The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC)

  • Nigeria investment market big for investors – Shittu

    Nigeria investment market big for investors – Shittu

    The Minister of Communications, Mr Adebayo Shittu, has restated that the Nigerian investment market is big and boisterous enough for prospecting investors.

    Mr Victor Oluwadamilare, Special Assistant, Media, to the minister, said in a statement that Shittu expressed the view in Abuja on Wednesday when he received the management team of YAS RIH Group in his office.

    The group came to present the company’s intention to partner with the Nigeria in the area of digital transformation solutions and telecommunications operations.

    Shittu said that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari would provide a favourable environment for investment.

    He said the administration had resolved to make Nigeria’s business environment safe and conducive to  investors in its determination to diversify the economy.

    The minister said the country’s regulatory processes were open, effective and transparent.

    He urged the ICT firm to fully comply with all regulatory guidelines set for intending ICT operators by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

    Shittu urged YAS RIH Group to forward a proposal through  NCC and assured it that the government would not hesitate in approving a licence for the firm to operate in the country.

    Earlier, the leader of delegation, Ayman Al Rlfai, who is the Personal Assistant to His Royal Highness, Prince Fahad Bin Magrin Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, delivered a goodwill message of Saudi Arabia’s King.

    Presenting the company’s profile, the Chief ICT Officer, Mr Francois Hannouche, said the group was ready to bring expertise and experience in digital transformation solution and telecom infrastructure operations to impact positively on Nigeria’s economy.

    He said that if given the opportunity to operate in Nigeria, the company would bring both direct and indirect impact on Nigeria’s GDP.

    Hannouche said data was the new oil in the global market.

    He lauded operators in the Nigerian telecom sector, such as MTN, Glo, Airtel and Etisalat, for their international ratings.

    Hannouche said YAS RIH Group supported digital transformation projects.

    The delegation included Abdulmanaf Muhammad, Vice-Chairman of YAS RIH International, Wad Tawil, CEO, YAS RIH International, Dave Cain, Abdullahi Garba, Managing Director, Forsysthia, and Muhammad Saed.

  • NCC to establish additional Zonal offices

    NCC to establish additional Zonal offices

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is set to establish additional zonal offices across the country as part of effort to enhance its operations.

    The Director, Consumer Affairs Bureau, Mr Abdullahi MaiKano disclosed this at the 78th edition of Consumer Outreach Programme (COP) in Kano on Thursday.

    He said that establishing the offices would give the commission the opportunity to decentralised its operations for the benefit of consumers and service providers as well as the industry as a whole.

    The Director, who was represented by a Deputy Director, Dr Femi Atoyebi, said that the commission had also developed a number of initiatives aimed at protecting customers’ rights and their choices provide them with value for money.

    “The NCC recognises the fact that the rights of every telecoms consumer must be protected as one of their fundamental rights is the right to be informed and educated,” he said.

    He said that the reason behind initiating the consumer outreach programme was in line with the commission’s effort to ensure protection of telecom consumers from market exploitation.

    “This will also empower them to make rational and informed decision when making their choices of service,” he said.

    He assured consumers that the commission would continue to do its best to ensure that consumers were protected from exploitation and against fraud.

    He said that the theme of the forum “Education and Information as Catalyst for Consumer Protection’’ was carefully chosen to reflect one of the objectives of the NCC of ensuring protection of the rights of consumers and effective service delivery.

    NAN reports that the programme was attended by telecom consumers and heads of various service providers in the state.

  • NCC to license five Infrastructure companies

    NCC to license five Infrastructure companies

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on Tuesday said it would soon commence the second phases of the licensing of five new Infrastructure Companies (InfraCos) in the country, to bridge existing broadband gap.

    The Director, Public Affairs of NCC, Mr Tony Ojobo said in a statement that the licensing of the five InfraCos would bring to seven, the total number of companies issued with the licence.

    “NCC on behalf of the Federal Government announces its intension to commence Phase 2 – license of Infracos for North East, North West, South-South, South West and South East zones.

    “The InfraCos will deploy metropolitan fibre infrastructure within its assigned territory on an open access, non-discriminatory, price regulated basis,” Ojobo said.

    He said that the open access model had been examined and found to be an appropriate model for optic fibre backbone infrastructure deployment in Nigeria to bridge the current broadband gap.

    According to him, “the model will help deliver fast, reliable broadband services to households and businesses.

    “It is envisaged that this initiative will address the challenges of congested transmission network and also mitigate the challenges arising from infrastructure sharing and Rights of Way issues.

    “In this project the Federal Government shall provide financial support in the form of subsidy, which shall be competitively determined to facilitate rollout obligations,” he said.

    Ojobo said that the Request for Proposal (RFP) document, detailing the commercial principles, key licensing conditions and technical specifications would be advertised soon.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that MainOne and IHS were in 2014, licensed to deploy infrastructure for Lagos area and North Central, respectively.

     

     

  • Buhari nominates Chairman, Commissioners for NCC

    Buhari nominates Chairman, Commissioners for NCC

    President Muhammadu Buhari has requested the Senate to confirm nominees into positions of Chairman, Executive Commissioner, and Non-Executive Commissioners of Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

    Mr Femi Adesina, the president’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, said Buhari made the request through a letter dated Aug. 2, sent to President of the Senate, Abubakar Bukola Saraki.

    The statement said Sen. Olabiyi Durojaiye (South West) was nominated as Chairman, while Mr Sunday Dare (South West) got the nod as Executive Commissioner, Stakeholders Management.

    Those nominated as Non-Executive Commissioners, according to the statement, are Aliyu Sa’idu Abubakar (North East), Clement Omeiza Baiye (North Central), Chief Okoi Ofem Obono Obla (South South), Pastor Ezekiel Yissa (North Central) and Sen. Ifeanyi Ararume (South East).

    “The nominations are in accordance with Section 8(1) of the Nigerian Communications Commission Act 2003,” the statement said.

     

  • Telecommunication companies to enjoy wider access -NCC

    Telecommunication companies to enjoy wider access -NCC

    Telecommunication companies are to enjoy wider access berth in the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) new regulation strategy’s Over-the-Top (OTT) services.

    The NCC quarterly magazine made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said that the OTT’s regulation strategy was contained in a report issued by the commission’s Policy, Competition and Economic Analysis Department.

    The report was titled: “An Overview of Provision of the Over-The- Top (OTT) Services’’.

    According to the report, the insurance of guidelines on international Gateway Access and Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) for the Nigerian Telecommunication Industry is in line with one of the mandates of NCC of issuing communication licenses for the operation and provision of communication services.

    The report said it was the duty of the commission to determine the eligibility criteria and other general terms and conditions of licenses.

    “It is the expectation of the commission that the networks of licensees operating under full Gateway and International Data Access (IDA) licenses may convey data, voice and video signals either in their natural forms or in digitised formats.

    “Operators of these gateways may also inter-work and exchange information by using appropriate protocol and signaling conversion devices.

    “The IDA license is issued as a standalone license and is not to be tied to any specific transmission medium for the purpose of conveying out-bound or in-bound traffic hence grants automatic authorisation.

    The report further stated that while the license was meant to cover provision of VolP services, it did explicitly address the current challenges and threats pose by the growth and uptake of these services over the traditional telephone networks.

    The commission in providing recommendations on the provision of OTT services across the country stated that:

    “The commission should conduct a stakeholder forum on the provision of OTT services in Nigeria to determine if regulation is required for such services and its impact on the growth of Nigeria telecoms industry.

    “Following the consultations, the commission should review its guidelines on the provision of International Gateway and Voice over Internet Service and also consider an appropriate Framework for Provision and Regulation for OTT services in the Nigerian Telecom market.

    “The commission must ensure that it does not stifle innovation since internet penetration is still evolving, access speeds are still low and there is limited coverage of high speed broadband in Nigeria.

    “The commission should encourage network providers in the Nigeria to innovate and explore more efficient business models that will enable them compete favourably with OTT service providers.

    “Network providers can also take advantage of the internet protocol technology in the design of their network upgrades,” it said.

  • Telecoms’ masts not harmful – NATCOM

    The National Association of Telecommunications’ Subscribers (NATCOMS) on Wednesday allayed concerns of people living near telecoms’ masts saying that they were not harmful to human health.

     

    NATCOMS President, Deolu Ogunbanjo, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the Electro-Magnetic Frequency (EMF) from telecommunications’ masts was not harmful to health.

     

    “There is no substantive evidence to say that EMF from telecoms’ masts is harmful to human.

     

    “Several researches have been conducted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and it has come up with the conclusion that mast set up beside residential area is not harmful to human.

     

    “The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has also said that telecoms’ mast has no health hazards and NCC is the most appropriate body to say anything on the matter,” he said.

     

    According to him, WHO officials visited Nigeria last year to allay the fears of citizens on the issue.

     

    Ogunbanjo noted that in other climes, masts were often set up on top of buildings in urban areas, adding that such practice would not have been possible if it had health implications.

     

    Similarly, Mr Jide Awe, an executive of the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), told NAN that residents concern on the erecting of telecoms’ masts in residential areas was based on speculations.

     

    “There is no proof of health hazards, whatever people say on masts is speculation based on individual ideas.

     

    “What may actually exist is an environmental threat which is within the capacity of the regulatory agencies to deal with,” Awe said.