NCC meets stakeholders over 6GHz Wi-Fi, seeks comments - ITREALMS

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The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has commenced to solicit comments from industry stakeholders on efficacy of 6 Gega Hertz (6GHz) for Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi-6), reports ITREALMS.

This request for inputs, according to the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, in Lagos, is in line with the International Mobile Telecommunications (MT) requirements.

MainOne powers Social Media Week'18 with free Wi-Fi

ITREALMS:

MainOne has provided internet connectivity to participants at Social Media Week Lagos as the exclusive technology partner, through its provision of Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) access, reports ITRealms.

This connectivity, ITRealms gathered is the third consecutive year, the West Africa’s leading connectivity and data center solutions company is partnering Social Media Week.

MainOne also said that the partnership targeted at delivering true value to the organizers and event guests was designed and installed an advanced managed Wi-Fi solution at the event venue, providing up to 1Gbps data capacity unhindered and free to users throughout the facility and for dedicated livestreaming of the event.

Attendees at the event leveraged MainOne’s unlimited access to the Internet during the event and took advantage of the opportunity to freely browse the Internet and engage on social media platforms. The organizers of the event also used the unlimited capacity to provide livestreaming to thousands of participants not physically present at the event.

Speaking during the sidelines of the event, Head of Marketing at MainOne, Tayo Ashiru described the event as an industry platform to help people and businesses connect and share trends, ideas and inspiration focused on improving better efficiency in a hyper-connected world.

He revealed that the company’s continuous support for Social Media Week Lagos, underscores its belief that with the right connections, businesses can be catalyzed and industries are transformed with huge benefits for the economy.

The Social Media Week Lagos is Africa’s largest tech and digital media event and usually convenes business leaders, global thinkers, entrepreneurs, Fintech firms, and media entrepreneurs.

Nonye Dom/GEE

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6 ways to stay safe on public Wi-Fi

ITRealms:

With data connection rates still comparatively pricey in Nigeria, Wi-Fi hotspots are often a source of joy for most smartphone/device users in need of some free Web browsing or social media time. The benefits of free Wi-Fi access such as the ease of connectivity and opportunity to conserve cellular data makes it a common occurrence for most users to seek out these free connections in public locations such as parks, banks, hotels, restaurants, etc.

Findings by the Research and Development Unit of Yudala – Nigeria’s fastest growing composite e-commerce outfit – show that caution must, however, be exercised when accessing sensitive personal information and/or carrying out online shopping or mobile banking activities over a free public Wi-Fi connection as this could pre-dispose you to grave losses from hackers.

Armed with routers, remote spying software and other tools of their nefarious trade, these hackers – whose increasing level of sophistication is a source of global alarm – are capable of setting up fake hotspots which booby-trap you into thinking you are connecting to the Wi-Fi of a hotel you are staying in, for instance, while in actuality, you have fallen prey.

These tips from Yudala’s Research and Development Unit will help keep you protected:

1.Always remember you’re vulnerable on public Wi-Fi: This knowledge is essential as it will help keep you wary when using public Wi-Fi networks. Due to their often unsecured connections, chances are that the Wi-Fi hotspot you have so gleefully connected to is also occupied by a potential hacker. Within this shared virtual space, it becomes considerably more easy to infiltrate your device and compromise your personal information.

2.Disable automatic connection to Wi-Fi networks: Most smartphones are capable of automatically connecting to available Wi-Fi networks –  a development that may expose you to lurking hackers. While this feature is often disabled by default, you can do yourself a world of good by double-checking to make sure. Better still, you can tweak your device’s settings to ensure manual connection to Wi-Fi hotspots. This way, you are protected from unwittingly connecting to a rogue network which may compromise your privacy and other sensitive information.

3.Verify the network’s name before connecting: Research shows that most hackers label their fake hotspots with generic names that may fool you into thinking you are on the right network. A public institution such as the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), for instance, may not have its public Wi-Fi network named “Free NCC Wi-Fi.” Same goes for that hotel you may be staying in or the fast food outlet on the street corner. Obvious generic names such as these could be a well-sprung trap by a hacker to snare unsuspecting users.

If you are not certain of that generic name being the official Wi-Fi network you are about to access, you will do yourself a world of good by asking.  An employee of the organization concerned should be able to guide you in this regard and help you get connected to the right network. In the event that there is no one to verify from, it is better to err on the side of caution in order to avoid being hacked.

4.Stick to HTTPS for websites: To avoid exposing yourself to the risks of being hacked over a public Wi-Fi network, stick to websites that use HTTPS during your internet surfing activity. While regular websites transfer content in plain text thereby making it an easy target for potential hackers; websites that use HTTPS, on the other hand, encrypt your activity thus offering an extra layer of security. In order to be sure you are on an HTTPS website, simply look for a padlock in the address bar or check the URL for "https://..."

In addition, you can download and use a software such as HTTPS Everywhere to protect your data. HTTPS Everywhere is a Firefox, Chrome, and Opera extension that encrypts your communications with many major websites, making your browsing more secure.

5.Turn off file sharing when using a PC: While you may not have a direct control over the Wi-Fi network you are connected to, your computer is thankfully still in your control.  Your computer may share certain information such as your printers, files, music library or even go as far as granting remote login to other computers on a trusted network or your personal Wi-Fi network. If not disabled when connecting to a public Wi-Fi network, you may just be opening the door to a potential hacker.

File sharing must be turned off or at best automated to ensure that your computer automatically switches to a more secure setup when you are on a public Wi-Fi network.

6.Keep all financial transactions off public Wi-Fi:  This applies to mobile banking, online shopping or any other activity that involves exposing sensitive personal or financial information. Every public Wi-Fi network should be regarded as a major security risk as you may be sharing these connections with an eagle-eyed hacker. Where the transactions cannot wait until you get to a secure network, it is best you rely on your cellular data for these purposes.

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Wi-Fi Alliance, AT4 wireless sign MoU to test unlicensed LTE co-existence

ITRealms:

The Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) Alliance and AT4 Wireless have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to facilitate the testing of unlicensed Long-Term Evolution co-existence on Wi-Fi, reports ITRealms.

Confirming this, the Marketing Manager, AT4 wireless, Belen Garcia, told ITRealms that with the MoU, they would provide testing services to assess fair co-existence of Wi-Fi and LTE in unlicensed spectrum (LTE-U) devices in accordance with the Wi-Fi Alliance Coexistence Test Plan.

“The testing assesses whether commercially available LTE-U devices co-exist fairly with Wi-Fi in the same environment,” Garcia said.

The development and deployment of LTE-U devices which utilize 4G LTE radio communications technology in unlicensed spectrum, Garcia said, introduces the possibility of interference with Wi-Fi equipment operating in the same bands.

Small deviations in LTE-U design requirements, AT4 Wireless official said, may affect Wi-Fi performance when working in proximity and in the same frequency band, stressing AT4 wireless will conduct independent testing based on objective tests and an industry-approved methodology to verify that LTE-U products do not violate fairness indicators.

Wi-Fi Alliance, Garcia said, agreed to qualify AT4 wireless to provide testing services based on the Coexistence Test Plan, which is being developed by members of the Wi-Fi and LTE-U communities in Wi-Fi Alliance.

ITRealms gathered that the Performance Test Tool from AT4 wireless will collect the most relevant key performance indicators (KPIs), such as throughput, latency (one-way delay), and jitter (latency variation).

“Official testing will commence once Wi-Fi Alliance releases the final Coexistence Test Plan,” Garcia said.

The Managing Director at AT4 wireless, who doubles as the Market and Sales Vice President at DEKRA Product Testing and Certification SU, Fernando E. Hardasmal, said they are very proud to partner with Wi-Fi Alliance in radio coexistence testing in this case with LTE unlicensed devices.

“AT4 wireless a DEKRA company now, considers radio coexistence a very important issue that needs to be addressed properly given the growing number of radio technologies that can work in multiple environments including homes, cars, hospitals, cities, etc. The AT4 wireless services scope now includes radio coexistence and at the same time our test tools are evolving to address these new challenges. DEKRA is committed to be the Global Partner for a Safe World and coexistence can be very relevant to Safety”, Fernando E. Hardasmal.

For the president and CEO of Wi-Fi Alliance, Edgar Figueroa, the test is critical that LTE devices operating in unlicensed spectrum exhibit fair coexistence behavior with billions of Wi-Fi products in use around the world.

“Wi-Fi Alliance is leading a multi-industry effort to ensure LTE-U’s fair coexistence with Wi-Fi through testing.  Establishing independent test organizations to execute the coexistence test regimen is an important part of our effort,” Figueroa said.

Chuks Egbune/GEE

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Zenith set to improve public wi-fi @ branches

ITRealms:

Zenith Bank Plc has taken a position to better the lots of its customers by providing at several of its outlets with free Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) among other public institutions, reports ITRealms:

The bank in a press statement made available to ITRealms noted that as far back as 2012 a survey of more than 10,000 Internet users in over 20 countries conducted by the Internet Society (ISOC) found that 83 per cent of respondents agreed with the statement that “access to the Internet should be considered a basic human right,” so essential has the internet become to everyday life.

Zenith also said that banking on this premise, the onus of providing Africans with internet has therefore rested on the shoulders of private and public spirited companies for the last 10 years.

Leveraging on this, Zenith Bank Plc said, it has taken broad steps by rolling out free Wi-Fi at several branches nationwide.

This, the bank stressed would enable people and customers in close proximity to perform a wide range of internet related activities such as app downloads, website browsing for information, online banking, online researching and many more.

Zenith equally said it has installed a wide-range free Wi-Fi hotspot covering the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and its environs, “to avail its people within the hospital’s vicinity with access to all the knowledge, tools and resources available online.”

The service, ITRealms gathered is accessible by simply entering your Zenith Bank Account number, noting that by visiting www.zenithbank.com/wifi customers could view all Wi-Fi enabled locations.

“It is expected that by providing free Wi-Fi, the bank is providing its customers with a distinct competitive advantage in the way that only free internet access can, as they are now empowered to innovate without the constraints of data costs,” an official statement from the bank said.

ITRealms recalls that Zenith Bank, established in 1990, has remained at the forefront of innovative technologies for the last 26 years, championing the effort to make banking simpler and continually leveraging technology, its people and services to achieve that goal.

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Lagos to offer Wi-Fi at public parks

ITRealms:

To strengthen electronic governance (e-governance) in the centre of excellence,the Lagos State Government has concluded efforts to provide Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) connection at selected public parks in the State, reports ITRealms.

Confirming this to ITRealms, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology, Mrs Nike Animashaun,said that the development is to benefit residents of the state towards being ICT competitive, therefore making everyone to enjoy the dividends of democracy.

She explained that the connectivity would come in phases with the first phase expected to be deployed various parks in Ajegunle, Alausa and Oshodi respectively.

ITRealms gathered that Lagos State government came up with this idea in order to stimulate and encourage the interest of children in science and technology, although it was not yet clear if the service will be free.

Mr Adebiyi Mabadeje, the Commissioner for Science and Technology, said recently at the ‘2015 Ministerial Press Briefing in Alausa that the ministry would continue to provide advisory services for all Ministries, Department and Agencies on science and Information Communication Technology (ICT).

He also said the government was solidifying the state’s e-governance capabilities in other to conveniently serve its residents through ICT.

AbdulKareem Mueenah/GEE 

 

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