90-year of radiocommunication, testifies sustainable development to wireless ecosystem - ITU

ITREALMS:

The global telecom agency, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has described the 90^th anniversary of radiocommunication as the testimony to sustainable development to wireless ecosystem, reports ITRealms.

This, ITRealms gathered culminated in the radiocommunication stakeholders high-level assembly from around the globe in Geneva Tuesday, November 21.

The achievements of the ITU-R Study Groups, ITRealms also reports, was recognized as a testimony of the inspiring global collaboration to produce universally applied regulations, standards and best practices, as illustrated by the continuous growth in the use of wireless communications in the last thirty years and of an ubiquitous wireless world connected by ITU.

The anniversary celebrations in Geneva were attended by more than 266 participants from 57 administrations, including ITU-R sector members, associates and academic experts; former ITU officials; former directors of the ITU Radiocommunication Bureau; current and former members of the Radio Regulations Board (RRB); former members of the International Frequency Registration Board (IFRB); as well as ITU-R Study Group chairmen and former CCIR Study Group chairmen.

The event included addresses by Malcolm Johnson, ITU's Deputy Secretary-General, and François Rancy, ITU Radiocommunication Bureau Director. A panel discussion on the importance of CCIR/ITU-R Study Groups activities and their contribution to shaping and enabling the global wireless ecosystem was held in conjunction with the first ITU inter-regional preparation workshop for the 2019 World Radiocommunication Conference. Industry partners attending the ceremony's panel discussions included representatives of the GSM Association (GSMA), EMEA Satellite Operators Association (ESOA), European Broadcasting Union (EBU), World Meteorological Organization (WMO), European Commission, Tetra Critical Communications Association (TCCA), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Science Committee on Frequency Allocations for Radio Astronomy and Space Science (IUCAF), Rohde & Schwarz and the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU).

"Please join me in congratulating the CCIR*/ITU Radiocommunication Sector Study Groups on their 90th Anniversary, which represents a successful global collaboration that has gone a long way to develop universally applied regulations, standards and best practices, to enable the sustainable development of the wireless ecosystem," said Houlin Zhao, ITU Secretary-General.

Currently, more than 5,000 specialists, from administrations, the telecommunications industry and academic organizations throughout the world, participate in the work of the ITU-R Study Groups on topics including: efficient use and management of spectrum/orbit resources, radiowave propagation, definition of future radiocommunication systems characteristics and performance, including fixed communications, aeronautical, maritime and land mobile communications, public protection and disaster relief, sound and television broadcasting, radiolocation, satellite communication and radionavigation, Earth exploration, meteorology, space science and radioastronomy.

Key ongoing activities of ITU-R Study Groups include 5G (IMT-2020) and radio-controlled watches, radio headsets to equipment for home and office networking, radio positioning systems for navigation, intelligent transport systems, smart cities, advanced immersive UHDTV technologies, Earth imagery and meteorological satellites, and emergency communications and disaster warning systems.

"Amongst other major achievements is the development and adoption of the IMT mobile broadband standards, which have revolutionized the way people communicate and access the internet, by enabling 3G and 4G, and now the future 5G generation of standards," said Mr Johnson.

"The work of ITU–R Study Groups and before it, that of CCIR, harnesses technological progress to the benefit of all and enables the long-term sustainability of the radiocommunication ecosystem, which has flourished over a century and become a fundamental part of today's world," said Mr Rancy.

ITU-R Study Groups develop the technical bases for important decisions taken at the quadrennial World Radiocommunication Conferences. They also develop Global Standards (Recommendations), Reports and Handbooks on radiocommunication matters.

Chuks Egbune/GEE

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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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Nigeria grows teledensity by 6.12% in one year

ITRealms Exclusive

The Nigerian teledensity has recorded a growth rate of 6.12 per cent in the last one year, ITRealms Online can authoritatively reports.

Investigations by ITRealms Online on the latest monthly subscriber data rate made available to correspondents, for the period April 2011 through March 2012, shows that as at April last year, Nigeria’s teledensity was at 64.70 per cent, while as at the end of March 2012, it has grown to 70.82 per cent.

Although across the networks, namely Global System for Mobile (GSM) communications, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) and Fixed either wired or wireless have a total installed capacity of 176,662,992, by end of March 2012, some 134,913,614 were connected.

Out of the aforementioned connected lines, GSM recorded a whopping share 119,460,789, CDMA got 13,133,240, and Fixed wired cum wireless had 2,319,585.

Also, the total of active lines in use across the networks came to 99,145,013, out of which GSM’s share was put at 94,531,980, CDMA recorded 4,031,698, while Fixed wired and wireless was 599,335.

The period under review equally saw the installed capacity of the trio still with GSM subsector leading with 150,036,225, followed by CDMA networks with 17,232,725, the Fixed wired cum wireless industry maintained the last position with 9,394,042.

However, in the month of April 2011, the Nigeria’s teledensity declined from 64.70 to 64.65 in May of the same year, which amounts to a downward slope of 0.05 per cent and 0.03 in June 2011.

By July 2011, the teledensity has regained its growth rate and went on to surpass the month of April to record 64.88, which is about 0.18 per cent increase.

This growth was however, sustained henceforth till March 2012 by achieving 65.78 per cent in teledensity in August 2011; 66.76 in September, 67.09 in October, 68.13 in November and  68.49 by December 31, 2011.

While January 2012 saw a growth in teledensity to 68.68, February 69.01 and March this year having 70.82.

Remmy Nweke

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SkyVision launches VSAT hub in South Africa

Acclaimed leader in global provider of Internet Protocol (IP) connectivity over satellite and fibre optic networks throughout Africa, SkyVision Global Networks Ltd, has launched its new iDirect Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) hub service for South Africa.

Marketing Communications Manager, SkyVision Global Networks, Iris Tovim, stated in a press statement that this offering would be operated by SkyVision Networks South Africa (Pty) Ltd., SkyVision Global Network’s local subsidiary.

Toyim also said, the establishment of SkyVision Networks South Africa and the teleport and local VSAT hub it operates is the latest strategic move SkyVision has taken in order to expand its African footprint.

This offering, the company said will enable it respond to Africa's need for high quality communication services over fibre, wireless and satellite.

The new iDirect Hub in Johannesburg, Toyim further said, supports the latest iDX 3.1 iDirect release, and takes full advantage of the Amos 5 satellite with its coverage of southern and sub-Saharan Africa.

“This will allow SkyVision to offer cost effective and highly reliable VSAT services for South African companies and organizations,” Toyim said, stressing that SkyVision offers a range of VSAT satellite routers, including the latest iDirect X1, data rates and services in order to accommodate each customer’s specific needs.

Remmy Nweke

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Direct-on PC rides on Aviat for 4G services

Reputed Internet Service Provider (ISP) in the country, Direct-On PC Limited is riding on Aviat’s StarMAX Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) broadband system to offer Fourth Generation (4G) services in Nigeria.

This includes base stations, Wireless Services Gateway (WSG) and end-user devices to provide broadband services to underserved areas of Nigeria.

Confirming this, vice president sales and service, Africa Region at Aviat Networks, Mr. Trevor Burchell, noted “As Nigeria is one of the fastest growing telecom markets in the world, together our two companies have designed a solution that not only fulfills all current end customer expectations but also scales to meet capacity needs for future growth and applications.”

He said in a press statement made available to ITRealms Online, noted that Aviat Networks’ high-performance 4G WiMAX system allows service providers to offer numerous configuration options and services including pre-paid or post-paid accounts and secure Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) services for enterprise and small business customers all from the same wireless network.

“This allows each network component to be fully utilized to maximize revenue while maintaining the flexibility to scale up capacity and coverage as necessary,” he said.

According to him, the wireless infrastructure equipment and services contract includes approximately 200 base station locations.

Stressing that initially, this equipment would be deployed throughout Lagos, the largest city in Nigeria and second largest in Africa, just as subsequent installations will occur in Abuja, the national capital, and Port Harcourt, the primary Nigerian port and also one of Nigeria’s largest cities.

For the vice chairman, Direct On PC, Mr. Mahesh Sadhwani, they have developed a strong reputation delivering the best broadband experience for personal and business customers in the country.

He also said that with Aviat Networks’ comprehensive worldwide experience in deploying wireless solutions and substantial local presence in Nigeria.

“We know the company will be a strong partner to help rapidly meet the demands of our growing market,” he declared, stressing that they are excited to work with Aviat Networks.

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MTN, Google lift UNN with wireless

MTN Nigeria and Google among others have lifted the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) with the commissioning of a jointly facilitated wireless infrastructure by President Goodluck Jonathan, at Ituku-Ozalla campus and Abah respectively.

Chief executive officer, MTN Nigeria, Ahmad Farroukh, said the facility is offering UNN the platform to provide first-rate e-learning services to students within and beyond the shores of the country.

He also said the infrastructure is an always-on, wired and wireless network that covers the entire geography of the four campuses of the university.

This consists of a fibre optics network provided by MTN, extending from Lagos to Nsukka and linking the four campuses of the institution in Enugu, Ituku- Ozalla Campus and Abah and carrying 50 mega bytes (MB) internet bandwidth traffic provided by Main One Cable.

According to him, the network offers Internet connectivity of 1-4mbps per 1000 students and staff, and has a central storage area network of at least 10-400 Terabytes on which students and faculty can store data.

“We are delighted to be part of this very ambitious project that is bound to positively project Nigeria to the rest of the world” he declared.

MTN he said, is convinced Nigeria has the human resources to lead the pursuit of knowledge in a wide array of fields.

“At MTN where 98 per cent of the staff strength are Nigerians, we see a strong demonstration of this fact. In the wider community, we also know that this capacity exists but for the paucity of requisite infrastructure. At MTN, we are committed to contributing our quota to efforts aimed at addressing this challenge and enabling Nigeria to take its deserved place in world reckoning” Mr. Farroukh said.

The Vice Chancellor (VC) University of Nigeria, Prof. Okolo in his remarks said “with the commissioning of this comprehensive ICT infrastructure, our students can stand up to any of their peers anywhere in the world. Not only this, with the platform that this network has availed us to provide real time e-learning services, we can virtually double the capacity of our classrooms and give more access to more Nigerians to acquire tertiary education through e-learning.”

He expressed appreciation to MTN, Google and other corporate bodies which all contributed to making the dream of the university come true.

“Without MTN, Main One, Google and all the other corporate bodies, we would not have been able to accomplish this. We owe you all a debt of gratitude,” he said.

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SWIFT Networks tests 4G WiMAX service

Leading provider of wireless broadband services in the country, SWIFT Networks Limited, said it has tested its 4G-based Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WIMAX) broadband network and backend systems in Lagos. These tests will be conducted with 500 participants from different parts of the city, selected for their very heavy usage and dependence on broadband internet for their business and lifestyle.

Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Chuma Okoye said that the aim of these trials is to demonstrate the ultrafast 4G Broadband download speeds significantly faster than what is offered by any other operator in Nigeria.

The participants, he said, would also test SWIFT’s multiple services namely the internet, telephony, fax and video as well as the new and revolutionary multiple user modem that creates a Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) cloud for every user’s office or home without the need of an external router.

Some of SWIFT’s 18 bank customers, he said, are participating in the test-drive as their branches are being interconnected with the ‘Virtual Links’ running on SWIFT’s Multi-protocol Label Switching (MPLS) mechanism on the new 4G WIMAX core infrastructure.

According to Okoye, Swift Network has incorporated results of various market researches conducted during the design for the new 4G WiMAX network.

On completion, he said, the network will be ten times bigger than it is currently.

“We will continue the expansion in tandem with the demand for our services to sustain the speed advantage our brand seeks to bring to the market. We have also commissioned a new and more robust multi-service billing platform that will ensure that our customers are billed accurately and timely. This upgrade is specifically for speed but has incorporated other very important elements required for a totally improved customer experience” he said.

Okoye explained that the tests would not only stress SWIFT’s new billing, customer relationship management and accounting systems accuracy as well as user friendliness, “but will also showcase the unique advantages of Swift’s new revolutionary multiple service and multiple simultaneous user wireless modem, while highlighting the benefits of improved international bandwidth availability in Nigeria to Business and Residential users.”

In addition, the assistant general manager (AGM), Consumer Sales and Marketing at Swift Networks, Mr. Philip Sonibare, noted that lack of broadband speed internet access remains the number one pain for internet customers in the country.

“We believe that we have cracked this problem with our new 4G WiMAX broadband service which will provide our customers with a very fast, reliable and affordable Internet service that works where and when they want,” he said.

Underscoring the fact that about 83 per cent of current test participants already see a service that is faster than anything else they have experienced so far.

“And this is before the final network optimization that will be undertaken before we go live and commercial. Accordingly, services like Youtube, Skype video calling and similar services have a network built specifically for them” he said.

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WIMAX, supreme last mile solution for mobility – Omo-Ettu

Telecommunication expert and chief executive of Telecom Answers Associates (TAA), Mr. Titi Omo-Ettu has described the Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) as a supreme mobility solution for last mile.

Speaking on the forthcoming WIMAX forum in Lagos, Omo-Ettu noted that fibre would continue to be the dominant carrier of broadband information, hence, as businesses increasingly move away from the desk and out of the office, it is not necessarily the movement of information, but rather, the speed of such movement becomes the pivotal to business and development.

According to him, wide spread deployment of technologies is expected over the next three to five years, and driven by WiMAX’s ability to deliver affordable last-mile broadband Internet services, thus gave rise to the need for forum to further strengthen WiMAX standards in the country today for last mile solutions.

“As WiMAX makes the transition from hype towards reality, it is simultaneously generating stronger business interest from telecoms operators, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and alike,” he said.

Omo-Ettu also said that with WiMAX at the centre of either conducting trials or offering commercial services contracts deploying over 150 service operators globally over the last 12 months, it has emerged as the credible contender in the wireless broadband landscape.

“This link between WIMAX and business is the focus of the WiMAXForum 2010 to be held in Lagos,” he said, stressing that the potential investors’ haven, would assemble those who take decisions and those who translate them into business.

He pointed out that the forum billed for next week at Lagoon Restaurant, Victoria Island, is expected to attract delegates who would be representing participating companies.

Participation, he explained, would not be based on the size of the company but rather that it is a current or potential corporate player in the Nigerian telecoms industry. The exhibition component of the event billed for next Tuesday, he said, would not be a festival of telecommunications solutions, but a show of solutions that are strictly based on WiMAX standard.


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Aviat showcases products @ W.Afri.Tel

Leading wireless provider in advanced Internet Protocol (IP), Aviat Networks took its global expertise to the recently concluded West African Telecommunication exhibition and conferences (Wafritel) held in Lagos.

The company, which is making its first appearance in Nigeria since changing its name from Harris Stratex, showcased its range of wireless next-generation solutions at the three-day event.

Territory Manager for Aviat Networks, Mr. Olabode Sowunmi, told ITRealms Online at the event ground that the firm’s participation was seen as an avenue to introduce its new brand identity to potential and existing customers of the company in the West African telecommunication industry.

He explained that the company was at the expo to interact with their customers, announce latest technological advancements as well as showcase improvements.

“Of the greatest interest with the visitors to the stand turned out to be the award-winning Eclips Packet Node wireless backhaul solution with its enhanced cell site gateway functionalities for mobile operators seeking innovative and integrated solutions,” he said.

Additionally, he said, the event offered the industry the opportunity to appreciate the new brand identity of the company.

One of the customers and a telecoms engineer, Osunkeye Mathews said at the Aviat stand that it was reassuring to see the new image of a reliable old-timer.

“I’m impressed with the efforts of Aviat networks in its new identity” Mathews said.

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