Why you must unplug chargers when not in use by Remmy Nweke - Telecoms Clinic @ITREALMS

Telecoms Clinic@ITREALMS ... making leadership SENSE with digital news

Unplugging chargers isn’t just about saving electricity—it’s about saving lives, property, and gadgets from fire and surges. Telecoms Clinic@ITREALMS by Remmy Nweke urges safety over convenience: unplug chargers when not in use.

It often starts with something small, almost invisible. A charger left dangling in a socket, no phone attached, no one paying attention. For many households, this is an everyday scene. But in one unguarded moment, that same harmless-looking charger can become the spark that changes lives forever.

Imagine a family coming back to a living room filled with smoke because a forgotten charger overheated. Or the heartbreak of a student who lost years of study notes when his only laptop was destroyed in a fire traced back to a power surge through an idle charger. These are not just technical risks; they are deeply human stories of loss, fear, and regret.

Beware! Don't sale, use non-type approved devices, says NCC - ITREALMS

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The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has warned traders and other stakeholders about the negative consequences of selling and purchasing phones and telecommunications gadgets that are not type approved by the Commission.

The certification of telecom devices used in the telecom sector is one of the mandates of the NCC as enshrined in the Nigerian Communications Act (2003) whose central objective is the “protection of the rights and interests of consumers.”

Use of automated bird on rise, lasers decrease bird damage crops - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The use of automated bird has been on the rise which brought about decrease in bird damages especially in South America, courtesy of Agrilaser technology reports ITREALMS.

In South America, ITREALMS gathered that pest birds like eared doves destroy each year between 5% to 25% of the crops at a farm, resulting in enormous money losses to small farmers as well as large agricultural operations, especially in crops like sunflowers. A lot of bird damage also occurs in high yield orchards with fruits like cherries, table grapes and blueberries. Many of these fruit growers in Chile and Peru are suffering from great losses due the attacks of birds when the color of the fruit changes throughout their ripening process. 

Bodega Catena Zapata Farm was one of the many Argentinian farms experiencing significant grape losses due to the local parrot flocks. In order to protect their grapes effectively, they decided to test the automated laser bird deterrent system Agrilaser Autonomic. This technology is inspired by nature and takes advantage of a bird’s natural instinct: birds perceive the approaching laser beam as a physical danger and disperse to seek safety. Due to the installation of Agrilaser Autonomic, Bodega Catena Zapata successfully reduced the presence of parrots by almost 100% and saved thousands of dollars on bird damage.

Also Agricola EU used the technology to avoid losses in the cherry farm in Chile. Germán González, the Operations Manager, decided to try Agrilaser after experiencing difficulties with choosing the right bird deterrent to protect the crops. With the installation of Agrilaser Autonomic he achieved immediate results and reduced the crop losses by 90%!

Positive results have been also observed at Syngenta, a global producer of agrochemicals and seeds. The Syngenta sunflower seed producer in Argentina was experiencing a problem with pigeons and parrots destroying sunflowers and eating the seeds. They tried bird watchers and fireworks but none of these methods gave long-lasting results. After the Autonomic was installed, bird presence has decreased by 80%.

Mirko Yakasovic, a Chilean producer of table grapes saved 165.600 kg of grapes at 76 hectares by using this innovative bird repellent system. Prior to the installation pest birds used to eat up to 50% of his crops. He claims that: “Compared to the other methods the laser simply works, giving me a peace of mind for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The birds do not get used to the Autonomic Laser, deterring birds and reducing the damage drastically.”

Nenye Dom/GEE

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Illegal use of GSM boosters: NCC raids bank, 2 others over 9mobile service disruption

ITREALMS:

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on Wednesday stormed the Ikoyi axis of Lagos State to raid organisations for deploying Global System for Mobile (GSM) communication boosters illegally, reports ITRealms.

This, boosters, ITRealms gathered were illegally installed and have constituted service disruption for one of the nation’s mobile network operators, 9mobile.

As said by the Enforcement Unit of NCC, the raid affected Page Microfinance Bank, GMT Energy Resources, Club 57 and a property on No 61, Ademola Street, Ikoyi-Lagos.

ITRealms also gathered that while the four locations were found by the enforcement team, only the first three were tracked as the team could not access the premises of the fourth location on No. 61, Ademola Street.

In addition, ITRealms gathered that NCC raid is sequel to complaints received from 9mobile with respect of frequency interference on its network around the raided region, which subjected both corporate and individual customers to be experiencing poor quality of service delivery.

Addressing the media after the enforcement exercise that lasted for hours, Head of Enforcement Unit at NCC, Mr. Salisu Abdu, who led the team from Abuja, said after a thorough search, the team was able to localise the culprits causing the network interference to the four locations.

“We are in Lagos today in respect of a compliant we received from 9mobile over a frequency interference they are having in their network. We have investigated the complaints and found that the interference signal was localised at four locations here in Lagos, particularly in Ikoyi axis.

“We got all the locations. They are four. Fortunately, we realised that they had all removed the equipment causing the interferences on 9mobile network following our initial notice earlier served them to desist from the use of GSM Boosters to jam network,” he said.

Abdu explained that under the Nigerian Communication Act, 2003, it is illegal for any person or organisation to install any communications equipment capable of causing threats to service interoperability because such a practice degrades the quality of service.

“This equipment called GSM boosters were installed and were being used illegally. What they actually do with GSM Booster is to improve the quality of service in their own premises at the detriments of neighbouring residents.

“So, what the equipment does is to extort services from other telecoms services users around and localise within the user’s premises.

“While the use of GSM booster can be seen as an advantage to the user, it is a disadvantage to the neighbours. It is illegal o do that in accordance with the provision of the telecoms laws and they have removed all the equipment.”

Meanwhile, Abdu said the NCC team during the raid confiscated GSM Booster equipment found with Page Microfinance Bank just as we found that GMT Energy Resources and Club 57 not only removed the equipment become we came for the raid but had also returned the equipment to their vendors.

While stressing that the enforcement team also, during the clampdown, discovered the people who are selling the equipment illegally in the country, Abdu said “the next phase of our enforcement activities, therefore, is to visit the vendors who are illegally selling the equipment without our own permission.”

Abdu used the opportunity to warn organisations and individuals using illegal installation sin the country to desist, threatening that for those not desisting from act, the long arm of the law will catch up with them.

He promised the resolve of the Commission to consistent carries out enforcement activities toward ensuring that the right thing is done in the country with a view to ensure effective growth of the nation’s telecoms industry, saying that “observance of the country’s telecoms laws are an essential ingredient towards achieving the sustainability of the industry growth.”

Ayo Midele/GEE

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GSM boosters: NCC cautions over illegal use

ITREALMS:

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has cautioned telecom consumers  to avoid the usage of Global System for Mobile (GSM) Communications boosters illegally, reports ITRealms. 

Experts defined GSM boosters as devices that transmit and receive telecommunications signals and has the capacity of interference with other radio frequency equipment.

A press statement made available to ITRealms and endorsed by the NCC Director,  Public Affairs, Mr. Tony Ojobo, the attention of NCC has been drawn to the fact that GSM boosters are illegally used by individuals in the country.

“Individuals desirous of using the GSM boosters should note that they can only do that in conjunction with licensed network operators.

“For the avoidance of doubt, wilful interference with any wireless telegraphy is an offence under Section 16 of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 2004.

“The commission will not condone any flagrant beach of the law,’’ he said.

Accordingly, mechanism have been put in place to monitor and anyone caught using the GSM booster without obtaining approval of a duly signed licensed network operator will face arrest and prosecution.

Chuks Egbune/GEE

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Use technology to address urbanization - CLGF

ITRealms:

The Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF), Carl Wright, has called for urgent and smart use of technology to help address the ever-growing global urbanisation challenge, reports ITRealms.

In a lecture he delivered on smart cities at the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) in London at the weekend, Mr. Wright noted though the trend towards decentralised government in Commonwealth countries continues, urban centres also continue to grow, with greater need for efficiency in areas such as energy, public transport and other services, and smart city solutions through better use of technology will be essential to making our cities more efficient.

The lecture was part of the CTO's new monthly lecture series initiated by host Secretary-General Shola Taylor earlier this year.

Also speaking, Mr. Taylor said, the CLGF provides unique support to local government authorities and communities among member countries, stressing "They have a unique understanding of the growing social and demographic urban challenge as more rural and semi-urban populations continue to migrate to larger urban centres. Through e-government and other technology-centric solutions, ICTs provide us with opportunities to manage this change more effectively,” said Mr Taylor.

Nenye Dom/GEE

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Pic: From the left: Secretaries General Shola Taylor and Carl Wright shortly before the lecture on the smart cities challenge, last weekend in London.