Exclusive: Telecom operators, NCC, tighten regulations on bulks, fraudulent SMS

Exclusive @ITREALMS:

Telecommunications operators in the country have taken a key step in ensuring fraudulent Short Messaging Services (SMS) are curtailed, ITRealms can exclusively reports.

Investigations by ITRealms showed that telecommunications operators, under the aegis of Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) alongside the regulator of the industry, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) recently reached this conclusion.

According to our sources, the operators have suspended the delivery of messages with only phone number as its “Sender identity.”

Industry observers opined that with this, the unsolicited bulk messages by fraudulent persons will be reduced to the minimum as they may not want to use their identity.

In addition, this will aid the NCC’s rules on unsolicited calls and SMS, especially with its Do-Not-Disturb (DND) service and dedicated the short code “2442” to enable telecom consumers take an informed and independent decision on what messages they may wish to receive from network providers.

ITRealms recalls that Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) prides itself as the industry body for all telecommunications companies and those providing subsidiary services to telecommunications service providers in Nigeria.

NCC on the other hand, is the independent regulatory authority for the telecommunications industry in Nigeria, created under Decree number 75 by the Federal Military Government of Nigeria on 24 November 1992.

Chuks Egbune/GEE

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mCoin set to debut with virtual SMS wallet

ITREALMS:

The chief executive officer (CEO) of ONEm Communications, Mr. Christopher Richardson, has disclosed the company readiness to unveil its mCoin’s Virtual SMS Wallet, reports ITReaLms.

The mCoin, is the world’s first cryptocurrency which works on any mobile with or without the internet, is pleased to announce the release of the virtual SMS wallet to thousands in the mCoin community globally who are keen to participate in this new technology.

According to Richardson, connecting people with financial services is a key challenge in Africa, but with this wallet innovative service allows people to use an ordinary mobile for business and complex financial transactions. 

“Soon we will be announcing significant government partnerships in Africa regarding support for the ONEm ecosystem,” he said.

Unlike other tokens and cryptocurrencies, mCoin is taking a completely new approach with a technology that works outside the domain of the internet. mCoin's Virtual Wallet provides the 3 billion who are unconnected, a way to participate in the cryptocurrency revolution.  mCoin is already integrated with the ONEm ecosystem services for Pseduo Mining, a novel method of mining to earn mCoins.

Anyone with a mobile phone will be able to access the Virtual Wallet and interact via SMS interface. mCoins can be transferred to another virtaul wallet owner by using ONEm’s global identity names instead of the traditional long cryptocurrency addresses. This approach will make trading more feasible and user friendly. 

mCoin's Virtual Wallet creates credit card-like transactions that lets users build their own credit history. These credit histories can be used for lenders to determine lower lending rates based on transaction merit.

To get a virtual wallet, customers will be able to join mCoin's Airdrop Program and earn free mCoins. Anyone willing to own more will have to join the ICO and wil be able to acquire mCoins at 3¢ now before the price increases to 5¢ on 3rd of June.  Any customer can from now on sign up on mCoin website and get a refferal link to share with their network so that they can get an additional 5% bonus.

Ayo Midele/GEE

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ALTON, NCC implements 'Don't disturb' list to check unsolicited SMS,fraud

ITRealms:

The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) in line with concerns of the telecom public through the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has commenced the implementation of  'Do not disturb' list to afford subscribers to opt out of unsolicited Short Messaging Service (SMS) and check fraud, ITRealms reports.

Confirming this, ALTON chairman, Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, said Wednesday at a one day stakeholders forum in Lagos in response to the draft Value Added Services a Framework by NCC, to find a lasting solution to addressing the menace of unsolicited text messages that flood customers’ phones.

"We have implemented “Do not Disturb” Lists" he declared, explaining that it would enable customers who do not wish to receive marketing messages to opt-in to, free of charge, stressing that they are working with the NCC on the best means of publicizing this.

ALTON he also said is working with the Wireless Application Service Providers Association of Nigerian (WASPAN) and have developed a comprehensive Code of Conduct to govern VAS practices. 

"This 24-page document addresses several diverse issues," which he said, including unsolicited SMS, prevent “service users” from using short codes to perpetuate fraud, anti-competitive activities, among others.

Adebayo further said, a draft of this document has been submitted to NCC and is now being finalized with WASPAN. 

"Once finalized, it would be given the widest possible publicity so that customers can know their rights and seek redress as may be necessary" he assured.

ALTON, ITRealms recalls, is the umbrella association for all providers of telecom service in Nigeria, comprising of all providers of Mobile telephone services, fixed network services, backbone services, Infrastructure providers and all support service companies for the telecom operators.

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Nigerians clamour for reduction in SMS charges

ITRealms:

Some Nigerians are clamouring for more reduction on the charges associated with the Short Messaging Service (SMS) in the country, reports ITRealms.

Investigations conducted by ITRealms revealed that on average, Nigerian telephone networks charge about N1,000 for 1 Giga Byte (GB) of data. 

Confirming this variation in SMS charges, an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Engineer, Rev. Sunday Folayan said that this simplifies to the fact that 10 Kilobytes goes for 1 Kobo. 

“That is an estimated 10,000 characters cost a mere 1 Kobo,” he declared, stressing that when it’s contrasted with an SMS of 160 characters, it would cost a whooping N4. 

He lamented that even banks in the country are charging customers some N10 per alert message, something that should be a free service. 

Folayan also postulated that this means that 10,000 characters will cost N250, which he further contrasted this with the 1 Kobo that a 10kbytes currently costs.

The Rev. Engineer argued that this does not seem equitable at all, because the networks could ship with data-based messaging applications like WhatsApp with attendance implication of free calls, which will deny operators a lot of revenues.

“… But if they do, we will begin to use it for voice calls too, eating totally into their dubious pie,” he said.

He, therefore alleged there is conspiracy of exploitation in that area, which requires the regulator to quickly move in to protect the common service users in the country, particularly the SMS.

Top of Form

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Alexander Akayet Akaahs Cost of running diesel generators 24 hrs at every base station they will say; while staying up all night counting their heaps of profit.

For Ade Atobatele, NCC figured this out a while back and that was the basis of SMS dropping from 10 Naira to 4 Naira, but concurred that the cost of SMS could still drop.
“It could easily drop quite a bit more,” he said.

Esther Esekheilu Anor decried the rate of exploiting Nigerians by the operators, saying it’s getting out of hand, while inviting God to help SMS users in this part of the world.

Also commenting, Mojeed Kolawole Adegoke said it may be surprisingly that those at the National Assembly (NASS) know about this, but wouldn't act positively, alleging, “they could have been bribed to shut their eyes against the cheat.”

Adegoke equally invited God to save the Nigerian nation.

Experts at Wikipedia, an open source encyclopedia defined Gigabyte as a term commonly used to mean either 10003 bytes or 10243 bytes. 

The latter binary usage, experts also said, originated as compromised technical jargon for byte multiples that needed to be expressed in a power of 2, but lacked a convenient name.

+Remmy Nweke (ITRealms) +ITRealms DSA 
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Woman disrupts bank service over alert

ITRealms:

A woman in her early 70s, Friday, brought bank service to an abrupt halt for not receiving bank alert, ITRealms reports.

The woman simply addressed as Alhaja, lamented inability of her business partner to receive confirmation for payment she (Alhaja) made early in the morning for supply of goods by the intended recipient of the money.

After waiting endlessly for her goods and discovering it was 3pm, and that the bank was the problem, she decided to pay unsolicited visit to bank.

Trouble started when the banking hall of  one of the first generation bank at Bolade, Oshodi, was thrown into pandemonium as the woman, the size of Yokozona  the wrestler, was wailing and climbing the first floor, location of the banking hall, shouting that her money was collected from her and inserted into a “casket” (basket).

According to her, “N30,000 is not a small money, they take my money and put into a casket.” 

That was the translation ITRealms received from other customers who could decode  the deep Yoruba accent of the elderly woman.

This revelation, ITRealms reports, threw customers into uncontrollable laughter even as the bank manager and other high echelons of the bank rallied round to post the money with alacrity because the woman refused to leave the banking hall unless her money was posted instantly.

Cyriacus Nnaji/GEE

 

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U-Report targets one million members in 2015

ITRealms

UNICEF and partners at the launch of the U-Report, an innovative SMS-based platform that empowers Nigerians by enabling them to participate and engage in

policy-making, governance and access real time information on key social issues said, they are expecting over a million members by the end of 2015, ITRealms reports.

“Today more than ever before community journalism through communication technology can help engender good governance, accountability, social change and improve health standards,’’ said Jean Gough, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria. ‘U-Report platform provides a thrilling opportunity to contribute to positive social change in the Nigeria,’ she noted.

Director-General National Youths Service Corps (NYSC), Brig-Gen. J.B Olawumi, represented by a Director in the Service, Thursday in Lagos, ITRealms gathered stated that “NYSC has continued to serve as a tool for the promotion of national integration and utilization of the energies and skills of Nigerian graduate youths for national development.

Olawumi,  at Federal Palace Hotel, venue of the launch, elaborated more by saying that it is not surprising that Unisef has found a strong ally in NYSC in the realization of the objectives of the U-report Initiative stating that the NYSC contributed greatly 

to the ‘My World Survey, a preparatory activity for the post-MDGs Global 

Development Agenda in 2013. During the first phase of the survey, the Scheme won a UN award as the most outstanding contributor at the 2013 Partners’ Recognition Award in New York, adding that in 2014, over 1-2 million votes were uploaded making NYSC and Nigeria one of the organizations and countries with the highest number of votes for the survey,” Olawumi stated. He assured that the Scheme on its part will mobilize 1million U-Reporters by the end of June.

ITRealms gathered that U-Report enables those who voluntarily register – known as U-reporters - to speak-out on what is happening in their communities, provides a forum to amplify their voices through local and national media, sends alerts to key stakeholders about the issues their constituents are facing, and feeds back useful information to the U-Reporters, so they are empowered to work for positive change and improvements in their localities. The platform provides decision makers a forum to listen to millions of voices through simple messaging.

In the last one year with support from Airtel, MTN, GLO and Etisalat, ITRealms learnt, the number of U-reporters has rapidly grown to about 200,000 with thousands joining every month from all parts of the country. It is expected to top a million by the end of 2015. It has also attracted strategic partnerships with civil society organizations, UN agencies and Government ministries, who contribute by selecting poll questions and promoting the platform to Nigerian citizens, as a tool for civic engagement and community empowerment

About 15 million text messages were sent out through the U-Report platform while the country battled Ebola. The awareness messages and real time responses via sms and on the U-report Social media platforms sent out during the Ebola outbreak were able to address mythical cures like bathing with hot water and salt, taking bitter kola to cure the disease . U-Reporters were informed on how to identify the disease, and how to keep safe, ITRealms learnt.

Cyraicus Nnaji/ ED,OPs 

  

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What Communications Act says about new rates in Nigeria

Nigeria chief telecom regulator, Dr Juwah

The Nigerian Communications Act, 2003, confers the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the industry regulator with several powers and with regards to the new rates, stipulates that it must be implemented without 30 days after all due process has been agreed and worked out.

ITRealms investigations showed that specifically, the Act 2003 confers on the Commission under Sections 4 and Chapter V11 to determine new price caps for operators.

Additionally, this Section outline as follows among others that:

1.     The new rate shall be implemented within 30 days from the date of the directive.

2.     The Commission will not place a price cap on International SMS at this time but would encourage operators to work towards lowering the cost of International SMS.

The directive informed operators that the Commission will monitor compliance by the operators, and noted that failure to comply with the determination will be penalized as provided by section 111 of the NCA 2003.

 

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