governance,” Prof. Unwin declared to DigitalSENSE Business News in a press statement made available to correspondent by Marcel Belingue.

DigitalSENSE Business News recalls that over 130 delegates from Commonwealth countries took part in the event, hosted by the Communications Authority of Kenya.

 
Over three days, DigitalSENSE Business News also gathered, participants examined several aspects of broadband, including the future of broadband and mobile technologies across the Commonwealth and beyond, and the impact that these technologies will have in driving innovation and growth.

Some of the session-focused discussions, DigitalSENSE Business News gathred from 2014 theme "Broadband for Accelerated Growth” comprised the Mobile broadband technologies: 4G and LTE; Broadband access and infrastructure aiding development; Cloud computing for emerging markets; Broadband applications and value-added services; Inclusion and innovation beyond broadband: The rise of tech cities, Financing broadband in Africa; and Strengthening broadband public-private partnerships to accelerate investment projects.

@Chuks Egbuna +Remmy Nweke +Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation

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SkyVision gets new POP in Abuja

Leading global provider of Internet Protocol (IP) connectivity over satellite and fibre optic systems, SkyVision Global Networks Limited has advanced its services with the establishment of new Point-of-Presence (PoP) facility in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The SkyVision’s existing PoP in Lagos and new PoP in Abuja are connected to the company’s global MPLS backbone network which enables its customers’ direct access to the international internet backbone.

SkyVision Sales Director for West Africa, Mr. Eitan Mesika, said this has been made possible through SkyVision’s broad network as well as connectivity from anywhere in the world to Nigeria using multiple submarine cables.

“Providing unlimited, high-quality internet access services through our PoP in Abuja directly to the customer premises dramatically improves the customer experience and places SkyVision as a true end-to-end solution provider,” he said.

The new PoP in Abuja, he said, would also allow organizations to benefit from SkyVision’s Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) hub in Lagos, which provides satellite-based virtual private network services, connecting corporate headquarters to sites that are not covered by any reliable fiber or microwave service.

The company's fibre-based services, he said, include SkyVision Internet Access, SkyVision IP-Virtual Private Network (VPN) and Carrier Ethernet services.

Also, he noted that SkyVision offers its Internet and VPN customers in Nigeria, comprehensive Managed Firewall Services which include Managed Services and Self-Service layers to enable SkyVision customers with options including firewall, traffic shaping, SSL VPN and Unified Threat Management (UTM) by web content filtering and application control and integrated intrusion prevention including antivirus and spyware. 

He further pointed out that these services provide excellent benefits to enterprise customers as they improve productivity and provide network security without the need to invest in installing and managing dedicated equipment for their network.

Stressing, “As a local provider, we believe in the importance of the Nigerian market and will continue to invest considerable resources in developing and extending our fibre network coverage and services within the country.”

Remmy Nweke
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MainOne gives bonus capacity to partners

MainOne Cable Company, has rewarded its loyal partners with bonus capacity, according to the Head, Marketing & Strategy Group, Mr. Adedayo Odulate.

Odulate also said that the premier provider of broadband Internet services to large telecommunication companies, including the Internet service providers and enterprises began the reward of its partners under the Partner Advantage Programme (PAP) with complimentary capacity for one month.

He said that the Partner Advantage Programme is a loyalty incentive programme targeted at distributors of MainOne’s bandwidth.

Odulate explained that the bonus capacity would provide the Internet service providers with a continous revenue stream by creating an opportunity for them to drive customer acquisition create new market channels and encourage greater loyalty from its existing customer base, while selling high quality broadband solutions from MainOne at no extra costs to the ISPs.

“The programme is also aimed at increasing sales to the partners in order to motivate them to remain on the MainOne network,” he enthused.

The bonus capacity provisioned to KKontech and NG Com, the two beneficiaries of this bonus, he said, for instance, commenced on the January 20, 2012.

Stressing that Kkontech was given a bonus of 15Mbps, while NG Com was given a bonus of 10Mbps.

“The Partner Loyalty Programme is designed towards structuring a framework that will enable Main One reward some of its key customers with extra capacity, improved profit margins and an opportunity to expand their customer base, at no cost to them.  Our offer of this complimentary capacity is theirs to use as they deem fit, and is exclusive only to members of the Partner Advantage Program. This is part of our commitment in ensuring that our Partners get  the best of services we offer to them,” he said.

Reacting, the chief executive officer, NG Com’s Mr. Ekeng E. Ekeng commended Main One, asserting that the extra capacity assisted the company in acquiring new customers.

“With the bonus capacity we received from Main One, we doubled the capacity of our clients. We have received very positive feedback from our clients, and we are confident that many of our clients will retain this bonus capacity after the promotional period is over,” Ekeng declared.

Equally responding, Head, Sales at Kkontech, Mr. Femi Omonehin, said that during the period under review for the bonus capacity from Main One, although they had a challenge with an alternate bandwidth provider.

“However, because of this bonus capacity, we were able to migrate all affected customers over to the MainOne network, and these customers didn’t experience any downtime,” he said.

ITRealms Online recalls that the MainOne’s Partner Advantage Programme, is an initiative of MainOne Cable to reward its partners’ technical competence and business commitment during the Christmas and New Year 2011 period by providing them with complimentary capacity for a one month period.

Remmy Nweke
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