Juwah showcases Nigeria’s broadband potentials @ Mobile World’14

ITRealms

The Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Eugene Juwah, took advantage of the just concluded Mobile World Congress (MWC 2014) in Barcelona, Spain to showcase the broadband potentials in Nigeria, reports ITRealms.

Addressing the crème de la crème of the global telecom stakeholders at the session on Ministerial Programme in Barcelona, ITRealms gathered that Dr. Juwah x-rayed the potentials of Nigeria’s broadband programme.

ITRealms recalls that the Ministerial Programme session of the MWC in Barcelona, is seen as a rare privileged event where decisions makers, ministers, investors, service providers, global mobile providers among other top industry players share insights.

At this year’s programme, a session was dedicated to Nigeria and Dr. Juwah seized the opportunity to make a profound presentation to the world about what to expect in Nigeria, which is at the threshold of unleashing a broadband revolution that will impact the Nigerian nation and the African continent.

He told the audience that Nigeria is fast-tracking her knowledge economy and contributions of broadband to GDP growth will increase considerably.

“We have successfully completed the auction of the 2.3GHz Spectrum and we have outlined a number of programmes under the broadband infrastructure framework while licensing of infrastructure providers, tagged Infracos is about to begin,” he said

Equally, Dr. Juwah said that his commission has a mouthwatering offer for investors in the Nigerian broadband infrastructure deployment programme using the Open Access Broadband strategy with the planned licensing of InfraCos that will provide a national broadband network on a non-discriminatory, open access and price regulated basis to all service providers.

NCC, he maintained is creating enabling environment and incentives for the private sector to roll out broadband networks which will be a one-off incentive for last mile to be achieved.

“We will replicate the success we made in voice in broadband plan as we proceed on the journey. We are also going to license more retail services and encourage the operators where possible to extend fibre to homes and businesses on their own. Government is committed to providing incentives to winners of infrastructure licenses,” he said.

The InfraCo, according to him, would enjoy government support, hence would be getting funding from government to rollout nationwide broadband infrastructure.

“We are ready to provide subsidy to simplify entry. However, such a subsidy will come on the basis of milestones achieved to ensure that we are realistic in the venture,” he said.

Juwah recollected that the historical revolution of the voice communications in Nigeria, the nation will witness a boom the broadband segment of the business as NCC propelled in the voice segment. Stressing that for Nigeria to be part of the 21^st century knowledge economy, there is need to leverage on the potentials of broadband.

“We have done quite well in the voice segment, but taking a look at the data segment, our internet penetration rate currently is 32.9 per cent, our broadband penetration rate is 6.1 per cent, taking it to a higher speed broadband, this 6.1 per cent will disappear,” he explained.

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Etisalat group, Ericsson team up on networked society initiatives

ITRealms:

The  Etisalat Group in collaboration with Ericsson to boost its high-speed communications and video delivery networks using Ericsson’s innovative technologies and services to offer more citizens access to public services from any internet-enabled mobile device, anywhere and anytime, ITRealms reports.

This, ITRealms gathered was in recognition of the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) market transformation and the need to adopt the latest digital technologies to satisfy consumers.

Hence, Etisalat and Ericsson signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a new collaboration to enable a high-speed, responsive network, laying the foundation for next-generation infrastructure for m-government and smart city initiatives.

ITRealms also gathered that high-speed broadband connectivity is fundamentally changing the way people live, interact and do business; consumers expect access to information, entertainment and businesses with faster speeds.

Through this partnership, Etisalat Group will launch trials of innovative Ericsson technologies such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) Broadcast, Ericsson Radio Dot System, and Ericsson’s heterogeneous network solutions.

Mr. Hatem Bamatraf, Chief Technology Officer at Etisalat Group affirmed to ITRealms that over the years, Etisalat Group has demonstrated its ability to build and sustain the most advanced and innovative networks.

“Conducting such innovative trials is only the first step. This will pave the way for further collaborations and the eventual delivery of more advanced, reliable and faster broadband access to users across the region,” he said.

Additionally, ITRealms learnt that Etisalat will collaborate with Ericsson to roll out a mobile identity based service, and to explore opportunities for expanding these services across each of the countries Etisalat Group operates in.

Mobile identity, ITRealms said, is a key foundation for m-government, m-commerce and m-health services.

“The service allows subscribers to use their mobile identity securely via a one-click sign in, giving access to diverse applications, government services and websites, without the risk of being data-mined by the various ID providers,” Bamatraf hinted.

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ITU celebrates women’s change through ICTs

ITRealms:

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) celebrates the power of digital literacy to change women’s lives as it reaches target of ‘one million women trained worldwide’ reports ITRealms.

This year, ITU is commemorating this year’s International Women’s Day with theme: ‘Progress for all’ through ICTs.

Notable is that over one million disadvantaged women in 79 countries around the world are now benefiting from newly-acquired information and communication technology (ICT) skills thanks to a partnership between ITU, the UN specialized agency for ICTs, and Philippines-based NGO Telecentre.org Foundation.

ITRealms also reports that the Women’s Digital Literacy Campaign, launched in 2011 with a target of training one million women around the world, leveraged the combined reach of Telecentre.org Foundation’s global network of 100,000 telecentres worldwide and ITU’s 193 Member States and 700 private sector members.

The campaign reached its goal earlier this month with a total of 1,014,096 women trained in basic computer skills, through the efforts of 153 participating organizations and 20,000 telecentres around the world.

Myrna Padilla spent 20 years living away from her children earning a living as a domestic worker in Hong Kong. 

Now, back home in the Philippines, she uses her digital literacy skills to run her own graphic design business employing 20 staff – and all her children are getting a college education...watch Myrna talk about the power of technology skills to change a family’s destiny.

Obonyo ‘Molly’ Adhiambo couldn’t afford a college degree, and knew her options were limited – until a friend told her of a digital literacy training course being offered by youth-based organization Nairobits Trust…learn what Molly did with her new computer skills.

Yulia Korneyeva was 23 when she first learned to use ICTs at a telecentre. But like many young people hit by the economic crisis, she recently found herself out of work – and realized she lacked the proficiency to apply for the positions she wanted. Her future changed when she saw an advertisement for a free course entitled “Advanced Digital Literacy”… find out how Youlia’s training changed her life…

“The success of this joint campaign meshes perfectly with this year’s International Women’s Day theme of ‘equality for women is progress for all’, because training in today’s ICT systems is so often change that turns around the lives of unskilled and disadvantaged women and their families,” said ITU Secretary-General Dr Hamadoun I. Touré.

“Having the skills to use ICTs opens up new horizons and empowers women, both economically and culturally. In addition, offering digital skills to over one million women at grassroots level is helping reverse the paradigm whereby, in many countries, ICTs still most often benefit men more than women.”

Recent research by ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau estimates that there are 200 million fewer women online than men. Of the world’s 2.8 billion Internet users, 1.3 billion are women, compared with 1.5 billion men.

While the gap between male and female users is relatively small in OECD nations, it widens rapidly in poorer countries, where expensive, ‘high status’ ICTs like computers are often unaffordable for women at the bottom of the development pyramid. In the developing world overall, 16% fewer women than men are online, with even greater disparities in some regions; in sub-Saharan Africa, for example, ITU estimates that there are only half as many women connected as men.

A report issued last year by the Broadband Commission for Digital Development’s Working Group on Gender, led by UNDP Administrator Helen Clark, revealed that, around the world, women are coming online later and more slowly than men. It also showed that women are on average 21 per cent less likely to own a mobile phone – representing a mobile gender gap of 300 million, equating to US$13 billion in potential missed revenues for the mobile sector.

“With technology now widely recognized as a critical enabler for socio-economic development, the Women’s Digital Literacy Campaign has been key in reinforcing ITU’s global efforts to promote the digital inclusion of women in line with Millennium Development Goal 3 on gender equality,” said Brahima Sanou, Director of ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau, which initiated and led the Women’s Digital Literacy Campaign.

“Partnership is key in any undertaking, and what we have achieved so far under the Telecentre Women Digital Literacy Campaign is a testament to this. I, therefore, take this opportunity to thank ITU and all our partners in this campaign for accepting the challenge and for embracing this cause with so much fervour,” said Miguel Raimilla, Executive Director of Telecentre.org Foundation.

“We may have already reached our target, but the work doesn’t stop here. There is still so much more to be done out there, and the programme will definitely continue to empower women worldwide through ICT, in the hopes of inspiring change and ultimately bringing about the much needed results,” Raimilla said.

The campaign is just one element of ITU’s work in the field of gender empowerment through ICTs. Each year on the fourth Thursday in April, ITU and the global technology community celebrate ‘Girls in ICT Day’, an international awareness-raising initiative launched by ITU in 2010 to promote tech careers to a new generation of girls with an interest in science and maths.

Since its inception in 2010, the day has been gaining huge momentum around the world, with 2,700 events organized in 121 countries for an outreach of more than 70,000 girls and young women. Event organizers are gearing up for a big celebration on 24 April this year: stakeholders are encouraged to contact girlsinict@itu.int to let the ITU team know their plans.

ITU has also developed a range of digital literacy training materials designed to be used in school-based community centres and multi-purpose telecentres by women, indigenous peoples, and persons with disabilities. 

In addition to providing basic ICT literacy, the materials show trainees how ICTs can be used to support a range of economic activities such as handicrafts, agro-tourism and agriculture. Training materials can be accessed here.

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OAU to host EduNet 2014 on Fostering Tech enterpreneurship

ITRealms:

The 4^th Edition of Education Network Conference (EduNet 2014) would be hosted by the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Centre of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) and the Institute for Entrepreneurship Development Studies of the same institute in Partnership with Tel Aviv University Entrepreneurship Centre (StarTAU), Israel, reports ITRealms.

Managing Director, Emerging Media, the organizers of EduNet, Mr. Kenneth Omeruo, told correspondent that 2014 edition will be on under the theme: Fostering Technology Entrepreneurship in Nigerian Universities and has been planned to hold between May 20 and 22.

He also said that the three-day event will examine issues around building Technology Entrepreneurship Ecosystem within the Nigerian University Community with key examples from the Israel Technology and Innovation Ecosystem.

“We are happy to host this year’s EduNet Conference at the ICT Centre of the University,the idea of fostering Technology Entrepreneurship in Nigeria is key to economic development of the country.That is why our centre will be playing key roles in the conference” Prof Adeshola Aderounmu, Director ICT centre of Obafemi Awolowo University.

Oren Simanian, Founder of Tel Aviv University Entrepreneurship Centre and his team from Israel will lead discussions on How Nigeria can create Technology Entrepreneurship Ecosystem with lessons from Israel (Start-up Nation).

“Our Entrepreneurship development centre in Tel Aviv University has contributed greatly to the development of the entrepreneurship and the Startup ecosystem in TelAviv, Israel and so we are happy to partner with Nigerian Institutions to help share ideas and develop the ecosystem in Nigeria bearing in mind the triangle of innovation around the world is held together by the cooperative endeavor of the government, the academic community, and the Technology Industry. We see EduNet 2014 as a great platform to start off such discussions”Oren Simanian,Founder Tel Aviv University Entrepreneurship Centre(StarTAU),Israel.

“This year, having seen the need for Nigerian universities to lead in the development of technology entrepreneurship in Nigeria, the 4^th edition ofEduNet conference now has a new task hence the focus this year is on building Technology Entrepreneurship/incubation centres to foster entrepreneurship in Nigeria” Kenneth Omeruo, Coordinator EduNet 2014.

For Omeruo, in order to start off discussions around the building of these tech centres in Nigerian Universities, EduNet 2014 hosted by the ICT centre and the Institute for Entrepreneurship Development studies of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, will provide the platform for discussions with the Government, ICT directors of Nigerian Universities, Regulatory authorities of the Nigerian Universities, Funding/partnering organizations and the Technology industry in Nigeria in collaboration with Tel Aviv University Entrepreneurship Centre (StarTAU)Israel and the Israel Startup Network.

Presentations and Panel discussions will be focused on “Accessing the state of Technology Entrepreneurship in Nigerian universities with a view of proffering strategies and solutions for Technnovation in Nigeria; Building Entrepreneurial Ecosystem: The Israeli ''Start Up Nation'' story; The role of government in fostering Technology Entrepreneurship in Nigerian Universities,” among others.

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Ekhomu bags Security Pioneer award

ITRealms

Celebrated security expert and Chairman, Trans-World Security, Dr. Ona Ekhomu, has been honoured by the Port Harcourt Chapter of ASIS International (American Society for Industrial Security) for his outstanding pioneering efforts in Nigeria’s security industry, ITRealms.

The Assistant Regional Vice President of ASIS International, Mrs. Elizabeth Yakubu, confirmed to ITRealms that Ekhomu was bestowed with the prestigious Security Pioneer award on last February 2014, during the ASIS Port Harcourt Chapter two-day International Security Conference held at the Hotel Presidential, Port Harcourt.

Mrs. Yakubu who also chaired the conference organizing committee described Dr. Ekhomu as a distinguished security expert who became the first chartered security professional in West Africa when he obtained the Certified Protection Professional  (CPP) designation in September 2000.

Ekhomu who is also known as the first Nigerian to achieve the Quarter Century designation of ASIS International since January 2011, is the Chairman, School of Management and Security as well as President, Association of Industrial Security and Safety Operators of Nigeria (AISSON).

Before now, he held the positions at various capacities including ASIS International: Member of the IDG of the Professional Certification Board (2009); Regional Vice President - West and Central Africa (2002 – 2007); Chairman of ASIS Nigeria Chapter 1999 – 2001; Vice Chairman of ASIS Nigeria Chapter (1997), Programme Chairman of ASIS Nigeria Chapter, (1995 – 1996), Membership Chairman of ASIS Nigeria Chapter (1995) and Chairman of Chapter Launch Committee (1994).

A native of Irrua, Edo State, Ekhomu aged 58 received the Doctor of Philosophy degree with a specialization in Policy Management from the University of Pittsburghin 1985. He is the author of Effective Personal and Corporate Security (2009) a seminal book in security awareness.He recently co-authored a book with Solomon E. Arase and others titled: National Security: Intelligence and Community Partnership Approach (2013).

From 2005 to 2010, he authored a weekly newspaper column entitled “Red Alert” in the Punch Newspaper. He currently writes a weekly column by the same caption “RED Alert” in ThisDay Newspaper.

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Pix: Dr. Ona Ekhomu,

Adenuga is centenary entrepreneur par excellence

ITRealms:

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan at the weekend on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria awarded the Chairman of Nigeria's national telecoms operator, Globacom, Dr. Mike Adenuga Jnr for entrepreneurial excellence, as part of the activities marking the nation’s centenary, reports ITRealms.

Dr. Adenuga was bestowed with the prestigious award in the category of ‘Accomplished Contemporary Entrepreneurs’ Friday night at the grand finale of the celebrations of the centenary anniversary organized to mark 100 years of the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern protectorates of Nigeria.

ITRealms gathered that the Federal Government had as part of his citation described Adenuga as a distinguished entrepreneur and renowned employer of labour in Nigeria.

99 other eminent Nigerians were honored at the event in various categories ranging from "Contributors to the Making of Nigeria" to "Heroes of the Struggle for Nigeria's Independence/Pioneer Political leaders", "Pioneers in Professional Callings/Careers", "Pioneers in Commerce and Industry", "Promoters of Democracy in Nigeria", "Heroes in Global Sports Competition", "Accomplished Pioneer Public Servants", "Accomplished Contemporary Entrepreneurs", "Distinguished Academics", "Internationally  Acclaimed Artists, Literary Icons and Journalists," "Outstanding Bravery and Public Spiritedness", "Outstanding Promoters of Unity, Patriotism and National Development" and "Exemplary Service in the Promotion of Peace and Moral Excellence".

The awardees were officially given their awards at the Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja.

Dr. Adenuga, who is also the Chairman of the Mike Adenuga Group, has been variously recognized for his exploits in the business world, his commitment to philanthropy and local empowerment, and for his passion for the growth and development of the Nigerian economy. 

At different times, he has been honoured by the Federal Republic of Nigeria with the National Award of the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON), Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) and Grand Commander of the Order of Nigeria (GCON), the highest individual honour for a private citizen in the country.

During Nigeria’s 50th anniversary celebration, Dr. Adenuga received ‘Special Golden Jubilee Independence Anniversary Awards’ from the Federal Government, being among 50 pre-eminent Nigerians whose contributions in various fields of human endeavor had helped to move the nation forward.

ITRealms recalls that in 2010, Thisday readers voted him ‘Nigeria’s most outstanding business personality in the last 50 years’. In an online poll conducted by the newspaper, the chairman of Globacom polled 4272 votes to edge out Alhaji Aliko Dangote who scored 4156.

Dr. Adenuga has made indelible marks in strategic sectors of the economy, which includes oil and gas, telecoms, aviation, banking and real estate, making him one of the most famous names on the African continent. 

His telecommunications company, Globacom, is one of the most innovative networks in Africa, with presence in Nigeria, Ghana, Benin Republic and footprints in Senegal, Gambia and Cote d’Ivoire. 

In 2010, his telecoms firm commissioned its international submarine cable, Glo 1, providing a solution to the long-standing problem of insufficient internet bandwidth in Africa. The attendant international connectivity helped to usher Nigeria into an era of enhanced connectivity. 

In 2003, Globacom introduced per second billing when other telecom operators said it was impossible, and crashed the price of SIM to as low as N100, leading to an era of productive competition and the much talked about telecom revolution in Nigeria. The network also pioneered such revolutionary products as Blackberry, mobile internet and mobile banking services in Nigeria.

In the oil and gas sector, Dr. Adenuga’s Conoil Plc is one of the largest and most profitable oil marketing companies in Nigeria.  Conoil Producing, the downstream arm of the conglomerate, made history by becoming the first Nigerian company to strike oil and produce it in commercial quantity in 1991. 

In banking, one of Dr. Adenuga’s banks, Equitorial Trust Bank (ETB) was one of the few banks that met the N25billion capital requirement during the 2005 banking consolidation exercise without going to the stock market. ETB merged with Devcom Bank, also owned by Dr. Adenuga and later Sterling Bank, which is today one of the foremost banks in Nigeria.

Dr. Adenuga also has a multi-billion dollar investment in real estate.

His companies provide direct employment to thousands of workers and millions of others indirectly.

Globacom is the biggest supporter of football in Africa and has raised the profile of football in Nigeria with the sponsorship of the Glo Premier League and all the national football teams of the country. 

The company has so far spent over N9 billion in cash and kind on Nigerian football. It has also transformed the annual CAF Awards and made it the most glamorous sports event on the continent. CAF has awarded Adenuga the Pillar of Football in Africa for his strong support for African Football at both national and continental levels. 

Dr. Adenuga was born in 1953, in Ibadan. He attended the famous Ibadan Grammar School, in Oyo State, Nigeria, for his secondary education and studied Business Administration at Northwestern State University, Alva Oklahoma, in the United States. He also earned a Master’s degree at Pace University, New York, majoring in Business Administration with emphasis on Marketing. He holds an honorary doctorate degree conferred on him by the Ogun State University.

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Pix: Dr Mike Adenuga, chairman, Globacom.

Efe Nathan, gospel singer to release I Declare verse 2

ITRealms:

Gospel Soul Singer, Efe Nathan has concluded plans to release into the market her latest in stock of ‘I Declare’ part 2.

ITRealms gathered that this is the second coming of ‘I Declare’ as she had in 2011 kept the gospel scene beehive with her ‘I Declare’ in the album titled “A New Level”.

Sources close to singer and Sh! Entertainment told ITRealms that there have been whisperings about what Efe has been up to, but alas, she is finally ready to hit the stage once again.

“Efe has been in the studio cooking up a medley that does what she is gifted to do best… transport your soul into quiet worship and dance, all at once,” our source told ITRealms.

Further, ITRealms gathered that in 2011, Efe released I Declare, in the album titled ‘A New Level’ released in the same year.

“Now we wonder what Efe has done to this soulful worship song, as the countdown begins towards its remix premiere across Nigeria, West Africa and beyond,” our source declared.

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Pix: Efe Nathan, gospel singer.

Qualcomm join forces with Etisalat, NPHCDA, 3 others on CliniPAK360 for child health

ITRealms:

Qualcomm has joined forces with five organizations for the improvement of maternal and child health in Nigeria, tagged CliniPAK360 Mobile Health Application, reports ITRealms.

It was gathered by ITRealms that the collaboration was on development and deploy wireless of electronic medical record system to reduce the country's high maternal and infant mortality rate.

Happening at the ongoing Mobile World Congress, ITRealms learnt that Qualcomm Incorporated, through its Wireless Reach initiative partnered Vecna Cares Charitable Trust, the nonprofit arm of Vecna Technologies; InStrat Global Health Solutions, a turnkey health care solutions provider; Etisalat Nigeria, a Nigerian telecommunications operator; Nigeria’s National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), a part of the Federal Ministry of Health; and Evidence for Action, a campaign to ensure Africa’s mothers and babies survive pregnancy and childbirth, teamed up to develop and deploy a wireless, Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system for clinics throughout three states within the NPHCDA.

ITRealms reports that this brings about a paperless, mobile patient registry to midwives throughout rural Nigeria.

The CliniPAK360 project, ITRealms gathered, is aimed at reducing the country’s high maternal and infant mortality rates.

ITRealms recalls that Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country and has maternal and infant mortality rates that are among the world’s highest.

For instance, the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) estimates in The World Factbook that Nigeria experienced approximately 630 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in 2010 and approximately 73 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2013.

In comparison, the maternal death rate in developed countries is approximately nine per 100,000.

Further, ITRealms reports that currently, NPHCDA midwives record patient data in paper notebooks and Regional Health Officers travel to the clinics to review the reports for accuracy.

According to Country Manager, Qualcomm for West Africa, Mr. Alex Dadson this will lighten the burden and increase accuracies and efficiencies, whereas the Wireless Reach-funded project features a cloud-based electronic medical record system based on Vecna Cares’ CliniPAK software and 3G-enabled tablets powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon processors to streamline and automate the in-field data capture and reporting process and help improve health outcomes.

He explained that as part of the project, each midwife uses a tablet to record patient data at the point of care.

“The data is transmitted wirelessly via Etisalat’s 3G mobile network to the CliniPAK central server, which aggregates and synchronizes the data with clinic-based CliniPAK units,” he said.

Remmy Nweke

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Glo, Bitflux slug it out at 2.3GHz auction

ITRealms:

All is now set for the anticipated 2.3 Gega Hertz (GHz) auction by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and between Globacom Limited and Bitflux Communications Ltd in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, reports ITRealms.

The auction which is expected to be a tight rope for both bidding companies has garnered international attention as investors continue to watch in earnest how NCC under the leadership of Dr. Eugene Juwah can executive this test on Wednesday, February 19 through 20 at the Transcorp Hilton Abuja.

ITRealms also gathered that several industry watchers have already began to fault the guidelines which availed the likes of Globacom Ltd led by Otunba Mike Adenuga; a second national carrier to enter the competition despite the avalanche of licenses in its kitty.

Whereas ITRealms learnt that Bitflux Communications Ltd is a brainchild of VDT Communications Limited and reputed for its broadband reseller records led by Mr. Abiodun Omoniyi.

However, it was further gathered by ITRealms that invariably the duo who could be described as last companies standing for this auction may have met the stipulated guidelines by NCC.

ITRealms recalls that NCC had earlier announced the two approved bidders of 2.3 GHz frequency spectrum auction, saying its in line with the terms of the information memorandum published on the 2.3GHz spectrum auction by the Commission.

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ICANN board rectifies NGPC resolutions

ITRealms:

The board of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has rectified the resolution of the New Generic Top Level Domain (gTLD) Programme Committee (NGPC), reports ITRealms.

The Board also reaffirms to ITRealms, its rationale for resolutions 2012.04.10.01-2012.04.10.04, stating in order to have efficient meetings and take appropriate actions with respect to the New gTLD Programme for the current round of the programme and as related to the Applicant Guidebook.

According to the Board, it has decided to create the "New gTLD Programme Committee" in accordance with Article XII of the Bylaws and has delegated decision making authority to the Committee as it relates to the New gTLD Programme for the current round of the programme which commenced in January 2012 and for the related Applicant Guidebook that applies to this current round.

ITRealms equally gathered that establishing the NGPC without conflicted members, and delegating to it decision making authority, has provided some distinct advantages, including helping eliminate any uncertainty for conflicted Board members with respect to attendance at Board meetings and workshops since the New gTLD Programme topics could be dealt with at the Committee level.

Further, ITRealms reports NGPC chaired by Cherine Chalaby has provided the community with a transparent view into the Board's commitment to dealing with actual, potential or perceived conflicts.

ITRealms it was learnt that the Board Governance Committee (BGC) Subcommittee for Conflicts & Ethics on new gTLDs initially evaluated all board members' statements of interest relating to new gTLDs when the membership of the NGPC was first established.

The Subcommittee ITRealms reports, continued to review new Board members' new gTLD related statements of interest and any changes in previously made statements of interest for the purposes of determining if any Board member including voting Directors and no-voting Liaisons, has an actual, potential or perceived conflict of interest such they should not be a member of the NGPC.

ITRealms recalls that when the Subcommittee first evaluated the statements of interest, Steve Crocker, ICANN board chairman, was determined to be conflicted, but due to his recently reported some changes to his statement of interest relating to new gTLDs and the Subcommittee has thoroughly evaluated those changes.

“The Subcommittee has determined the Steve Crocker is no longer generally conflicted as it relates to new gTLDs. As such, the Subcommittee has recommended that Dr. Crocker be made a voting member of the NGPC. The Board agrees,” part of the resolution made available to ITRealms read.

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Pix: Cherine Chalaby, Chairman NGPC