The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Eugene Juwah

  • ‘Buhari will determine NCC chief’s fate’

    ‘Buhari will determine NCC chief’s fate’

    Stakeholders in the telecommunication industry will have to hold their breath regarding the tenure of the Executive Chairman of Nigerian Communications Commission, Dr. Eugene Juwah, until President Muhammadu Buhari takes a decision on the matter.

    NCC’s Director of Public Affairs, Mr. Tony Ojobo, said on Thursday that Juwah’s fate will be determined by the government.

    Juwah’s first tenure as the NCC boss ended on July 28.

    Ojobo, who declined to confirm whether the NCC boss has resumed work following the expiration of his first tenure, told The Nation that he has no information on the matter for now.

    “I will get back to you once I get any information on the matter,” he said.

     

  • Etisalat warns against overregulation in telecoms industry

    Etisalat warns against overregulation in telecoms industry

    Etisalat Nigeria has warned against over  regulating the telecoms sector, arguing that it may be counter-productive.

    An official of the telco, Tosin Bamidele, who spoke in Lagos at the weekend during the interactive session organised by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Value Added Services Providers (VASPs) and Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), said the regulator should be careful to avoid overregulating the  sector.

    Bamidele spoke against the background that the regulator had taken away short codes allocation from the MNOs.

    While commending the regulator for its efforts at stabilising the indutry, he called for the expansion of the industry working group, adding that not all the heads of the regulatory departments of the MNOs were represented in the body.

    According to him, the allocation of and use of short codes used to be at the discretion of the MNOs, adding that overregulating the sector will do more harm than good to the industry.

    Earlier, Head, Technical Standard & Network Integrity at the NCC, Haru Alhassan, said henceforth, any MNO assigned short code must put it to use while unused ones will be retrieved and put into the basket. He added that the regulator was exploring  a way of making a uniform short code available for MNOs, especially the ones that address similar issue for the subscribers so that when a subscriber ports to another network, such a subscriber will not be bogged down with committing many short codes into memory.

    Represented by Edoga, he said a central data base would soon be built to avoid chaos and bring about clarity.

    According to statistics, the mobile VAS market in the country is worth over $200 million yearly with the potential to hit $500 million in the next five years.

    However, NCC said its findings showed that the exponential growth in the industry in the last 12 years has given rise to the evolution of mobile phone from being just a device to support communications requirement to a smart platform with the capacity to provide several services hitherto unimagined.

    Mobile entertainment, caller-tune, ring-back tunes, music download, news breaks, Biblical and inspirational quotes, flights information, tele-marketing, among others are some of the services provided by VASP.

    Stakeholders are worried about the activities of ‘data miners’ and network hackers who are threatening the  VASPs and MNOs that have seen mobile VAS as consolation to the dwindling average revenue per user (ARPU) in the voice services segment owing to increased competition.

    The NCC expressed concerns that some of the operators were operating outside the basic guidelines spelt out, adding that the development called for stricter regulatory framework.

    Executive Vice Chairman, NCC, Dr Eugene Juwah lamented that there were “some practices and behaviours in the VAS segment which as individual subscribers and as industry regulator have given us a lots of concern.

    “We have witnessed high level of tele-marketing, especially unsolicited messages by mobile network operators/value added service operators soliciting subscription for their services most times constituting nuisance to consumers.”

    He said the Commission deemed it necessary to have an interactive session with the VASP, MNOs and other critical stakeholders to identify ways of tackling the challenges in the sub-sector.

    Head, Compliance and Enforcement Department at the NCC, Mr. Efosa Idehen,  said  participatory regulation has become entrenched in their corporate culture, as a means of soliciting industry response to the multi-various industry challenges.

    Said Efosa:“This is to ensure that whatever policies and regulations we come up with, will enjoy wide acceptance within the industry.”

  • Redefining the telecoms revolution

    Redefining the telecoms revolution

    Before he was appointed in July, 2010 as the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Eugene Juwah, who holds a doctorate degree in Engineering from the University of Manchester was already a household name in the nation’s telecom industry as a strategic player in the private sector.  It was no surprise, therefore, to industry watchers that he topped the list among those recommended by the exiting Board of the Commission in accordance with Chapter II, Section 8(2) of the Nigerian Communication Act 2003 which states that: “The Board shall make recommendations to the President on suitably qualified persons for appointment as the Commission’s Chief Executive and Executive Commissioners and the President shall take the Commission’s recommendations into consideration for the appointment”. Furthermore, Section 11(2) of the Act states how such a vacancy shall be filled. It says; “A vacancy in the Board shall be filled by the appointment of another person to the vacant office by the President in accordance with section 8 of this Act, as soon as is reasonably practicable after the occurrence of such vacancy”.

    For a country rated as the fastest growing mobile market in Africa, nay in the world for five consecutive years, Juwah had his job cut out especially on matters of Quality of Service. He reeled out a six-point agenda that would signpost his tenure. This, he said, would help him sustain the momentum of the revolution. They are: Consolidation and Integration of mobile Wireless Services; Fixed Line and Broadband Deployment for National Development; Enhanced Competitive Market, Enhanced Choice for the Consumer; Vigorous Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement of Regulations and Directions; National Connectivity for Accelerated Growth; and Enhanced International Relations.

    For four years,  he has shown a strong desire to fight for the telecom consumer. Six things have stood him out in this regard: The banning of promotions and lotteries by operators; slashing tariff on text messages from about N10 to N4, the slashing of interconnection rates among operators which has a direct implication of reducing tariff on voice calls, the introduction of Mobile Number Portability (MNP) which empowers consumers to make a switch without changing their number, the successful auction of the 2.3 GHz frequency spectrum and the adoption of Open Access model as a precursor to broadband rollout.  These six bold moves, taken in context, have had the direct impact of improving quality of service, cutting the budget of consumers on both voice calls and text messages as well as improving the throughput of operators.

    For the avoidance of doubt, the Commission’s functions and duties are set out in the Nigerian Communications Act 2003 (the “Act”). Section 4 of the Act lists the Commission’s functions, which include the facilitation of investments in and entry into the Nigerian market for the provision and supply of communications services, equipment and facilities. It permits the NCC to ensure the protection and promotion of the interests of consumers against unfair practices including but not limited to matters relating to tariffs and charges and the availability and quality of communications services, equipment and facilities. The section also encourages the regulator to pursue the promotion of fair competition in the communications industry and protection of communications services and facilities providers from the misuse of market power or anticompetitive and unfair practices by other service or facilities providers.

    The last review of the interconnection rate was in 2009. Between then and now, a lot has happened in the sector including quantum growth in network throughput. Currently, Nigeria has over 113 million telephone lines. This has engendered more competition among operators but pricing of tariff still remains comparatively high.

    And if you throw into this menu of tariff slash, the introduction of Mobile Number Portability (MNP), what you get is a highly competitive marketplace where the customer is truly the king. Juwah recognizes that consumers make the network. In a media interview, he said: “At NCC, we realise that without the consumers, there would be no networks or service providers and without the service providers, the regulator has no job; so we will do all that is possible within the law to protect the consumer. Everything we do is geared towards the protection of the consumer but in doing so, we will also give room for the investors to grow their businesses”.

    Juwah’s four years at the NCC has translated to the sustainability of the mobile telecom revolution, improved infrastructure among operators resulting in improvement in quality of service, sustained aggression and strategic focus in the run up to broadband rollout, creation of more jobs, a bolstering of investors’ confidence in the Nigerian telecom market as reflected in the growing Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the sector and a record contribution of 8.9 percent of the nation’s GDP by telecom alone.

    No doubt, Juwah may have taken up the job as a telecom regulator at a time quality of service was a red button issue, but he has manifested traits that clearly place him on the pedestal as a regulator who loves to fight on the side of the consumer. He has imposed fines on operators, he has closed the shops of dubious telcos who will not play by the rules and he has slashed tariffs all for the sake of the consumer. Juwah must stay the course. He must neither waver nor flinch. As he intensifies his evangelism on broadband rollout, he must do so with a consciousness that history waits on the wing of time. History surely will remember him as a man who came, saw and overcame. He has indeed redefined the telecom revolution.

    • Ugbechie, is a Lagos-based media practitioner

  • Broadband will spur economic development, says NCC chief

    Regulator of the telecoms sector, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said the provision of affordable, reliable and ubiquitous broadband across the country will spur economic growth and significantly grow the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP).

    Its Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Eugene Juwah said broadband deployment will redefine everything, ranging from education, health, agriculture and even entertainment.

    He said: “The catalytic role and contribution of broadband services to an economy is well documented. The economic impact of broadband is positive as shown from studies of the World Bank which showed that every 10 per cent points increase in broadband penetration leads to a 1.38 per cent growth in GDP. The impact of broadband penetration on national development is immense. Some of the positive economic impact of broadband can be seen in entertainment, agriculture, commerce, education and energy management.”

    According to him, Nigeria’s Nollywood film industry has been ranked third in size only behind the United States (US) Hollywood and India’s Bollywood, adding that the largest consumer demands for bandwidth are coming from music, movies, videos, TV shows and radio content downloads.

    “The demand to download video content, such as a movie or TV show, within a short timeframe requires significant bandwidth. With the availability of broadband access, another means for entertainment businesses to distribute their content and provide access to users becomes possible. This greatly expands the reach for entertainment businesses and broadcasters to reach their target audiences anywhere in the world,” Juwah said during the inauguration of Nigeria Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA) in Lagos.

    According to the EVC, broadband access provides agriculture businesses the means to get relevant and timely information on weather updates, since the quality of crops and other tasks depend in large part on weather. He said the proper timing of planting activities in line with favourable weather conditions often promotes high yield while fast online access to websites that share best practices makes it possible for farmers to learn about farming management practices.

    He said: “The potential market for the produce from agric based businesses increases dramatically with access to broadband access, where different content depicting the produce available in these businesses can be marketed online. Also, information on the availability of livestock and seed crops can be assessed on-line. Also farmers who use broadband to access pricing information online are likely to gain bargaining power and make more educated marketing or purchasing decisions.”

    He said the growing levels of internet access and continued rollout of broadband infrastructure are driving the growth of e-commerce and m-commerce. Broadband is the information super highway of the 21st century that is accelerating global commerce at a rate never imagined before.

    He said: “An online presence increases the ability for businesses to be found, regardless of their physical location; and enables commerce to occur without having to physically visit the business premises. This enables businesses to be seen in different parts of the world without having to be physically present in the different locations. This saves businesses costs for space rental, maintenance of infrastructures etc at the physical locations it would have had to operate from without broadband and internet presence.”

  • Insecurity, others threaten broadband, says Juwah

    Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr Eugene Juwah has identified multiple taxation/regulation, premeditated and accidental vandalism, insecurity, right of way (RoW) bottlenecks as some of the problems that will hurt broadband penetration in the country.

    He, however said the successful auctioning of one slot of 20 megahertz (MHz) bandwidth in the 2.3 gigahertz (GHz) spectrum and the launch of the National Broadband Plan by the Federal Government are part of steps that have positioned the country to join the league of knowledge driven economies.

    Juwah, who spoke over the weekend in Lagos, during the 10th anniversary of Telecoms Consumer Parliament, said: “In the drive towards the provision of pervasive broadband infrastructure, challenges do exist. Some of these are issues of right of way; multiple regulations; multiple taxation by several government agencies; vandalism of telecoms infrastructure; and security challenges in some parts of the country.”

    He said the spectrum auctioned last month will facilitate the roll-out of broadband using the open access model which will ultimately grow the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP).

    “The economic impact of broadband is positive as shown from studies of the World Bank which showed that 10 per cent points increase in broadband penetration leads to a 1.38 per cent in GDP.

    “Although this percentage appears small, if you relate it to the trillion Naira national GDP, the increase is quite enormous.”

    “The impact of broadband penetration on national development is immense: it stimulates economic growth, increase productivity, provide citizens access to government activities as well as enhance e-application initiatives such as e-health, which enhances the delivery of health care to citizens; e – commerce, which enhances the delivery of business activities; e – education, which provide access to knowledge and learning to citizens and e-banking, which provide financial access to all.”

    He said the country has witnessed a voice telephone revolution in the last 12 years when the total connected lines was mere 400,000 in 2001, stressing that the total active lines in the country have reached a phenomenal 117 million as at the end of January this year.

    Juwah said the next revolution is now the NCC’s regulatory agenda which is “Broadband Revolution.”

    He said acknowledging the role of broadband to national development, the Federal Government took several steps including the articulation of a national broadband plan as well as continually taking steps at providing an enabling environment for the development of infrastructure that will support the growth and access to broadband services at affordable cost to consumers. According to him, the framework to support the broadband infrastructure has been fully articulated and is being implemented by the Commission as reflected in the open access model adopted for the country.