USPF reduces access gap by 2% in two years

ITRealms:

The Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) has reduced the access gap in Nigeria by two per cent within the last two years, reports ITRealms.

Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta disclosed this at a one-day USPF ‘Focused Industry Stakeholders’ Forum and Hackathon Award at the Eko Hotel, Lagos, last weekend.

Danbatta explained that USFPF has facilitated the reduction from 36.8 million (24.5 per cent) in 2013 to 33.7 million (22.5 per cent) in 2015 based on the Access Gap study and using the 150 million population benchmark.

The event which theme this year was 'Universal Access: Eliminating the Inclusion Barriers' also saw EVC reiterating that USPF, which is an arm of the Commission, would play significant role in the facilitation of broadband penetration; improve quality of service; promote ICT innovations and investment opportunities and facilitate strategic collaboration and partnership.

Prof. Danbatta also spoke on the serious need to look at Federal and State policies that are not friendly to the deployment of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) infrastructure in the country.

He lamented the current level of the ICT infrastructure in the country, saying that it has led to limited development.

The Commission, he further disclosed, plans to issue licences to Infracos to cover the five remaining geo-political zones in Nigeria namely: South West, South, South East, North East and North West.

“Already, North Central and Lagos zones have been awarded Infraco licences to IHS and Main One Cable company,” he said..

ITRealms recalls that the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) was established within the Nigerian Communications Commission by the Federal Government of Nigeria to facilitate the achievement of national policy goals for universal access and universal service to information and communication technologies (ICTs) in rural, un-served and under-served Nigeria’s communities.

Nenye Dom/GEE

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Exclusive: Africa ccTLDs grow domains by .5m in 2 years

Exclusive@ITRealms: 

The African country code Top Level Domains (ccTLDs) has registered half a million domains in the last two years, ITRealms can authoritatively report.

Disclosing this in an exclusive chat with ITRealms, the Vice President for Africa at the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), Mr. Pierre Dandjinou said in two years, the continent was able to register additional 500,000 domains increase, which precisely happened within the leadership of the outgoing president of ICANN, Mr. Fadi Chehade.

This, he said, was a leap from what was registered invariably by end of 2013 and outside the new generic Top Level Domains (gTLDs) uptake.

As said by him, African ccTLDs registrations record 1.3 million as the time of filing this report from some 800,000 two years ago.

ICANN Vice president also said this figure not include any new generic Top Level Domains (gTLDs) uptake, stressing that with the growing interest for domain names and the universal access to the Internet, there is a likelihood that Africans will be increasing registrations in both gTLD and ccTLD.

He cited an instance with South Africa, which has seen an increase of its ccTLD registrations, despite the launch of its new gTLDs like .Durban, .Cape Town or .Johannesburg. 

Nigeria, he said, is also going through a rejuvenation of the ccTLD management with a few bold advances. 

"Of course, there are still many disparities between the different African countries but on the whole, Africa is on the move," he said.

Currently, he said, about 60 per cent of Africa countries are part of the country code Name Supporting Organisation (ccNSO) at ICANN , which shows how much work has been done to garner their membership, and how much work still needs to be done to sign up the remaining countries. 

For him, the aim is not just to get them to join for the sake of numbers, but have them truly understand the importance of meaningful participation in the various working groups to help shape policy. 

"This still remains a challenge, even for those who are already members. How many of them are actively participating? Very few of them indeed, but this requires dedication, time commitment and perseverance,” he said.

 
+ITRealms DSA 
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Pix: Pierre Dandjinou, ICANN VP for Africa

Internet fraudster bags 2 years for email hacking

ITRealms:

Internet fraudster, Okwuka Olisaebuka Ifeanyi, who specializes in hacking peoples electronic mail (email) with aim of committing fraud, has been jailed for two years, reports ITRealms.

Ifeanyi, ITRealms reports was on April 23, 2015 sentenced to a two-year imprisonment by Justice H.A Nganjiwa of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, Rivers State on a three count amended charge of forgery brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Ifeanyi’s journey to jail started on April 21, 2014 when he was arrested by operatives of the Commission with various forged fraudulent documents in his possession.

One of the charge reads:

“That you Okwuka Olisaebuka Ifeanyi on or about the 3rd day of March, 2013 at Port Harcourt within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, did forge a document with subject: URGENT SECURITY UPDATE purportedly issued by First bank of Nigeria Plc that it may be acted upon as genuine which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1 (2) (c) of the Miscellaneous Offences CAP M17 of the Revised Edition (Laws of the Federation of Nigeria) Act 2007 and Punishable under section 1(2) of the same Act.”

He pleaded guilty upon his arraignment on February 24, 2015.

In view of his plea, the matter was adjourned to March 5, 2015 for review of facts where the EFCC gave evidence and tendered several exhibits to prove its case.

Following the review of facts, Justice Nganjiwa found the accused guilty and sentenced him accordingly.

The convict is to forfeit his laptop and phone, which he used in the fraudulent activities, to the Federal Government.

+Remmy Nweke (ITRealms) 
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