ICANN releases factsheet on IPv6

The global Internet coordinating agency, Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has released a fact sheet on Internet Protocol version six (IPv6) aimed at the Internet’s vital expansion.

ICANN also said there is widespread agreement within the technical community that the Internet’s current system based on IP version 4 (IPv4)is unable to cope with the network’s expansion.

General manager of public participation at ICANN, Mr. Kieren McCarthy, informed that the release of factsheet covering Internet Protocol 6 was intended to provide an explanation of the protocol upgrade for a non-technical audience in the hope of enlarging public understanding surrounding this and related issues.

“The factsheet briefly reviews the technology behind IPv6, explains why it is needed, why uptake has been slow, and outlines why a move to the protocol should be considered soon by many organisations and governments,” he said.

He also said that the factsheet continues what has been a popular series of short, clearly written, guides covering topical technical issues in which ICANN is involved.

ICANN in the executive summary made available to Champion Infotel stated that there is widespread agreement within the technical community that the Internet’s current system is unable to cope with the network’s expansion.

“Every device attached to the Internet needs its own unique address. The “free pool” of existing addresses will run out completely within five years,” ICANN said.

In addition, the proposed solution, ICANN said, is an updated system running on Internet Protocol version 6, or IPv6.

“IPv6 adoption has been slow. Since it is not directly compatible with the current IPv4 system, there is inertia to the move,” ICANN highlighted, adding that this delay has become a matter of increasing concern.

“It is important that companies, governments and regulatory authorities understand the issues surrounding IPv6 and why its use should be encouraged,” the global Internet agency said.

ICANN further stated that every device connected to the Internet needs an address, but those addresses are rapidly being depleted.

“As unlikely as that may seem, the system put in place in 1977 assumed that four billion separate addresses on the network would be more than sufficient,” ICANN said, stressing that the Internet’s enormous success and growth has seen those addresses rapidly taken up.

“Within the next five years, and possibly sooner, the “free pool” of addresses – those that have not yet been used or assigned will run out,” ICANN explained.

As a result, ICANN pointed out that unless a method of providing more addresses is introduced, the Internet’s growth would become increasingly constrained over the next decade.

Fortunately, ICANN pointed out that Internet engineers foresaw the problem and back in 1996 devised a solution that would provide 340 zillion separate addresses.

“To give an idea of the scale, if all existing four billion Internet addresses were contained inside a Blackberry phone, the new system would fill a container the size of the earth,” ICANN said.

Adoption of that solution called Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) has been slow, just as the benefits of IPv6 are long-term.

Technical workarounds, ICANN noted allows for continued use of the existing Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) system, which also allow several devices to share one Internet address.

ICANN clarified that the slow movement to IPv6 has caused increasing concern in the technical community and relaxed expectation of movement has moved to active promotion of IPv6 adoption.

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How to recognise online UPS’ – Kleynhans

Regional director for Africa at APC-MGE, Mr. Carl Kleynhans, has explained the difference between the two kinds of online uninterruptible power supplies (UPSes) by APC, so as to afford the consumers the opportunity of having clear picture of what could solve their needs.

According to him, APC-MGE has two online UPS, namely the Double and Delta Conversion respectively.

For him, the Double Conversion On-Line UPS is the most common type of UPS above 10kVA and operates in much the same manner as the Standby UPS except that the primary power path is the inverter instead of the AC mains.

He added that in the design of Double Conversion On-Line operation, failure of the input AC does not cause activation of the transfer switch.

This, he said, is because the input AC is not the primary source, but is rather the backup source.

“Therefore, during an input AC power failure, on line operation results in no transfer time,” he said.

He stressed that the on line mode of operation exhibits a transfer time when the power from the primary battery charger, battery, inverter power path fails.

This, he explained could occur when any of the blocks in this power path fails, hence the inverter power could also drop out briefly, causing a transfer, if the inverter is subjected to sudden changes in the load, or if the inverter experiences an internal control glitch.

“Contrary to popular belief, Double Conversion On-Line UPS systems do exhibit a transfer time and in actual installations may transfer as frequently as standby type UPS systems; however on line UPS transfers are not related to AC input power failures as they are in a standby UPS,” he said.

Mr. Kleynhans emphasised that both the battery charger and the inverter convert the entire load power flow in this design, which causes undesirable heat and results in reduced efficiency.

Due to practical design constraints, he said, that UPS below 10kVA, which are represented as Double Conversion On-Line UPS are always working like the Standby On-Line Hybrid type.

On the Delta Conversion On-Line UPS, he said, was designed via a technology that was recently introduced to eliminate the drawbacks of the Double Conversion On-Line design and is available from 5kVA and greater.

“Like the Double Conversion On-Line design, the Delta Conversion On-Line UPS always has the inverter supplying the load voltage,” he said.

However, he warned that the additional Delta Converter also contributes power to the inverter output and under this condition of AC failure or disturbances, this design behaves identically to the Double Conversion On-Line.

While during steady state conditions the Delta Converter allows the UPS to deliver power to the load with much greater efficiency than the Double Conversion design.

“It obviously saves energy to carry the package only the difference (delta) between the starting and ending points,” he said.

Even as the Double Conversion On-Line UPS converts the power to the battery and back again whereas the Delta Converter moves much of the power from input to the output directly.

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Portable numbering plan to boost market evolution – Ndukwe

Executive Vice Chairman (EVC), Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, has said that the proposed introduction of portable national numbering apart from enthroning convergence in the polity would boost market evolution.

Speaking at the four-day workshop organised by NCC in collaboration with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in Lagos, Dr. Ndukwe, who was represented at the occasion by the former Communications Minister and NCC commissioner, Chief Olawale Ige, noted that Nigeria as leading country on the continent in terms of mobile communications, has continued to record success, even as Nigeria has surpassed South Africa, having achieved 44 million subscribers against South Africa 40 million.

He described the proposed portable numbering plan as a cornerstone for market evolution and growth.

According to the EVC, introduction of numbering is a critical component towards provision of communications services that would impact on how operators conduct business, and services are rolled out as well as how subscribers would behave in the near future.

Dr. Ndukwe who dwelt on ‘Numbering and Convergence: Cornerstone of Evolving Communications,’ said numbering would allow the nation to efficiently manage this valuable but limited asset, thus impacting on the productivity and competitiveness of the country.

Hence, he looks forward to the national numbering plan adding value by way of promoting economic growth through fair competition.

“Every operator would have equal rights to this national resource,” he said, stressing “No numbers, no services, no business and no competition.”

He emphasised that the proposed number plan would promote service innovation intended to generate more revenue, just as new services would not be restricted to numbering constraints.

He citied an example with the mobile lines and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) numbers would now have common short codes, premium or toll-free numbers, and special services numbers.

Therefore, he expects better subscriber satisfaction and ease of use as an important design goal, maintaining that competition drives better service quality and more new services.

“More usage would translate into more revenue for operators,” he noted, adding that it’s a win-win proposition that would empower subscribers to manage their ‘personal brand’ with freedom to change operators at will.

“It enables fair competition amongst operators and allow innovation to flourish with greater return on investment,” he declared, thereby rewarding creative marketing, service features, pricing models, and high quality with growth in subscriber numbers, and revenue, accompanied by the expected rise in the Average Revenue Per User (ARPU).

Convergence, on the other hand, he said, reduces inter-machine trunking traffic with tendency to simplify and efficiently transport long distance and transit traffic.

This, he said, would enable optimisation of offnet traffic and interconnection tariffs as well as subscriber access to voice mail and other application services.

“Convergence delivers enhanced services with Voice over Broadband (VoBB) service at business and residential areas, thus improving in-building mobile coverage,” he said.

There also would be fixed and mobile convergence (FMC), while application innovation using advanced service creation, integrating voice calls, web services, presence, location and group lists among others.

While soliciting the support of all stakeholders in the nation’s Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), NCC boss said that Nigeria is at a pivotal point of growth, adding that relevant infrastructure needed to be in place to allow for further expansion.

“We need to re-examine our national numbering place … It’s a must for growing economy,” he asserted.

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Senate to strengthen NCC on regulation

The Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has identified areas it could strengthen the telecommunications regulator in the country, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) so as to efficiently perform its duties.

Senate Committee chairman on Communications, Senator Sylvester Ndubuisi Anyanwu, gave this indication at the end of the one-day public hearing on Quality of Service in Abuja, while interacting with newsmen.

He said that his committee has advanced plans to introduce new laws into the regulation of the sector that would tackle complaints against poor telecommunications services by various operators.

This, he said would be achieved by strengthening the powers of the telecom regulator to facilitate the application of stiff sanctions against any defecting operator.

As said by him, part of the proposed laws would be to make it mandatory for operators to refund subscribers on established cases of call drops and call terminations or in any clearly established situations of poor service delivery.

Senator Anyanwu added that at the Senate, they are of the opinion that Nigeria telecom subscribers are not getting the best from telcos.

“Some level of responsibility on the part of operators could lessen the problem and provide subscribers with the minimum service quality expected anywhere. We’re working to ensure that refunds are made to subscribers as is the case in many other countries,” he asserted.

Members of the National Assembly and especially the Senate, he said, are mindful of the uncommon challenges facing the sector including inadequate power supply and insecurity of telecom facilities at some locations.

He warned that these challenges should not be used as an excuse to “rampantly and consistently deliver low service quality resulting into loss of money for subscribers which tantamount to extortion since subscribers are forced to part with money for services not rendered.”

On NCC, he identified lack of sufficient empowerment by law to enforce its own regulation, adding that his committee recently held the first Telecom Stakeholders meeting in Abuja, and warned that some deceitful actions of operators could undermine the effectiveness of the regulator at securing the interest of all stakeholders in the sector particularly subscribers.

Already, he said, the committee is taking second look at the existing laws with a view to reviewing and advising the assembly on the creation of entire new laws to accommodate the dynamics of the industry.

“We are looking seriously at the law that created the NCC. At the time the law that created NCC was made, it may be adequate but a lot of changes have occurred and change is constant. Now we are working at new laws to accommodate the growth of the telecom industry,” he said.

The committee, he equally said would examine laws that would accommodate some of the lapses currently witnessed such as encouraging the growth of fixed lines through tax holiday and duty waivers among other incentives.

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Danisat launches TC 500, 700 radios

Danisat Communications Limited, one of the nation’s leading telecommunications service provider, has lived up to its promise by launching the HYT 2-way radios, TC 500 and TC 700, at this year’s Nigeria International Communications Exhibition also known as NICOMM-07 in Lagos.

Speaking at the occasion, Managing Director, DaniSAT Communications, Mr. Aigbo Emigbuan, informed that the latest two-way radios came as a result of partnership deal DaniSAT recently entered with a Chinese firm and have been categorized into two, namely commercial and professional series.

He explained that these two categories were classified as very rugged with a higher performance ratio as well as cost effective.

“The new series of HYT radios the TC 500 and TC 700 are packed with cutting-edge technology coupled with the HYT long standing innovations for user-friendly operations which guarantees optimum performance,” he declared, adding that the rugged, reliable and compatible nature of the radios allow potential users the advantage of using a state-of-the-art communications tool that not only guarantees optimum performance but also has the rare capacity of increasing efficiency and high productivity level.

As said by him, these radios are applicable for security and allied companies, hotels and restaurants supermarket and warehouse, tourism and service line, manufacturers, banks, construction sites, residence safeguard management and agriculture to name a few.

He also informed that Danisat Communications Limited in strategic partnership involves CICCI of Denmark and Shenzen HYT Science & Technology Company China, was strictly to sale and service the new HYT brand of commercial and professional two-way radio portables and mobile equipment in the country.

Emphasizing that the newly launched HYT brand is packed with cutting-edge technology and HYT innovations for user-friendly operations and optimum performance.

With its distinct advantage in affordability, quality, durability and compatibility with existing two-way communication models, the latest HYT brand of Two-Way radio communications equipment is the tool of choice for companies and individuals who do not compromise on quality but yet insist on competitiveness and affordability.

Currently, the HYT brand is a worldwide brand with users in China by the Police Force and other government agencies cum provinces, even as it has been deployed in South Africa, Russia and the United Nations among others.

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Intel opens 45nm microprocessor factory

Production of a new generation of microprocessors for PCs, laptops, servers and other computing devices officially began weekend at the inside of Intel Corporation, as the firm unveiled its first high-volume 45 nanometer (nm) factory in Chandler, Arizona.

Intel president and chief executive, Mr. Paul Otellini, while disclosing this said that the factory tagged “Fab 32,” is worth $3 billion, about N361.8 billion, and is intended to use Intel’s innovative 45nm process technology based on Intel’s breakthrough in “reinventing” certain areas of the transistors inside its processors to reduce energy leakage.

“The 45nm transistors use a Hafnium-based high-k material for the gate dielectric and metal materials for the gate, and are so small that more than 2 million can fit on the period at the end of this sentence,” he said.

Millions of these tiny transistors, he said, would make up Intel’s products faster, more energy efficient lead and halogen-free processors for Personal Computers (PCs), laptops and servers, as well as ultra low-power processors for mobile Internet and consumer electronic devices, and low-cost PCs.

According to him, the first of the company’s 45nm processors has been scheduled for introduction into the market by the second week of next month and precisely November 12.

“The opening of Fab 32 in Arizona is a testament to Intel’s continued investment in our most strategic asset; the most advanced, environmentally friendly manufacturing network in the world,” he asserted, stressing that the magic of 45nm and new transistor design is to allow for delivery of high-performance, energy-efficient processors to customers globally.

In addition, he said, that Fab 32 is Intel’s sixth 300mm wafer factory and its second factory to produce 45nm chips.

Champion Infotel recalls that Intel first produced 45nm processors in its Oregon development facility, called D1D, in January and is now moving into high-volume production with the opening of Fab 32.

Two additional 45nm, 300mm factories are scheduled to open next year in Kiryat Gat, Israel (Fab 28) and Rio Rancho, N.M. (Fab 11x).

Using 300mm wafers, Mr. Otellini pointed out lowers the production cost per chip while diminishing overall use of resources.

“With 184,000 square feet of clean room space, the completed Fab 32 structure measures 1 million square feet, so large that more than 17 United States football fields could fit inside the building,” he declared.

Adding that more than 1,000 employees will operate the factory in such positions as process, automation and yield engineers and senior manufacturing technicians.

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NICOMM-07 ends in style

The 2007 Nigeria International Communications exhibition (NICOMM-07) ended at the weekend in style as participating companies went home with certificates.

The three-day exhibition and conference organised by the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), was also rated high against the previous exercise held in 2005.

Some of the participants who spoke to newsmen afterwards commended the current leadership of ATCON under the presidency of Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem.

Even as NICOMM-07 held concurrently with the World Radio Conference in Geneva which the Hon. Minister of Information & Communications and the Executive Vice Chairman of Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) had to attend.

Those who spoke on NICOMM-07 included the Trade Development Manager in the British Deputy High Commission, Mrs. Mojisola Fayokun; Commercial Assistant in the Embassy of France, Mr. Damien Pade; Commercial Attaché in Embassy of Spain, Mr. Miguel B. Lopez as well Mr. Isaac N. Annum who represented the Minister of Science & Technology, Chief (Mrs.) Grace Ekpiwhre at the occasion.

They agreed that the event was excellently organised and well attended by all standards, even as they promised to collaborate actively with ATCON to ensure that 2008 edition will be grandly attended by Information and Communication Technology (ICT) companies from their home countries.

Equally, exhibitors said they were impressed with new innovations introduced by ATCON into the organisation of the NICOMM Expo.

Just as they applauded ATCON for the timely and orderly set-up of exhibition stands, which had not been the case in the past as well as delighted with the special products launch segment of the event which gave exhibiting companies a veritable opportunity to present and/or demonstrate their new products and services to the audience.

ATCON President, Dr. Ekuwem, in his comment, decried lack of an international expo centre in the country, which he noted, is one of the reasons multinational corporations declined to participate in some exhibitions in the country.

He added that ATCON is considering options for larger exhibitions ground for next year and confirmed that plans for next year is already in motion and shortly, the planning committee will be appointed and inaugurated to commence work on NICOMM 2008 in earnest.

He added that General Assembly of ATCON would soon be deliberating on the change of name for the exhibition and conference, obviously in its next general meeting.

He later presented certificates to participating companies.

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Survey rates Africa low in receiving aids for development

Recent survey by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) has rated Africa low receiving aids to finance development in line with the 2002 implementation of the Monterrey Consensus.

ECA in a press statement made available to the Highway Africa News Agency (HANA) endorsed by the Information and Communication Service, stated that the survey of African policymakers was conducted in March and April 2007 to gauge their views on the degree of progress in meeting the goals of the Monterrey Consensus.

The outcome which coincided with a two-day high-level biennial review of the United Nations General Assembly Plenary in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, informed that the overall found showed that while significant progress was made in the area of external debt relief, performances in other areas have declined, thus disappointing.

The survey pointed out that considerable efforts are required by both African governments and development partners to mobilize the level of resources needed for development in the region.

Highlight of the findings, according to ECA included that governments are making efforts to mobilize domestic resources, but savings rates in African countries remain inadequate relative to their investment requirements.

Also, the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflow has increased, but it is still insufficient, and too concentrated in the natural resources sector, to help accelerate economic growth and development. Just as most countries have policies in place to attract private capital flows, but response from foreign investors has so far been muted.

Exports, the survey noted have increased in recent years, even as respondents believed that donors have not made much progress in supporting African countries in the area of trade.

Official Development Assistance (ODA) flows to Africa, the survey pointed out, are on the increase, however, donors are still not on track to meet their commitments, adding that recent aid flows also tend to be concentrated in a few countries and social sectors cutting across emergency aid and debt relief.

While there has been a significant reduction in the external debt burden of African countries as a result of recent debt relief initiatives, just as more debt relief needs to be provided.

“Governments also need to exercise caution in borrowing to ensure that debts in African countries remain sustainable,” a part of the survey read.

HANA recalls that the Monterrey Consensus adopted at the International Conference on Financing for Development in 2002 was the first global attempt to comprehensively address the challenges of financing development, especially in the context of meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The Consensus calls for a new partnership between developed and developing countries covering six main areas of action, such as mobilizing domestic financial resources, attracting international financial resources based on private capital flows, promoting international trade as an engine for development, increasing international financial and technical cooperation for development, sustainable debt financing and external debt relief; as well as addressing systemic issues.

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Motorola introduces two bluetooth headsets

Global leader in wireless communications, Motorola, has added H680 and H375 bluetooth headsets to its family of Bluetooth Companion Products (BCP).

This addition unveiled in London recently come with elegant design, premium audio and Bluetooth wireless technology to allow multi-taskers and stylish talkers to make and take calls, while going about their businesses in a style.

General Manager, Accessories at Motorola Europe, Gillian Tune, said that the headsets’ outstanding sound quality is due to Motorola’s TrueComfort technology, which enables users to hear and be heard at home, on the move or at work.

According to the GM, Motorola’s exclusive TrueComfort design was developed after an intensive study of the human ear.

“The result is H680’s new ear hook, ear bud and speaker designs which improve audio by mechanically isolating the speaker and bringing it closer to the ear canal to channel sound. It also allows for a much better fit and improved comfort for prolonged use,” Tune said.

Also the GM said that both the H680 and H375 benefit from Motorola’s Easypair, which means that after an initial connection is made, your phone will conveniently and automatically pair with your headset whenever you switch it on.

“The H680 offers experienced Bluetooth headset users performance, style and looks in an absolutely discrete size. Alternatively, the H375 offers first timers to Bluetooth headsets a simple, reliable option with a battery check function,” said Tune.

Bluetooth users of today, Tune noted, wanted not only freedom from wires but also to look good while they converse on the go.

“The audio quality, comfort and convenience offered by the H680 and H375 means you will never have to slow down your life to talk on the phone again,” the general manager assured.

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PA Telecoms unveils products

PROFESSIONAL Advanced (PA) Telecoms International Limited has unveiled its products at the just concluded Nigerian International Communications exhibition (nicomm-07), reports Ugo Nkwocha.

The event, which held in Lagos at the Musical Society of Nigeria (muson) Centre, Onikan-Lagos, saw the launch of P.A. Telecoms two way radio terminals and some radio network solutions.

Speaking at the launch executive director, PA Telecoms, Mr. Prince Anyim, said that the firm’s avalanche of product were introduced to develop a full line of telecommunications solution.

This, he said, would aid his firm in exploring the liberalization of the Nigeria telecommunications sector toward providing technical partnership to Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) and Fixed Wireless Access (fwa) operators and end-to-end solution to both private and cooperate organisations.

He also added that they serve various sectors of the economy including oil and gas, security agency, maritime industries among others.

He urged Nigerians to patronise his firm by given them a chance to prove themselves.

“Let us know how to be of service to you and our technical team will be glad to provide you with the solution to your telecommunication needs. Ours is a blend of technology built on innovation,” he said

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