PNN to establish 105 mobile phone outlets

Value Added Service (VAS) company, the Private Networks Nigeria Limited (PNN), has received 4 million dollars (about N501.4 million) to be used in establishing 105 mobile phone retail outlets nationwide.

The project being funded Aureos West Africa Fund (AWAF) would facilitate expansion of the company’s operational base while increasing its portfolio offerings.

Chief executive, PNN, Alhaji AbdulRahman Abiola-Odunowo, informed that the investment of AWAF in PNN would further position the company in taking leadership position in her four core areas of operations, especially in provision of integrated site maintenance within the nations telecommunications sector, which began in year 2003.

“With this investment, PNN will now be able to expand its capacity to effectively manage between 2,000 and 3,000 BTS within Nigeria and West African sub region,” he said, adding that in the nearest future, PNN tends to offer sales of mobile phones and accessories in the One hundred and Five (105) retail outlets it will be opening during the next 12 months.

Managing Partner of AWAF, Mr. Jacob Kholi, said that the investment in PNN fits well with its portfolio strategy of identifying and investing in companies that have strong fundamentals in their respective industries.

He stressed that the investment will strengthen the company ahead of its competitors to enable it take advantage of the many opportunities in the telecoms services sector and facilitate the generation of good returns to all stakeholders.

Champion Infotel recalls that award winning PNN is a licensee of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and was set up to provide telecommunications solutions to both business and individual users throughout the country, while focusing on sales and distribution of telecoms products, supply and installation of telecoms equipment, operations and maintenance of Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) and Private Telephone Operators (PTO) facilities, provision of engineering support services and value added services.

Relatively, AWAF is a joint-venture private equity fund between local Nigeria investors and international finance institutions.

AWAF local investors comprised of Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria Limited and Ecobank Nigeria Plc whereas the international investors are CDC Group Plc (UK), Norfund (Norway), European Investment Bank (EIB), Canadian Investment Fund for Africa (CIFA) and Nordic Development Fund (NDF).

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ALTON wants Fashola to call LASIMRA to order

THE Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), has urged the Lagos State governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) to call the Lagos State Infrastructure Maintenance and Regulatory Agency (LASIMRA) to order.

Even as it has petitioned the Federal Government over the excesses of LASIMRA led by Mr. Joe Igbokwe, insisting that regulation of telecom companies in the state by the agency is illegal, and denied any health implication due to installation of telecom infrastructure in communities.

Reacting to recent media reports, on the ban of erecting new telecom masts in Lagos State, placed by LASIMRA, ALTON chairman, Mr. Gbenga Adebayo said that the actions of the agency depicts nothing but motives to generate revenues for the state.

He expressed concern over the persistence harassment of its members by LASIMRA officials and dismantling of telecom infrastructure, despite a recent court ruling in February this year.

“We’re concerned that despite the subsisting judgment of the Federal High Court in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/517/06: The Registered Trustees of ALTON & Ors v Lagos State Government & Ors that Engr Igbokwe in the said media address warned that any telecom operator who embarks upon base station erection, and installation without a permit duly issued by LASIMRA would be appropriately sanctioned,” he noted.

He pointed out that the aforementioned court action had challenged the LASIMRA Act through which the Lagos State Government (LASG) sought to regulate the activities of telecom operators within the State.

ALTON also reminded LASIMRA that the regulation of telecom industry in the country is the exclusive preserve of the Federal Government through the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

As said by him, in the final judgment delivered by Auta J. on February 25, 2007, the court held that telecommunications is a matter under the exclusive legislative list of the 1999 Constitution and accordingly “No State Government or State House of Assembly has the jurisdiction to legislate on it, any such legislation is null and void” and “To the extent that it seeks to regulate the activities of telecoms operators in Lagos State, the IMRA law is an encroachment on the Nigerian Communications Act, a Federal Legislation which “covers the field” with respect to the regulation of telecommunications infrastructure in Nigeria.”

ALTON further said that the appeal has become necessary because LASIMRA’s actions and insinuations was not healthy for the development of telecommunications in the country and Lagos State in particular.

According to him, there is no scientific evidence to show that telecommunications infrastructure is a health risk for the host communities as alleged by LASIMRA, warning it could instigate the public against telcos.

ALTON commended the Gov. Fashola, for lifting the ban on road excavations and earth cum tar cut activities by telecoms operators.

“We recognise and commend His Excellency’s recognition of the interest of the business community and subscribers,” Mr. Adebayo declared.

ALTON further noted that in pursuant to NCC guidelines, the commission has continually encouraged operators to collocate wherever technically feasible and operators are currently working towards increasing collocation sites.

Hence, ALTON was concerned that the motives touted in Mr. Joe Igbokwe, the General Manager, LASIMRA’s media utterances lately was engrossed on the telecoms industry without mention of the hundreds of mast and towers belonging to the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), Radio and Television Stations, oil companies, banks and state government agencies in Lagos State, who collectively have more mast and towers than telecommunication services providers.

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Convergence Tech launches Ecoroam suite

A privately owned Information and Communication Technology (ICT),Convergence Technologies (CT), has launched a suite of communications solutions known as Ecoroam, that offers cost effective and comprehensive global mobility of internet and voice services to travellers.

Chief Operations Officer (COO) of the firm, Mr. Ladipo Adedeji, informed that the Ecoroam is targeted at business and professional executives to avail them active transactions at any time and anywhere.

Ecoroam, he said, provides affordable, secure Internet and voice roaming to subscribers at travel destinations in over 150 countries using one simple login user interface.

He also said that nowadays offices are characterized by a highly mobile workforce that spends 60 per cent of their time on the “move”.

“In fact they carry their offices with them namely Pocket Pc’s, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA’s) and Laptops,” he noted.

Mr. Adedeji added that the services Convergence Technologies offer include the Ecoroam Internet and the Ecoroam voice.

He explained that the Ecoroam Internet provides executives who are always on the move access to corporate data and applications from anywhere in the world.

“It allows users to access the Internet via high speed broadband connections at an amazing 100,000 hotspots including 852 international airports, 11,200 hotels, 40,000 shopping malls, fast food outlets to name a few,” Mr. Adedeji said.

He pointed out that the beauty of this solution lies in the simplicity of its use expressed in the ability to access all these hotspots around the world through one single account and for a flat rate in 100 countries.

Ecoroam, he further said, provides Global Packet Radio Service (GPRS) access in over 40 countries worldwide.

He emphasised that with the Ecoroam voice service, Nigerian travellers would now be able to roam their local numbers internationally in 150 countries while bypassing roaming rates.

“We want every Nigerian traveller with a phone be it Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) or Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) to access a first class roaming service that accommodates both post-paid and prepaid customers without stringent conditions and without them emptying their pockets.

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Starcomms to roll out in 3 cities

Leader in the Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) Third Generation (3G) operator in the country, Starcomms Limited, has advanced plans to roll out in northern cities of Kaduna and Zaria, just as Benin is also on course.

Chief executive, Starcomms Limited, Mr. Maher Qubain, revealed this at the reception organised by the company to celebrate its awards at the 2007 edition of Nigeria Telecoms awards in Lagos.

He said that the telco is determined to further expand her geographic presence in the country, and has concluded plans to roll out in Kaduna and Zaria, in the next one week and Benin within the next 45 days.

He added that when completed, the network’s coverage area would increase to 12 cities and propel it towards the targeted one million mark before the end of the year from the current 750,000.

Mr. Qubain said that only recently the Abuja, Aba, Onitsha and Asaba joined Lagos, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Kano and Maiduguri as cities where the company’s services are available.

Champion Infotel recalled that Starcomms was recently honour with the Telecoms Company of the Year and Best Cross Over Network of the Year awards won by the organisers of Nigeria Telecom Awards.

“We are committed to giving Nigerians the best they deserve. Presently, we are operating in 10 cities, I want to assure you that in the next 45 days, our network will be in three other major cities, Kaduna, Zaria and Benin,” he said.

Mr. Qubain noted with the company’s aggressive expansion project and the nation emerging as the business hub of the West African sub-Saharan West Africa subscribers should not expect anything less as far as quality services and innovative products are concerned.

He said that new technology is a fulfilment of the company’s promise to constantly make world-class products and services available to Nigerian consumers.

With an average of 25,000 lines per day, the company, which was commercially launched in 1990, is nearing the million mark in its subscribers’ base powered by a robust marketing strategy and the mobile series – 07028 – activated in February this year.

While expressing appreciation for the awards, the Starcomms’ boss thanked the organisers, the media, the subscribers and other stakeholders, for their support and recognising the contributions Starcomms has made to the development of Nigeria’s telecommunications industry.

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Celtel supports MOBO African awards

Celtel International has announced its support for the 2007 edition of the “Best Music Star - African Category” of the Music of Black Origin (MOBO) awards.

Confirming this development, chief executive, Celtel Nigeria, Mr. Bayo Ligali, said that the award ceremony to be held in London on Wednesday, September 19, 2007, would give African music acts including Nigeria’s Hip Hop rave, Tu Face Idibia, and D’Banj (Dapo Daniel Oyebanjo), the opportunity to share global music limelight with several popular acts such as smash hit “Umbrella” star, Rihanna, American rapper, 50 Cent (Curtis James Jackson III), and Senegalese-American hip hop and R&B singer, Akon, among others.

He also said that music acts nominated in the African award category include Wambali Mkandawire (Malawi); Bebe Cool (Uganda); Kabelo (SA); Eric Wainaina (Kenya); Jua Cali (Kenya); Tu Face Idibia (Nigeria) and D’Banj (Nigeria).

Some of the artistes nominated in the other categories include Akon, Rihanna, Kanye West, Joss Stone, 50 Cent, Beverley Knight and Sadie Ama.

MOBO awards were created to honour best artists who perform music of black origin irrespective of their race or nationality.

A press statement made available to Champion Infotel and endorsed by Mr. Otokhine, quoted the Chief Executive Officer, Celtel Nigeria, Mr. Adebayo Ligali said, the telco was delighted to be part of the sponsorship of MOBO award.

“By showcasing music of African origin, MOBO awards contribute to the promotion and reinforcement of the black music heritage which is the core of our African identity,” he declared.

He added that music lovers globally could vote for their favourite Best African Musician as well as for other nominees in the other award categories at the award website, www.mobo.com.

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Operators celebrate GSM technology @ 20

It was a celebration time for the Global System for Mobile Association (GSMA) at the weekend as it commemorated the 20th anniversary of the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM).

Champion Infotel recalls that on September 7, 1987 15 operators from 13 countries signed a memorandum of understanding that led to the development of GSM, the first pan-European mobile standard and, subsequently, the first global mobile standard.

A report by David Meyer of ZDNet UK, quoted the chief executive of the GSM Association, Rob Conway, as saying that deal was widely regarded as the foundation of today’s global mobile phone industry.

“The 1987 agreement is widely regarded as the foundation of today’s global mobile-phone industry and the birth of one of the greatest technological achievements of our age,” Mr. Conway said.

For the former Vodafone chief executive and one of the deal’s signatories, Sir Christopher Gent, it was the “single most important agreement in the history of telecommunications.”

He asserted that GSM had “done more to bridge the digital divide than any other innovation.”

GSM now has a monopoly among mobile services, with 85 per cent of the market.

The technology, according to experts, have given boost to two and a half billion users across 218 countries and territories, with more than a billion new handsets being bought every year.

More than seven trillion minutes of calls are made and about two and a half trillion Short Message Service (SMS) are sent over GSM networks every year, according to the GSM Association.

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BTE makes a debut

Image and Publics Communications Limited (IPCL) has introduced a cutting a media network known as Business Technology Edge (BTE).

Executive Producer at BTE, Ms Iyabo Oladeji, informed that the company tends to lead in technology business information provision.

She noted that the network started broadcasting in the West African Sub-Region from Accra, the Ghanaian capital on Ghana Television (GTV) and TV3.

BTE, she said, also delivers timely, incisive and informative news and reports on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and business developments from around the continent with a bias for corporate West Africa using MiTV and DSTV 156 as a launch pad.

“The network consist of a quarterly print version biz-tech magazine, BTE TV, BTE Radio programme, and a popular web portal www.btenews.com which is constantly updated to report business technology news as they break,” she said, in addition to public relations and perception management division.

The TV and radio programmes by BTE, she said, are aimed at promoting knowledge diffusion on business and technology in Africa with a view to achieving a level of interconnection that enables countries in West Africa sub-region create partnerships that build the region.

“Business and Technology Edge will provide companies with the opportunity to showcase their new products and explain the advantages of their brands,” she said.

BTE TV, according to her, currently airs on DSTV Channel 156, MiTV Lagos, 8.30 am every Saturday.

This is in addition to T3 Accra, and GTV Ghana, even as it would soon be on African Independent Television (AIT), Galaxy, GOTEL and Silverbird TV.

“It is a 30 minute morning programme that provides current news, interviews of special guests, and special reports on products and happenings in ICT businesses,” she declared.

Ms Oladeji pointed out that the BTE Radio broadcast is already running on major networks across the sub-region in West Africa including Ghana: Joy FM Accra, Nigeria: Star FM, Lagos, Ray power, Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Jos, Kaduna, Edo and Yenagoa.

While most of its programme would be anchored by well-trained professionals Pamela Okoro and Lawson Ovih.

IPCL, she explained is in partner with Knowledge Media International (KMI) media conglomerate; owners and publishers of IT Edge magazine, published in English and French languages.

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Rebranding: Celtel now Zain

Remmy Nweke in South Africa

In efforts to unify its trading name, management of MTC Group, the owners of pan-African Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) trading as Celtel International has began another rebranding spree and would now be known as Zain in all its operations.

Effective from Saturday, September 8, 2007, Zain is the new corporate master brand name for the Group formerly known as MTC and is already taken the new name in Kuwait, Jordan, Bahrain and Sudan, while in Iraq its currently known as MTC-Atheer, in Lebanon as MTC-Touch whereas in 14 sub-Saharan countries in Africa as Celtel including Burkina Faso, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Kenya, Malawi, Madagascar, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

Confirming this development, Media and External Relations Manager at Zain Group, Mr Antoine Aboukhalil, informed that MTC Group “adopted a new name ‘Zain’ to unify its different brands.”

He also said that the telco, which is providing mobile services in 21 countries across the Middle East and Africa (MEA), has chosen Zain as the Group’s corporate master brand “with immediate effect.”

He explained that hitherto, four countries operations in Kuwait and Bahrain, both formerly MTC-Vodafone, Jordan formerly Fastlink and Sudan formerly Mobitel, will immediately be re-branded to Zain.

The Group’s operations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia would take on the name Zain in early 2008, which is coming after being awarded the third mobile telecommunications licence in July 2007.

Mr Aboukhalil emphasised that the Group’s operation in Iraq, under MTC Atheer, will also re-brand to Zain in the near future after recently winning an extended 15 year nationwide licence.

“All new or acquired operations run by the Group will be branded Zain,” he declared.

Also, a press statement made available to Daily Champion quoted the chief executive officer of the Zain group, Dr. Saad Al Barrak, as saying, that Zain would bring together all its operations under a single, strong and unique identity.

“We believe it is the optimal platform upon which we can build a global brand with the ultimate goal of better serving our customers. It will propel the Group towards becoming one of the top 10 global mobile telecommunications companies in the next four years,” he said.

Mr. Aboukhalil further said that the new pay-off theme of the change of the brand to Zain is now ‘A wonderful world’ stressing that it captured the energy, inspiration and diversity of the group’s customers, employees and other stakeholders.

The new logo and its colourful identity, he said, reflected the Group’s freshness, boldness and vitality with the ‘swirl’ communicating the idea of an aura, something important to human life echoing growth, progression and diversity.

According to him, the new identity was developed in partnership with world leading consulting firms and advertising agencies.

Brand architect and the Group’s Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), Tito Alai said that the name Zain was selected from “a list of over 400 after extensive research across many countries and cultures validated its broad global appeal.”

The CCO explained that although it was chosen for its simplicity, memorability and ease of pronunciation across the global marketplace, as an added bonus Zain was found to be rich in positive connotations.

Alai explained for example, that in Arabic, Zain means “beautiful, good and wonderful,” in Latin it means ‘dark horse’ and it has many positive meanings in other cultures found in the continents of Africa, Asia, Europe and beyond.

“Zain tested extremely well among cross sections of the potential global audience and with the planned investment will become a formidable brand within a short period,” he said.

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IGF: African voices must be heard @ Rio -07 - CSOs

By Remmy Nweke in South Africa

Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) on the continent have advanced plans to send a 20-member delegation to the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) to be held in Rio de Janero, Brazil in November to ensure that African voices are heard.

At a roundtable session on IGF organised by the Open Society Institute for Southern Africa (OSISA) at the on-going 11^th Highway Africa conference in Grahamstown , South Africa , CSOs resolved to ensure that Africa is not relegated at the global meeting.

IGF in Rio is being organised by the IGF Secretariat based in Geneva , Switzerland in support of the United Nations Secretary-General’s mandate from the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) with regard to convening a new forum for multi-stakeholder policy dialogue.

Speaking on behalf of the CSOs, Ms Natasha Primo of the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) said that the essence of bringing the crusade to the largest gathering of pen-pushers on the continent was to guarantee that African communicators were not left out.

According to her, the session was basically to raise awareness in the participation of Africans at the IGF by having an understanding of the theme focusing on access, openness, security and critical Internet resources as well as capacity/development agenda.

African CSOs, she pointed out would be sending a 20-man delegate to the global meeting to “Get African voices heard centred on capacity and development agenda. We must make ourselves heard in all the themes.”

She added that the CSOs presently want to continue the crusade online with so as to develop shared position to the Rio meeting with Africa at heart.

“We had a preliminary discussion and we want to take that online for further discussions,” she asserted, adding that those interested should contact OSISA.

The online discussion would kick off on September 15 and that it’s an open invitation to organisations and individuals to join hands with CSOs to make certain the aim is achieved.

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Gender issues, not only women affairs - Panellists

Panellists at a session on ‘Quality and Professionalism in the Newsroom: The Gender Dimension’ at the on-going Highway Africa 2007 in Grahamstown, South Africa, have called on African women to strive towards having a better understanding of what gender is all about.

This, they said would enable them to see gender really as not only women affairs so as to be sensitive to gender issues alongside their men counterparts.

For South Africa GEMSA, Mrs Kubi Rama, gender does not mean a issue affecting a particular sex, but rather for both sexes, adding that if it is one sided, it would contribute to the denoting of womenfolk precisely and the society in general.

Kenyan trainer, Mrs Rose Okolo pointed out that it would take training to truly enthrone balanced reporting on gender issues, stressing that it is only when constant training is given and assimilated that people of the continent could now expect better and balanced gender stories at all levels of media organisations.

Equally, Zambian Brenda Zulu and freelance writer, said that womenfolk are currently blind folded on gender issues, thus they could not see direction on which the world is going, especially in covering of Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

She further said that for her as a lady to delve into the field of ICT dominated by men journalists, she has to work ‘double hard’ to prove a point.

According to her, gender stories are seen by media organisations as not the kind of stories that would sale their papers, adding that all depends on the understanding of the leadership of any given organisation, just as she reiterated the need for training for all levels of media practitioners on the continent.

A contributor at the forum, Mr. Ansbert Ngurumo noted that charity should begin at home as the panellists were all women, and suggested that he expected due process of gender equality to at least begun with the balanced nomination of panellists in an occasion like this.I

n addition, other participants who spoke at the session enjoined women to take the bull by the horn and stop playing the second fiddle in order to exhibit their best, especially by sticking to professionalism against all odds.

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