The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigerian Communications Commission

  • NCC to disburse N3b subsidy to InfraCos

    THE Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC)has concluded the process that will lead to the disbursement of subsidies to the six licensed Infrastructure Companies (InfraCos).

    Sources in the Commission said at the weekend about N3billion has been set aside for disbursement.

    This is part of the digital transformation agenda, which the regulator said it has put in place for actualisation, stressing that the subsidy will augment the InfraCos’ capital expenditure (capex).

    Its Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, who spoke when he received a delegation from the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja, reiterated the Commission’s determination to make affordable and dependable broadband services ubiquitous.

    Led by its Acting Country Director, Mr. Thomas Hardy, the USTDA team was received by the NCC board members and its senior management team, including board Chairman, Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye, who urged the agency to work with the Commission to tackle the deployment challenges being faced by some InfraCo licensees in the Southsouth geo-political zone due to the riverine, swampy nature of the region.

    While providing updates on the Commission’s broadband infrastructure development project, especially the licensing of InfraCos each in the six geo-political zones and Lagos, which is carved as the seventh zone, Danbatta said the scheme has a public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement with a subsidy component that is being worked out for the licensees to fast-track deployment in their respective zones.

    “The licensees are expected to play some roles and NCC too is to play some roles to encourage broadband infrastructure deployment by the licensees. Currently, we have seen the licensees’ capex, we have negotiated the capex and we have arrived at percentage of subsidies based on the negotiation that we have had with them. However, the subsidy will be paid to them by the Commission upon attainment of reasonable milestones by the licensees in their zones of deployment,” he said.

    The already licensed six InfraCos include MainOne Limited for Lagos Zone, Raeana Nigeria Limited for Southsouth Zone, O’dua Infraco Resources Limited for Southwest Zone, Fleek Networks Limited for Northwest Zone, Brinks Integrated Solutions for Northeast Zone, and Zinox Technologies Limited for the Southeast Zone while the remaining seventh licence for Northcentral Zone is being processed.

    Danbatta explained that the InfraCo idea is an initiative of the Commission designed to allow licensees deploy their infrastructure for a period spanning five years and providing wholesale services to other licensees to drive last-mile connectivity to people in the rural, under-served and un-served areas of the country.

    He said: “We are trying to build an intra-city and inter-city networks that will be able to connect citizens all over the country irrespective of where they are and what their circumstances are. To that extent, we have decided to provide access points in all the 774 local government areas in the country, trying to provide access to close to 190 million Nigerians, a lot of whom live in rural communities.”

    The EVC, however, emphasised that while the Commission is adopting fixed and wireless broadband approaches to its broadband infrastructure development, InfraCo model is open to the use of combination of terrestrial, sub-terrestrial and aerial fibre optic deployment options and the use of television white space (TVWS) spectrum to provide connectivity in rural areas.

    Hardy, who commended the NCC for achieving and surpassing the country’s broadband penetration target of 30 per cent last year, said the agency’s mission was to see areas where the agency can help to support the digital transformation goals of the country, by working with the NCC and other organisations “to open up opportunity for greater trade, greater economic development and closer bilateral cooperation”.

    “As a small foreign sister agency of US with a long-standing history in Nigeria, we support economic infrastructure projects; help in the telecoms, energy and transport sectors where countries have identified their priority development goals in the area of infrastructure development and through US companies, we develop an independent analysis of ways to meet your infrastructure goals,” he added.

  • MTN yet to submit application for listing, says SEC

    Nigeria’s apex capital market regulator, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has said that MTN Nigeria has not filed any application that could kick-start regulatory consideration of the proposed listing of the telco on the Nigerian stock market.

    SEC stated that while there had been some engagements with the telco, MTN Nigeria or its professional parties have not filed any formal application with the apex capital market regulator.

    MTN recently indicated it plans to list its shares by way of introduction, rather than the initial plan of an Initial Public Offering (IPO).

    By way of introduction, MTN Nigeria’s existing shares will be admitted to the Daily Official List of the Exchange for trading. MTN indicated it plans to list before the end of this first half.

    READ ALSO: MTN Nigeria to list on Stock Exchange

    Under the extant rules, a private limited liability company seeking to list its shares shall convert to public limited liability company and register its shares with SEC.

    For listing by way of introduction, the company will then apply to the relevant Exchange for listing.

    In the case of IPO, the company will apply to SEC for approval of the IPO and the relevant Exchange if it intends to list after the IPO.

    Briefing newsmen after the meeting of the Capital Market Committee (CMC) in Lagos, Acting Director General, Securities and Investment Services, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Ms Mary Uduk, noted that there is an established due process for listing and issuance of securities in the Nigerian capital market, which forms the basis for regulatory consideration.

    “There is no formal application as at now, until when they file application, that’s when we will know what method of listing they want,” Uduk said.

    MTN Nigeria had in 2016 appointed an advisory team and set out a road map towards listing on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) in 2017.

    The telco however missed the 2017 target and has since been struggling with the listing.

    The board of MTN Nigeria had announced the appointment of Stanbic IBTC Capital Limited and its affiliates, Standard Bank of South Africa Limited and Standard Advisory London Limited and Citigroup Global Markets Limited as the joint transaction advisors and joint global coordinators for the proposed listing of MTN Nigeria on the NSE.

    It should be recalled that as part of the conditions to settle its $3.4 billion fine by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), MTN Nigeria had announced its intention to list its shares on the NSE as soon as commercially and legally possible.

  • How to beat cyber criminals, by NCC

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has begun sensitisation programme for telecommunication consumers in Ekiti State on safety measures against cyber theft.

    The Commission said the hydra-headed problem of cyber theft had wreaked havoc on many Nigerians, making them lost valuable property and money to fraudsters, who used Information and Communication Telecommunication infrastructures to defraud innocent citizens.

    Speaking in Ado Ekiti on Thursday during the 104th Consumer outreach programme, Jide Azeez of the Consumer Advocacy Group of NCC, urged consumers to be cautious of information they divulge to people on social media and other ICT platforms.

    The stakeholders programme was attended by traditional rulers, students, youth groups, faith-based groups, artisans, market men and women as well as civil servants.

    While speaking on the theme: mitigating effects of cybercrime: role of telecom users, Azeez disclosed there was need for consumers to avoid unnecessary discussion with unknown individuals on social media platforms.

    This, he said, is the best way to fall into the traps and net of the fraudsters.

    He added that many Nigerians have lost their lives as a result of trauma caused them by ICT fraudsters, saying consumers must protect their personal data from being stolen by ICT theft.

    “These fraudsters attack consumers on social media, website where consumers carry out financial transactions by using credit/debit cards. Our mobile devices and computers are the targets of yahoo boys.

    “So, users must be aware that this fraud and attacks can emanate from any part of the world as long as the devices are connected to the global super highway known as internet.

    “So, we must take precautions on our SIM cards, by not using preregistered cards .

    “Follow guidelines on SIM replacement and where you lose your phone, or SIM quickly contact your bank to stop transactions on the account”, he advised.

    Director, Consumer Affairs Bureau, MTS Felicia Onwuegbuchulam, said the programme was packaged by NCC to sensitise and conscientise telecommunication users on how best to protect their lives.

    The Director, who was represented by Deputy Director in the Department, Ismail Adedigba, said the NCC will continue to take actions that would protect the rights and lives of consumers.

    “It is our belief that without consumers becoming aware if cybercrime trends and making efforts to ensure safe use of connected devices, cyber criminals will continue to make ICT space unsafe.

    “We are concerned about curtailing the activities of dishonest people who are bent on using ICT for illegal businesses and this awareness campaign is part of that strides to make consumers enjoy the fruits if their labour,” she said.

    She added the sensitisation programmes will help to reduce telecommunication consumers’ exposure to the antics of cyber criminals.

  • NCC sees 70% broadband penetration in five years

    Nigeria’s telecoms industry regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said with the achievment of 33 per cent broadband penetration now in the country, it is realistic to increase the penetration to 70 per cent over the next five years.

    Its Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, Prof Umar Garba Danbatta who spoke while receiving a delegation from Bharti Airtel Group, led by the Chief Executive Officer Airtel Africa, Mandara Raghunath, in his office in Abuja, said the country exceeded the 30 per cent threshold set by the National Broadband Plan last year December.

    Read also: MultiChoice Talent Factory networking portal goes live

    Danbatta expressed optimism that the country can achieve 70 per cent broadband penetration milestone in the next five years, even though a new national target of the penetration has not been made public yet.

    He said: “We exceeded expectation of Nigeria as the broadband penetration was 31 per cent as at December last year. The good news is that we are steadily seeing increase in the penetration.

  • Broadband penetration in telecom sector hits 33 percent, says NCC

    The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, on Wednesday announced that broadband penetration in the Telecom industry has hit 33 percent as at February this year.

    It Executive Vice Chairman, Prof Umar Garba Danbatta who broke the news, said it was far above the projections of the regulatory body.

    Prof Danbatta said the feat was achieved courtesy of the National Broadband Plan, adding that the Minister of Communications, Mr Adebayo Shittu would give details of the development in due course.

    Prof Danbatta made the disclosure while granting audience to the management of Airtel,  led by its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer for Africa, Mr Raqhunath
    Mandura.

    The EVC said: “It is good to see Airtel providing services, especially 4G services.

    “It is good to hear the level of expansion because we are seeing a remarkable improvement in broadband penetration.

    “The figures are increasingly going up. We are at about 33% now.  This we can attribute to a very ambitious expansion of network operators like Airtel in places like Lagos, Kano, Rivers, Ibadan, Abuja. This lends credence to figures we are seeing from broadband penetration.

    “We are seeing an increase in broadband subscription, especially to services provided by Airtel.

    “It is good for Nigerians to hear this that Airtel is helping us to hit the broadband penetration target.

    “We were supposed to achieve 30% as at December 2018 but we have exceeded that target courtesy of National Broadband Plan.

    ” We are steadily seeing an increase in broadband penetration. As of February, there is a new target of 70% in the next five years.  We will come up with new.

    “So far, no official announcement has been made on that by the minister.

    ”  I am sure government will come up with an official announcement on the new National Broadband Plan, Phase 2.

    ” In the area of data usage, there is also steady increase in data usage. We are again seeing that from 4G  network services.

    “It is important to talk about other statistics. As at February 2019, we had 174million Nigerians had access to telecom voice services. And the number is steadily rising.
    Internet penetration too in real terms is 100milion.”

    Prof Garba further said it is heartwarming that all growth parameters are steadily growing courtesy of expansion programme on 4G operators in the country, especially Airtel.

    In his remarks, Mr Mandura said Nigeria is the fastest growing Telecom market and also the biggest market we have in Africa.

    He said: “It is a critical market for us as we expand broadband penetration.

    “We are impressed about the way Nigerian telecom market is growing.  This is the fastest growing market in Africa.

    “We are committed to very heavy investment and to help digitize the country.

    “We are here to thank the NCC management for their support and to discuss about future broadband.

    “It comes because of great vision and leadership from both the NCC and government of Nigerian for the market to be what it is”.

  • NSPM seeks NCC’s partnership on sensitive documents

    The Managing Director, Nigerian Security Printing and Minting (NSPM) Plc, Alhaji Abbas Masanawa, has sought the partnership of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in printing of sensitive documents in the country.

    Speaking when he led top management staff of the organisation on a courtesy visit to the NCC head office in Abuja, he said the partnership was necessary to boost the economy. Masanawa said like NCC, the firm was aiming to become a world class organisation that can attract business from outside the shores of the country.

    Responding, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof Umar Garba Danbatta, extolled the performance of the regulatory body, which he said is now aiming at beating  the record platinum rating it received from a sister agency, the Bureau of Public Service Reform (BPSR) two years ago.

    He expressed delight that NCC is now globally acclaimed for regulatory excellence and operational efficiency, helping it to achieve great success in the key areas of its mandate.

    “The verdict is out there on the performance of the commission as a word class regulatory agency. We didn’t pass this verdict by ourselves. But it took a lot of hard work and commitment by both management and the entire staff of the Commission for us to achieve the enviable position we are today,” he said.

    He said despite inheriting a world class organisation he has not left any stone unturned in his efforts to add to the success story.

  • NCC tackles Google over free Wi-Fi

    Investigations by the Nation revealed that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the regulatory body for telecommunications in the country, has reported global internet giant, Google, to the Federal Government for evading regulatory oversight in its bid to expand its ‘free’ Wi-Fi deployment in Nigeria.

    Google is currently rolling out the ‘free’ Wi-Fi service in Lagos and Abuja with plans to expand to other locations in the country, a development that has caused great concerns in the industry because of the threat to the investment made by existing telecoms operators and privacy issues occasioned by the internet giant’s mode of operation.

    A letter from NCC to the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) under the Office of the Vice President, sighted by our correspondent, indicated that Google may be illegally providing its ‘free’ Wi-Fi in the country under obscure conditions that put it beyond regulatory purview.

    The letter, signed on behalf of NCC’s Executive Vice Chairman by the Executive Commissioner (Stakeholder Management), Mr. Sunday Dare, reported to the Office of the Vice President (PEBEC) that “Google is operating in Nigeria without being licensed by the Commission with the implications that it does not pay applicable fees, levies and taxes that are paid by other players in the telecommunications sector.”

    It further revealed that “There are several other irregularities in the structure under which Google presently provides its free public Wi-Fi for which the Commission requested it to provide information that will clarify certain issues that have cropped up in the course of trying to streamline its usage of Short Message Service (SMS) for user authentication.

    “Google has till date failed to provide the requested information, which has stalled efforts to resolve the issues,” the letter noted.

    Other shortcomings the Commission reported to PEBEC included Google’s failure to pay its Nigerian partners that it had presented as licensees of NCC and dealing with companies illegally providing SMS services.

    Internationally, Google has come under scrutiny over privacy issues and the way it handles the user data collected through its Android mobile operating system, an array of applications and more recently its ‘free’ Wi-Fi.

     

  • NCC investigates 39 service providers

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) said it has beamed its search light on about 39 rogue Value Added Service (VAS) providers in the country.

    It promised to spare no effort in its quest to rid the VAS sub-sector of unethical operators who reap where they did not sow.

    Its Director, Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement, Efosa Idehen,  who spoke during a forum with VAS providers in Lagos on concerns on the impact of VAS on telecoms consumers, said there were both  positive and negative impacts on consumers.

    He, however, regretted that the negative constituted the greatest impact.

    He said 100 per cent of people on web subscription said they never requested for such subscription.

    Read also: How we attained 30% broadband penetration, by NCC

    “Further investigation of 39 VAS is ongoing. We must sanitise this industry to flourish for those who do legitimate business,” Idehen said.

    Also speaking at the forum, the President, Wireless Application Service Providers of Nigeria (WASPAN), Chijoke Ezeh, said there are a total of 233 licencees in the sub-sector.

    He admitted the existence of bad eggs among the players in the sub-sector, and urged all men of good conscience to come together to sanitise the industry for the benefit of all.

     

  • Nigeria’s VAS market worth N79bn — NCC

     

    The Value Added Service (VAS) market is valued at N79billion ($220 million), the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has disclosed.

    The commission’s Director of Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement, Mr Efosa Idehen, made this known during the 2nd Value Added Service (VAS) Stakeholders Forum on Tuesday in Lagos.

    Idehen said that VAS was an important component of the Nigerian telecommunications ecosystem necessary for optimising the benefits of telecommunication services to consumers.

    He added that VAS was non-core service beyond standard voice calls, SMS and data products.

    According to him, VAS enables mobile network operators to develop additional revenue streams and can be used in any service industry for services available at little or no cost to promote their primary business

    “The Nigeria VAS market, which is presently valued at about N79 billion ($220 million) is estimated to grow to about $500 million in 2021.

    “The recent reform the commission embarks on in the VAS segment of the market is a further recognition of significant role of VAS in the entire telecommunications ecosystem,” he said.

    The director said that like every service, there were both positive and negative impact of VAS on consumers but the positives far outweighed the negatives.

    He said that the commission therefore deemed it fit to find a balance between enabling the opportunities that the VAS providers offered to consumers while at the same time mitigating the challenges or inconvenience they could constitute to other consumers.

    According to him, in finding a balance, service providers are licensed by the commission and are allowed to operate and provide value added services to consumers.

    He added that “consumers are empowered through the Do Not Disturb (DND) facility to choose whether to allow or block access to these services on a full or partial basis.

    ”Consumers have been at the receiving end of unsolicited messages, fraudulent deduction of consumers’ credit for VAS not subscribed for, among others.

    ”And subscribers are asking if what the telecommunications companies and their third parties are adding is ‘value’ or ‘pain’ services,” he said.

    Idehen said that with that in mind, NCC introduced the DND number 2442, which empowered consumers to block all unsolicited messages and VAS services.

    He said that the commission issued a direction requesting that network providers should ensure that information on the DND service be disseminated after every revenue generating activity via the End of Call Notification (EOCN).

    The director said that the EOCN would run for the period not less than 45 days and within the hours of 8am to 8pm daily from the receipt of the latest letter on the subject.

    He said that the operators were also admonished to deploy this information through all their channels of communications.

    The channels of communications include websites, social media platforms, bill boards, flash messages, text messages, Interactive Voice Response platform, radio jingles, newspapers advertisements and television commercials.

     

  • NCC donates 70 e-pads to FEDPOFFA

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has given out 70 e-pads to students of the Federal Polytechnic Offa (FEDPOFFA) International Secondary School.

    Chairman, Board of the School, Mrs. Anthonia Alawaye and the Principal, Mr. Ajala, received the e-pads on behalf of the School.

    The  Rector, Dr. Lateef Olatunji, congratulated the Board and Principal and praised the teachers for imparting valuable knowledge into the students.

    “What you are receiving from us cannot commensurate your hard labour on these children, but we assure you of our continuous support and we pray that you are all blessed in your endeavours,” he said.

    Olatunji urged the students to put the gadgets into maximum use in order to improve their performances in next year’s Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) and the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME). He advised them to make the most of the e-pads as all past questions of public examinations had been installed in them.

    While appreciating the NCC for the gifts, he instructed that the gadgets be given to the students for their immediate use.

    On his part, Ajala promised that the school would continue to make the Polytechnic proud and that, with the gesture from the NCC, its performance in future public examinations would be outstanding.

    He also thanked the Rector and his management team for their tireless support for the school; he also praised the teachers for doing a very laudable job on the students.

    Mrs. Alawaye prayed the pupils would perform well in their examinations. She also thanked the NCC for counting the school worthy of benefitting.  She assured the commission of the judicious use of the items.