The Nation Newspaper

Category: Infotech

  • Samsung unveils S9 UHD TV

    Samsung Electronics West Africa has introduced its latest Ultra High Definition (UHD) TV, the S9, into the Nigerian market. The product was unveiled to the media Thursday in Lagos.

    The TV set is housed within a minimal, freestanding metal frame that allows it to rotate freely and appear to float in mid-air. The 85-inch S9 is the world’s largest UHD TV and offers four times the pixels available on other smart TVs in the market. The product is already on sale at Samsung stores and accredited dealers nationwide.

    Speaking at the formal unveiling, Managing Director, Samsung Electronics West Africa, Mr. Brovo Kim, said, “Picture quality, advanced features and modern design are all areas in which consumers are steadily demanding more from their TVs. At Samsung, we are meeting these demands with our 2013 Smart TVs, which offer effortless and intuitive ways for our consumers to discover and share more of the content they love. The S9 comes complete with features to ensure the best picture quality possible, regardless of video source, towards creating the ultimate lean back experience for our consumers.”

    He also unveiled its innovative kitchen technology, the Samsung T9000 Refrigerator, a 32-cubic feet capacity four-door refrigerator that can be switched from fridge to freezer mode whenever the need arises. The T9000 refrigerator features a 19.4 cubic feet capacity french-door refrigerator compartment on top, and a 6.1 cubic feet compartment on the lower right side, providing an extraordinary 25 cubic feet of fresh food storage.

  • Operators reject NCC’s June 30 deadline for sim registration

    Telecoms operators have kicked against the plan of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to stop the registration of subscriber identification module (Sim) cards on June 30.

    They claimed that the deadline amounts to putting the cart before the horse.

    The Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) said it would not end the exercise.

    The group’s Chairman, Gbenga Adebayo, said: “Given the reality of what we face today, you know we have had significant disruption in our activities in some parts of the country, which has also affected the movement of persons and business activities. So, circumstances in the last three or four months haven’t really helped situation as it were. Therefore, readiness, as we have today, I can say to you is not 100 per cent.”

    According to him, disconnecting subscribers on the network is improper, adding that the regulator should show leadership and direction by first coming clean with information about the integrity of the data it gathered too in the course of the exercise.

    “I think what the NCC itself should do is to provide a direction of the data base it has registered. Recall that we did some part and NCC also did some part. So, if NCC is putting the deadline of 30th of June, I think also situation demand that NCC should give a declaration of the readiness or integrity of the data it has recorded over the period before putting a blanket disconnection order on service providers.

    ‘’So, for me, I think before we go out to say subscribers that are unregistered should be disconnected, I think we should embark on data clean up where there will be integration of data registered by the operators and those registered by the regulator and after the outcome of that, we can take a decision either to disconnect or not. But as it is today, it will appear that NCC is sitting on its own data, no one knows the integrity of the data it has collated. We haven’t done harmonisation of the data collected by them and by us and (the NCC) is coming to give June deadline, I think there is need to review the decision again,” he said.

    On what the operators have invested in the exercise, he said it was premature to begin to speak on the exercise that gave a whopping National Assembly budgetary approval of N6.1 billion to the NCC.

    “May be when we come to the end of the exercise will be the time to talk about how much we have spent. Don’t forget that works are still ongoing,” he said.

    But the NCC has said total number of registered subscribers will only be available when the exercise ends this month end. Director, Public Affairs, NCC, Tony Ojobo, told The Nation that all the operators are expected to forward their data to the NCC. “NCC ha stopped SIM reg but the operators are still doing it.

    They are still compiling data which they will send to the NCC at the end of the exercise,” he said.

    South Africa, the home of MTN, spent $119 million on SIM reg that ended June 30, 2011. While the MTN Group spent 250 million rand (about $37.10 million) on marketing and news staff, Vodacom and Cell C spent between 300 and 400 rands.

  • Agency explains why Glo’s base station was shut

    THE National Environmental Standards Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has explained why it shut a base transmission station (BTS) belonging to Globacom.

    The BTS was shut because Glo failed to comply with the procedures for the BTS erection, NESREA said.

    A NESREA official said in a telephone interview with The Nation, that the agency took the decision as a last resort. It said it had in the last three months warned the operator to produce a site-specific Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in line with the provisions of the EIA ACT of 1992, but the operator refused. The affected BTS is located in Dandur in Lantang North Local Government Area of Plateau State.

    “The agency also issued Abatement Notice to Glo, but the telco failed to respond. We were also receiving complaints from people living in the area, so we have no choice but to move and shut down the BTS. We intervened to protect the residents of the area,” he said.

    Asked if the development will not further compound the poor service in the industry, he said NESREA should not be held responsible for any further decline in service quality, adding that the operators were having problems with service quality because they had bitten more than they could chew.

    On whether the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) was carried before swooping on the site, he said the two agencies were working together.

    But an official of the NCC, who spoke on condition of anonymity, denied knowledge of NESREA’s action. The official, who refused to be named, said the agency should be contacted for comments.

    President of the National Association of Telecoms Subscribers (NATCOMS), Deolu Ogunbanjo, had alleged that NESREA took the laws into its hands by swooping on the facility.

    “NESREA is also over exploiting the humility of both the Minister of Communication Technology and the President, he said.

    “The NCC is the regulatory body by law, charged with the responsibility of regulating telecommunications & ICT in Nigeria and should be left alone to do its job.

  • ‘Computer Society’s honours not for highest bidder’

    President of the Nigerian Computer Society (NCS) Sir Demola Aladekomo has said its honours and awards are not for the highest bidder. He said the honours and awards are given on merit and distinguished service to the industry and the nation.

    He spoke when the society inducted the Chairman of Visafone Communications Limited, Jim Ovia, into its hall of Fellows in Lagos.

    The Honorary Fellowship, he said, was bestowed on Ovia for his outstanding contributions to the development of the information communication technology (ICT) industry.

    According to him, as founder and pioneer group chief executive officer of Zenith Bank, Ovia deployed information technology (IT) tools in facilitating the bank’s operations.

    “As founder of Zenith Bank Plc and former group CEO of the bank, he introduced a great deal of technology-driven innovations into the banking industry. Being the first president of the Nigerian Internet Group (NIG), he is not only an avid IT promoter, but has also invested massively in Nigeria’s technology sector.

    “He is the promoter and founder of Visafone Communications Limited and has led several national IT -related initiatives, such as the Nigerian Software Development Initiative (NSDI), the National Information Technology Advisory Council (NITAC) and the National Broadband Committee. He is also the founder of Youth Empowerment through ICT,” he said.

    Responding, Ovia said he felt elated by the award, adding that he saw it more as a call to service. He pledged to promote and mentor the growth and development of the youth to assist them in using software and hardware, adding that nothing can be done without computer.

  • Firm unfolds roadmap for IT market

    Cyberoam has unfolded its strategy for expansion.

    The firm organised a forum attended by its partners and was a mix of leading VARs, Resellers and MSSPs.

    The event included educational keynote, expert presentations and award ceremonies followed by a dinner. Partners were cited for their valuable and consistent contribution.

    While highlighting last year’s successful growth figures and the new market acquisition, Cyberoam said it will strengthen its footprints with an inclusive roadmap strategy for expansion in view of emerging business opportunities.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • How Nigeria can grow IT adoption

    Nigeria is trailing South Africa in the adoption of Information Technology (IT), an expert has said. According to Michelle Bulbring, adoption of IT is low in Nigeria compared with that of South Africa.

    Bulbring, who is the Regional Manager, Africa, Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) of eBeam, said Nigeria’s adoption capacity is lower that that of South Africa.

    Speaking at the sealing of a deal with Technology Distribution Limited (TDL) in Lagos, she said the country has huge market with high prospect for growth, adding that the country will overtake South Africa in the next two or three years if the right things are done.

    According to her, development cannot be achieved if IT adoption is not increased and made to permeate the different strata of the economy, especially the education sector.

    According to her, with the eBeam ineractive technology solution, teaching and learning can be achieved in compelling lessons that excite the children and create enthusiasm for learning.

    She adds that a company executive can host a meeting that allows everyone to contribute, no matter where they are, up to 25 locations.

    “eBeam systems recognise that schools and businesses often have tight budgets, therefore, the solutions can be used on the projectors and white boards that you already own or on the wall in the absence of a white board,” she added.

    She said the systems are designed to bring interactivity to the environment with relevant solutions that will work.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • NCC canvasses local IT training for ex-militants

    THE Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has got the greenlight to train some former militants for re-integration into the society.

    The training will be at NCC’s Digital Bridge Institute (DBI) in Oshodi, Lagos.

    Vice President of the Institute, Dr Okechukwu Ugweje told The Nation when the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Communications Technology, Dr Henry Akpan, visited the institute’s Oshodi, Lagos Campus. He said there was no further need to take people under the Amnesty Programme who desire training in any field of information communication technology (ICT) to other parts of the world when the facilities, competence and capability to do so are available at home.

    “The Federal Government is training a lot of people as part of the Amnesty Programme. Some people were even sent overseas for training. We believe that instead of going overseas, we can train here in Nigeria and we have facilities here at the DBI to train the amnesty people in ICT. Anything that is related to ICT, anything that is related to film, cinema and cinematography and anything related to computers. They can do the training in Nigeria instead of taking Nigerians to other countries. We have more than enough facilities here at DBI. We also have the capability. That is why I said we are prepared for such training,” Ugweje said.

    Though he said the number of ex-militants that would be trained was not known, an official of DBI said some thousands of the militants are expected in batches in Lagos. “So many of the ex-militants will be trained here, but for a start, some 300 will be trained in the first batch while the second batch will accommodate the same numbers. We hope the Federal Government will continue with the training,” he said on condition of anonymity.

    Akpan expressed satisfaction with the state of facilities in the campus, adding that they will help train the crop of ICT entrepreneurs that will move the country to the next level.

    “DBI has changed the aesthetics of the structure. DBI will provide opportunity for the youth to learn and reduce poverty and restiveness. We are interested in knowing how soon we will be converting the structure to use,” Apkan said.

    Ugweje said the institution has patnered both local and international universities to deliver internationally acceptable curriculum to the people that pass through it. “We already have partners. We have partnered with Nigerian universities, we have international partners in ICT. In fact, partnership is one of the strengths of the DBI vcos. We partner with a lot of institutions in the US, Europe, as well as universities in Nigeria. We have been doing that. We shall continue to do this. I don’t want to start naming the universities because they may not have direct relevance to the amnesty ptogramme. The amnesty programme is coming up anytime from now,” he added.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Why local content failed, by NITDA

    WHY has the local content policy not made an impact? It is because of the government’s inability to convince its ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to patronise local software and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

    Director-General, National Technology Development Agency (NTDA), Prof Cleopas Anagaye, said these OEMs lacked capacity, throughput and performance analyses.

    He spoke at a forum by the Pan African University, Lekki, Lagos entitled: Role of ICT in the transformation agenda in job creation.

    He said when the directive to partonise the OEMs was issued in 2006 during Obasanjo administration, the aim was to grow the local OEMs for job creation.

    But one of the local OEMs, Beta Computers, described the allegations as baseless, insisting that none of the factories of the local OEMs is running above 25 per cent.

    Its Managing Director,Will Anyaegbunam, said the MDAs misinformed the NITDA chief, adding that the mentality to keep patronising foreign brands and inability to monitor and sanction erring MDAs are responsible for the situation.

    “Seven years down the line, another directive was issued last year. Let the MDAs come out and say, ‘We gave this OEM jobs to do, but it could not meet up with quality and schedule of delivering the job.’ They keep advertising foreign brands in their offices.

    “As for support, they are talking balderdash. NITDA should monitor and sanction them. Toyota, IBM and other world class manufacturers have had causes to recall goods already in the market. NITDA is a technology development agency. It should help in developing OEMs,” he said.

    Angaye said the ‘directive’ required that they should patronise indigenous software and computers. He insisted that no sooner had the directive been implemented than the MDAs, especially, public institutions, started complaining.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • ASUS Fonepad for launch

    Technology firm, ASUS, said the ASUS Fonepad, will soon be launched in Africa.

    According to a statement, it is the first Android tablet that runs the new Intel processor and is a budget-friendly option in the market, adding that it was built upon the successes of the ASUS 7″ Android tablet range.

    The Fonepad brings real voice capabilities to a tablet, incorporating all phone and tablet functions into a single device, the firm added.

    Regional Director of Asus Africa, Shawn Cheng, said the continent is central to its business. “Africa is a priority market and ASUS Africa will release all their new products at the same time with other markets. Users will now be able to enjoy the ASUS quality and value without the wait,” he said.

    The Asus Fonepad will have the new 1.2GHz Intel Atom processor Z2420. This processor was specifically designed by Intel for smartphone and tablet devices.

    Intel Country Manager for West Africa, Ekundare Olubunmi, said: “Extending our long history of collaboration, including most recently on the ultrabook and Intel-based tablets, we are very excited on our continued collaboration with ASUS.

    “The new Intel Atom processor Z2420 delivers the power, performance and flexibility required to accommodate a range of devices and market needs. We think the ASUS Fonepad is a very innovative device in an emerging category of 3G tablets with telephony features.”

     

     

     

  • Can NCC halt MTN’s dominance?

    Can NCC halt MTN’s dominance?

    About one month ago, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) directed telecom gaint MTN, which it described as the dominant operator, to take steps to ensure a level-playing field in the industry. It threatened to impose price caps on wholesale leased lines and transmission. While MTN is yet to comply, analysts doubt if NCC will walk the talk, writes LUCAS AJANAKU.

     

    Then the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) declared two mobile operators as the dominant players in the telecommunications market and promised to take steps to protect subscribers and other operators, the public welcomed the move.

    Those who praised the NCC’s action recalled the days of the former state-run, Nigerian Telecommunication Limited (NITEL) and its mobile subsidiary, MTEL, which monopoly was to the detriment of the industry.

    Whereas there were only about 5,000 lines in the days of NITEL, today there are more than 113 million lines. NCC said there is need to ensure fair play. So, in June last year, in exercise of its power to “ensure fair competition in all sectors of the communications industry” vide section 1 (e) of its Act, it embarked on a Study of the Assessment of the Level of Competition in the Industry.

    KPMG Professional Services was in the same month engaged to carry out a Study on Assessment of the Current Level of Competition in the industry, having undertaken a similar study for the Commission in 2005. For the study, the market was segmented into mobile voice market, fixed voice market, mobile data market and upstream market.

    “The mobile voice market is not effectively competitive and is still highly concentrated with an HHI of 3063. MTN has a 44 per cent market share of subscribers within this market. There is also a wide differential (of about 300 per cent) between on net and off net calls and this is indicative of the likely establishment of a calling club for MTN subscribers,” the report said.

    In the fixed voice market, it said though Starcomms (with about 33 per cent market share of subscribers) has the highest market share within the fixed voice market, it is not considered to have significant market power in this market as it has consistently lost market share over the past three years. The fixed voice market has been on the decline since 2008 and has lost 70 per cent of its market over that period while in the mobile data market, the report noted that it accounts for 99 per cent data market.

    “The GSM operators lead this market segment. The major competition concern is that the wholesale providers of bulk bandwidth also play in the retail mobile data market and potentially stifle competition in this market. The study, however, concluded that no operator is dominant within the mobile data market,” it added.

    In the upstream market, MTN and Glo control about 62 per cent of the public terrestrial transmission infrastructure, which is a bottleneck resource in the provision of voice and data services. There are concerns that operators playing in the wholesale and retail sub segments of these markets have the leverage to “squeeze” the margins of their competitors who are also their customers.

    In view of these, the NCC resolved that the Dominant Operator in the mobile voice market shall be required to certain obligations, which incude accounting separation, collapse of on net and off net retail tariffs and submission of required details.of operations from time to time as the need arises. “The Commission shall make a determination of pricing principle to address the rate charges for on-net and off-net calls for all other operators,” NCC added.

    In the wholesale leased lines and transmission capacity market, which are dominated by Glo and MTN, NCC said they shall be required to adhere to the obligations of price cap/price floor, accounting separation, and submission of required details.

    NCC said all these would take effect from “May 1, 2013 and remain valid and binding on licencees for the services specified in relevant market segment of this sector until further reviewed by the commission.”

    Analysts have faulted the attempt of the NCC to cap the price in the wholesale and transmission sector. “How do you regulate what you do not own? This is the major problem with the deregulation of the downstream oil sector. The government said it deregulated and issued licences to people to build refineries and insisted in capping the price of the finished products. That is why no private enterpreneur is jumping at the offer,” a sector analyst said on condition of anonymity.

    “MTN should, among others, collapse on-net and off-net retail tariffs immediately. MTN booster weekly prepaid charge, for instance, offers MTN-to-MTN calls at 10 kobo per second; while subscribers are charged 150 per cent more – 25 kobo per second – for calls to other networks. At 30 kobo per second for calls from the second minute till the rest of the day, “MTN Super Saver off-net call rates are exploitative. There is a huge difference of 200 per cent as it charged 10 kobo per second for on-net calls,” a subscriber lamented.

    But the General Manager, Public Affairs, MTN, Funmi Omogbenigun, concedes the power to regulate tariffs to NCC. She, however, added that the telco was in talks with the regulator on the market dominance.

    “By law, NCC must approve tariffs; as such, we are in discussion with the NCC. We are also discussing the implementation with the NCC, to ensure that their directive is implemented in a manner that causes the least possible negative impact on our customers, if any,” she said.

    Glo’s Talk-Free pre-paid package, on-net calls cost 15 kobo per second and 18 kobo per second for off-net calls. On Glo Hi-Flier and G-BAM Hi 5ive, subscribers enjoy the same 18 kobo per second charge to any network within Nigeria. But subscribers say it charges 10 kobo per second for on-line calls on Glo Gista, but 30 kobo per second for off-net calls, while Glo 1derful rates for voice calls are 15 kobo per second for on-net calls and 25 kobo off-net. These, they argue, is also exploittative.

    Airtel has 2good Classic and Airtel Club 10, among other packages. For the former, voice calls have a flat rate of 18 kobo per second for calls to all national destinations, irrespective of the network. Airtel Club 10 requires subscribers to register 10 Airtel lines of family, friends or associates which would then enable calls to be made at 8.34 kobo per second. Calls to other Airtel numbers on this package cost 20 kobo per second on-net and 30 kobo per second off-net.

    Etisalat has Easy starter, among its several bouquets. Calls to networks cost 50 kobo per second, while Homezone calls are charged at 40 kobo per second whether on-net or off-net. On Easycliq, calls within the network at peak period cost 40 kobo per second and a minimal increase to 50 kobo per second for off-net calls.

    Omogbenigun argued that the difference between MTN’s on-/off-net tariff is competitive. “With respect to the other comments in your enquiry on MTN tariffs, our response is that the differential between our on-/off- net tariff is extremely competitive compared with other operators. Indeed, the differential between on-/off-net tariffs for one network is as much as 1000 per cent,” she said.