‘Why MTN unveiled pocket-friendly Blackberry options’

The Corporate Services Executive, MTN Nigeria, Mr. Wale Goodluck has explained why MTN unveiled pocket friendly Blackberry into the market.

Speaking at the launch in Lagos, Goodluck said that these new offerings provide more service options and even more affordable pricing which starts from as low as N450 per week.

He also said that the latest Blackberry service offer includes the Blackberry Social Bundle, Blackberry Messaging bundle and the Blackberry Quarterly Plan.

He explained that the new Blackberry Social bundle is for students and the young-at-heart who always want to stay close to friends on a pocket-friendly budget.

“This bundle provides access to instant messaging and social networking applications such as Blackberry messenger, Yahoo messenger, Facebook, Twitter and MySpace as well as other social networking applications for as low as N450 a week or N1500 a month,” he said.

As said by him, the new Blackberry Messaging bundle provides a pocket-friendly avenue for young professionals and students to their business network via access to push email access for up to 10 email accounts and instant messaging applications such as Blackberry messenger, Yahoo Messenger, Google Talk and other popular ones.

Additionally, he said, MTN introduced this bundle at a friendly price of N1500 monthly or N450 weekly to boost the use of the product.

“Businessmen and professionals who require access to 24/7 internet access, push email, social networking and instant messaging on the Blackberry have not been left out as MTN has plans for them.

“The Blackberry Internet Service fulfills this desire via the weekly, monthly and newly introduced Blackberry Quarterly plan from MTN,” he highlighted.

Equally, he said, the Blackberry Quarterly plan was introduced to reward MTN’s loyal Blackberry customers, adding that on this plan, customers could enjoy full uninterrupted Blackberry services for up to three months at a 10 per cent discount which comes to N8000 instead of paying N9000 for the 3 months.

He added that with these special packages, MTN launched a promotional offering which makes it possible to get a 1-month free Blackberry internet service (BIS) subscription with every Blackberry device purchased for as low as N36,000 at any of its Walk-in centres nationwide.

These new propositions, he said, are coming on the heels of similar giant strides taken by the operator in the past.

He recalled that MTN in 2007 pioneered the introduction of the prepaid Blackberry service in the Nigerian market.

“As a way of rewarding its esteemed customers for their loyalty in the since it opened for operations in Nigeria in 2001, the company recently pioneered the reduction in prices of Blackberry services from N5000 to N3000 monthly,” he said.

He asserted that MTN remains the operator with the widest data coverage in Nigeria, hence its Blackberry customers could be assured that the devices from the network operator would remain functional in most parts of the country, when compared to other networks.

“MTN constantly demonstrates that it is still clearly in the business of enriching lives by introducing and enhancing its products and services to achieve the best value for its customers,” he submitted.

Remmy Nweke
ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D

NomCom receives 15 statements for ALAC

A total of fifteen statements of interest were received from the North American citizens, as the period ends for the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) Nominating Committee recruitment period for the At-Large Advisory Committee.

ITRealms Online gathered that on Monday last week, the nomination period closed for the ALAC representative from the North American region, for an interim vacancy to be filled this year by the 2011 Nominating Committee (NomCom).

A press statement made available to ITRealms Online by Director Global Media Affairs at ICANN, Mr. Brad White, stated that the 2011 NomCom received 15 Statements of Interest from North American citizens for this purpose.

The 2011 NomCom, he explained, would collect information and evaluate the candidates through mid-August 2011 before due diligence check of the selected candidate will follow.

“The successful candidate will be announced as soon as possible thereafter and will take up the position immediately,” he said.

He said that ICANN’s mission is to ensure a stable, secure and unified global Internet.

“To reach another person on the Internet you have to type an address into your computer - a name or a number. That address has to be unique so computers know where to find each other,” he said.

Stressing that ICANN coordinates these unique identifiers across the world, without which there would be no one global Internet.

ITRealms Online recalls that ICANN was formed in 1998 as a not-for-profit public-benefit corporation with participants from all over the world dedicated to keeping the Internet secure, stable and interoperable.

“It promotes competition and develops policy on the Internet’s unique identifiers,” he said.

Therefore, he said, ICANN does not control content on the Internet and cannot stop spam as well as doesn’t deal with access to the Internet.

“But through its coordination role of the Internet’s naming system, it does have an important impact on the expansion and evolution of the Internet,” he said.

Remmy Nweke
ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D

‘NigComSAT-1R critical to access, connectivity’

The over 600 participants at the first Nigerian Communications Satellite (NigComSAT) Stakeholders’ conference, rose last weekend to declare that the replacement of the nation’s communication satellite (1R) is critical to access and connectivity for the growth of the country.

A communiqué made available to ITRealms Online at the end of the session at the weekend participants agreed that NigComSAT-1R communication satellite is critical to expanding access and improving connectivity.

They noted that since broadband access is still a challenge in the country, coupled with the fact that connectivity is largely lacking and over 50 per cent of broadband internet connections in Nigeria today are via satellite, it is imperative that the nation needs NigComSAT-1R to reclaim its positions.

Equally they observed that NigComSAT-1R satellite is an in–orbit delivery programme by China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC), which is a replacement for Nigcomsat-1 satellite de-orbited in November 2008.

This, participants stated in the communiqué, would provide a critical Information and Communication Technology (ICT) backbone infrastructure to drive the national ICT revolution by providing a cost effective solution and affordable access to meet the nation’s telecommunications, broadcast, aviation, maritime, defense, security and revenue diversification needs of the nation.

The conference recognised the fact that the NigComSat-1R satellite is a hybrid, high power, quad band geo-stationary satellite which inherits almost all the design features of NigComSat-1 with a few modifications on the payload aimed at addressing domestic and international market needs.

“It uses the Chinese DFH-4 Platform, has a launch Mass of 5,150Kg and will use the Chinese LM-3B/E Launch Vehicle when it launches in December, 2011 to the same 42.5°E orbital location that was occupied by NigComSat-1. It is expected to have a service life of 15years,” part of the communiqué read.

According to participants, NigComSAT-1R has a communications payload of 28 active and 12 redundant transponders making for a total of 40 in the C, Ku and Ka bands.

“It will provide services which include Digital TV broadcasting, direct-to-home broadcasting and public safety cum emergency communications trunking services among others,” they stated.

They pointed out that Nigeria’s teledensity is currently at over 63 per cent with about 90.5 million active subscribers which has brought basic communications services to over 90 per cent of the people in Nigeria who now heavily depend on communications facilities for daily business and social interactions.

Additionally, participants noted that there is little future in last mile wireline infrastructures as deployments based on wire-line infrastructure for rural and dispersed communities would be very difficult to achieve and investments would be exceedingly costly and largely unaffordable.

“Nigeria can improve its connectivity access by taking advantage of major advancements in the wireless technologies such as broadband satellite from NigComSAT-1R and new generation mobile systems for last mile deployments,” part of the communiqué stated.

Just as they observed that cloud computing is a paradigm shift influenced by the change from Mainframe to Client-Server in the early 1980s, which largely described a new roadmap for user needs, consumption, and delivery model for Information Technology (IT) services based on the Internet or Inter-cloud model or technology service brand.

Nigeria, the participants agreed, urgently requires a broadband policy and a consensus on the way to achieve universal access for broadband services to improve its position in the global ICT league table.

Remmy Nweke
ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D

ALTON reassures Nigerians on MRF signals

The Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), has refuted recent reports that alleged Carcinogenic effects emanate from Mobile Radio Frequency (MRF) signal on human health.

According to the Chairman, ALTON and publicity secretary, Messrs Gbenga Adebayo and Damian Udeh, the report said to have emanated from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), ALTON’s attention has been drawn to the news items circulating in the print and electronic media to the effect that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared that the emissions from the Electromagnetic Frequency (EMF) spectrum is “possibly carcinogenic”, i.e. that it „may cause cancer’.

ALTON in a press statement endorsed by the duo, entitled ‘Regarding the Alleged Carcinogenic Effects of Mobile Radio Frequency Signals’ noted that EMF is emitted by mobile phones, wireless devices, radar, and radio and television broadcasts, which has generated public comments.

“As a body of responsible operators who place the health and safety of our customers above all other considerations, ALTON wishes to set the record straight and reassure all concerned of the safety of EMF signals,” they said.

ALTON also noted that the reports emanated from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), as a result of recently concluded review of several international research papers on the subject.

They stated that the review simply identified some suggestive evidence in human studies, which seemed to show that a hazard is possible but not likely.

They pointed out that IARC is yet to publish a full report of the review exercise, but classified electromagnetic emissions within “Group 2B”, which includes Coffee, Pickled Vegetables, Styrene used for the making of rubber, plastic, insulation, fiberglass, food containers, and carpet backing, among others.

Group 2B is the category for agents “for which there is limited evidence of carcinogenicity in humans and less than sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in experimental animals”.

ALTON argued that essentially, there is no basis for the conclusion that mobile emissions could cause cancer in humans, although as with all other emissions and indeed as with all things, there is need to continue to study the implications of long term, sustained exposure.

But having reviewed the IARC statement and scientific evidence available, the group said it is safe to conclude that EMF signals are neither a definite nor a probable human carcinogen.

“Rather, the IARC has only concluded that it may be possible that EMF is carcinogenic and has identified further areas for further research.

ALTON emphasised the unequivocal fact that EMF emissions are a non-iodizing range of emissions, which are safe for humans.

Credible international research, ALTON said, has repeatedly demonstrated that EMF emissions are even safer than those emitted by domestic microwave ovens, advising readers who wish to carry out further research may visit the website of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) at http://www.icnirp.de/PubEMF.htm.

ALTON also stated that all mobile infrastructure and equipment including handsets and other terminal devices) used by our members in Nigeria are certified safe worldwide, having first been thoroughly tested and type-approved by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

Emphasising that while there is still further long-term epidemiology research to be done to clarify this possibility, ALTON urged Nigerians to ensure that they purchase their handsets and terminal devices from reputable vendors who have type approved these with the NCC.

“We encourage Nigerians to visit the NCC website www.ncc.gov.ng for a list of typed approved handsets and terminal devices. Our members are committed to the highest standards of safety of our operations and equipment and will at all times remain so committed,” they said, reassuring that there is absolutely no cause for alarm, since the IARC study merely calls for more investigations to provide further reassurance.

Remmy Nweke
ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D

Aladekomo emerges NCS President

The Group Managing Director of Chams Plc, Mr. Demola Aladekomo, last Friday, emerged the latest president of the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) in a keenly contested election at the just concluded 10^th NCS International conference, at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.

Aladekomo, took over from the immediate past president, Prof. Charles Uwadia a renowned scholar, whose two-term in office expired with the emergence of Aladekomo.

Speaking at the election which followed the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of NCC, the former president, Prof. Uwadia said he was fulfilled in positioning NCS on the right track within his tenure.

Astute entrepreneur, Aladekomo assuring in his response after being elected of determination to drive NCS to the next level of policy influencing and representation of the best interests of individual, especially the teaming youths members and corporate members in continuity of an improvement on the vision and actions of NCS fore bearers.

Notable for his many firsts and works in all aspects of modern computing and engineering, Aladekomo built the world largest cyber mall, notarised in the Guinness book of World Records and has worked on every major plastic/smart card based project in Nigeria.

Aladekomo’s corporate existence cuts across several top IT and non-IT outfits such as Managing Director / Founder Charms Plc; Director, Paymaster Nigeria Limited; Director, Hardware Networks Limited; Chairman, Card Centre Nigeria Ltd; Founder, Volunteer Corps (NGO) to mention but few.

Equally, he is a fellow, Computer Association of Nigeria turned NCS; fellow, Computer Professional Registration Council of Nigeria (CPN); Member, Nigeria Society of Engineers.

He holds a first degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Ife and a Masters from the University of Lagos (UNILAG) in that order.

Adewale Bankole in Abuja:

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Nigeria needs broadband policy – Ndukwe

The former executive vice chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, has canvassed for a broadband policy for the country.

Giving his keynote at a one-day Stakeholders conference and exhibition on the proposed re-launch of the Nigerian Communications Satellite (NigCOMSAT-1R), Ndukwe preside currently over the Open Media Group, on ‘Powering Nigeria’s Digital Economy by Enabling Wireless Broadband Technologies for the Last Mile,’ said that Nigeria needs broadband policy.

According to him, many countries of the world with high broadband penetration of today, got there by encouragement and provision of incentives for widespread broadband connective.

He also said that smart phones and tablets backed by broadband connections are becoming the essential things of life.

Nigeria, he said, requires much more than bail out stimulus than what was even released in the United States to boost satellite communications through granting of bail-out benefits by Hughes.

Equally, he said that Nigeria requires a broadband policy urgently to improve or at least maintain its position in the global Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).

“We also require to a consensus to achieve universal access,” he said, hence last mile deployments based on wireline infrastructure would need to be fine tuned.

Broadband, he said, would encourage the use of more smart phones and other more active tools, noting that there is expectation that some more cheap phones from China would impair the market share of smartphones and mobile handset manufacturers.

Dr Ndukwe described broadband as an enabler of improved communications, pointing out that broadband users’ currently is at 1.8 billion, expressing optimistic that by 2016, this would rise to 5 billion.

Welcoming guest to the conference, Managing Director, NigComSAT, Mr. Timassaniyu Ahmed-Rufai, said that the company has grown from small office to a major player in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector.

The idea, he said, was to take Nigeria to space and by 2004 when the adventure started it took four years, 2008 to get NigComSAT 1 satellite to be de-orbited due to solar array challenges, and the story has not been the same.

“It has been a long and tortuous journey to this day. Indeed, so many thought there was never a satellite. Others related to the reality with cautions optimism,” he said.

He further said that the replacement satellite, NigComSAT-1R has reached advanced stage of about 90 per cent and it’s being replaced at no cost to Nigeria.

NigComSAt, he said, is resolute to getting to the next level by providing a satellite platform that would be the pride of all Africans in general and Nigeria in particular.

Remmy Nweke, who was in Abuja
ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D

Touray tasks ECOWAS states on Internet Governance

African representative at the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), Dr. Katim Touray has tasked Africa, especially in the West Africa to ensure maximize interest in issues of Internet Governance region.

Touray made this call at the opening session of a three-day 4^th West African Internet Governance Forum (WAIGF) in Lagos.

He said at the event with the theme “Promoting the Multi-Stakeholder Model for Further Internet Development in Africa,” that African people should take interest in what is happening on the Internet and its governance.

According to him, this has become crucial in the face of the fact that non-active participation, mostly in the on-going various consultations globally.

“People need to take interest in what is happening on the internet and its governance, otherwise, whatever decision that is taken may not be favourable to you,” he warned.

Touray explained that the United States government through its National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), is currently reviewing the contract with ICANN, the global organisation charged with the administration of Internet.

Corroborating Touray, the chairperson of the WAIGF Consortium and spokesperson of Free and Open Source Software Foundation for Africa (FOSSFA) Ms Nnenna Nwakanma, urged African Internet community to explore the benefits of multi-stakeholders being championed by ICANN.

“Let us explore the benefits of multistakeholderism,” she said, stressing that Africans have a lot of respect and hope for Nigeria, attributing this to the population and resources as well as academia.

“Regional IGF is happening in all parts of Africa,” she said and lauded Nigeria for accepting to host WAIGF 2011.

“If you don't participate, you have to live by the decision of those who participate,” she said.

Countries across the world, she noted, are using the Internet for open governance and enthrone good governance as well as lots of development issues.

“We should see the present and use it to fashion the future instead of worrying much about the past issues; such as cyber crime and cost of connectivity,” she said.

Remmy Nweke

ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D

West African IGF opens in Lagos

All is now set for a three-day West Africa Internet Governance Forum (WAIGF) which commences in the centre of excellence, Lagos, today.

WAIGF 2011 focuses on “Promoting the Multi- stakeholder model, for further internet development in Africa.”

The forum tagged Nigeria 2011, according to the coordinator of the Local Organising Committee (LOC), Mr. Emmanuel Edet, would see participants coming across the continent of Africa and beyond.

Factually, he said, participants have begun to arrive for the event, which was last held in Dakar in 2010.

He explained that Nigeria emerged the host after a very highly contested hosting right exercise, stressing that the West Africa Internet Governance Forum (WAIGF) is a project that aims to promote Internet Governance issues in West Africa through a multi-stakeholder process.

He underscored the fact that Internet Governance is the development and application by governments, the private sector and civil society in their respective roles of shared principles, norms, rules, decision-making procedures, and programmes that shape the evolution and use of the Internet.

The WAIGF project, Edet said, is managed by a consortium led by the Free Software and Open Source Foundation for Africa (FOSSFA), which include African Network Information Center (AfriNic), Panos Institute West Africa (PIWA), the IISD, APC, ISOC and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The project has received support from the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA).

He pointed out that project runs in eight countries, namely Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Gambia, Senegal, Burkina Faso and Togo; even as the initiative plans activities like online discussions, surveys and national face to face forums.

ITRealms Online recalls that the West African Internet Governance Forum (WAIGF) consortium gave Nigeria the green light to host the sub-regional event on July this year.

Reaffirming this, a top member of the consortium, Ms Judy Okite stated in an electronic mail made available to ITRealms Online recently, noting that finally, a host country and venue for 2011 was selected.

Whereas congratulating Nigeria, for winning of the hosting right, she said that the 2011 WAIGF would be located in the commercial nerve centre of the nation, Lagos.

She also pointed out that following the selection of Nigeria to host WAIGF 2011, scheduled to be at one of the five star hotels in the city of Lagos, Okite revealed that the three-day event would last between July 27 and 29, next year.

She affirmed that the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) would be the host of the event in collaboration with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

As part of the hosting package, Nigeria is intended to cover the sponsorship for at least the accommodation of about 20 international guest participants.

This, she noted would include speakers and organizers, venue for the event; tea break and lunch for all participants on each day of the event; airport pick-up for all international participants; a cocktail dinner, interpreters for the event in addition to publicity for in local Nigeria media; and provision of conference materials for the participants.

Equally, ITRealms Online, gathered that WAIGF had in 2010 received support from the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA), which was hosted by Senegal tagged ‘Dakar 2010’ as the third edition of the regional meeting.

Noteworthy is that Nigeria and two other African countries contested for the hosting right of the West African Internet Governance Forum (WAIGF) in 2011 at the three-day WAIGF in Dakar, Senegal.

Other countries that contested alongside Nigeria for the hosting rights include Cote D’Ivoire and Sierra Leone.

Commenting on the contest, while announcing the contenders, top figure of the organizing consortium and chairperson, Free and Open Source Software Foundation for Africa (FOSSFA), Ms Nnenna Nwakanma, cautioned that WAIGF is not a mere government meeting but a multi-stakeholders’ forum.

WAIGF, she said, has moved away from being an event to being a project, hence the need to bid for its hosting rights.

Remmy Nweke
ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D