The Nation Newspaper

Tag: telecom

  • Phase 3 Telecom push for gender equality in ICT

    Phase 3 Telecom push for gender equality in ICT

    Pan African aerial fibre network operator, Phase 3 Telecom has stressed the need to bridge existing gender gap in the information communication technology (ICT) sector so that women would play key roles in solving national problems.

    It said to achieve this requires doing more in the area of active engagement of girls in the ICT space, adding one way to do this is through partnership with local and international organisations that share in its dreams and visions.

    Its Chief Executive Officer, Mr Stanley Jegede who spoke during the 2016 International Girls in ICT Day, said championing great initiatives that open women and girls to great technological possibilities is not only key to Africa’s sustained development but are morally just platforms to ensuring that the girl child harnesses the right opportunities aimed at empowerment and growth.

    He said Phase3 will continue to support and drive programmes that encourage girls and young adult females to pull careers that will grow the IT/STEM sector and transform the world positively.

    He said: “To also eradicate poverty and solidify the role of women in nation building; the sustained representation of women in the world of technology is very key especially when they are encouraged early to see the advantages and dividends of the dynamic and fast-evolving-sector.”

    He added that this is the basis for Phase3 Telecom’s commitment to continue to support the International Girls in ICT day initiative and commended eBusiness Life consistent commitment to the annual initiative designed to mentor and support girls who have keen interest in walking the ICT career path whether in engineering, design, operations or research.

    The International Girls in ICT Day is a global celebrations and it is an initiative of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to raise awareness on empowering and encouraging girls and young women to consider studies and careers in ICTs. To date over 177,000 girls and young women have taken a part in more than 5,300 events held in 150 countries worldwide.

  • Telecom workers protest planned mass sack in Rivers

    Telecom workers protest planned mass sack in Rivers

    WORKERS of Dresser-Rand, subsidiary of Siemens, a multinational telecommunications company, yesterday protested in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, the company’s alleged plan to sack 70 per cent of its Nigerian workers.

    The angry employees, who carried placards, protested at the entrance to Novotel Hotel on Stadium Road.

    Two expatriate senior workers (Angolans) of the Human Resources Department of Dresser-Rand were said to be lodging at the hotel.

    The Angolans – Messrs. Doudou Sar and Lemuedo Neto – were drafted from the Human Resources Department of the Angola office of Dresser-Rand to interface with the Nigerian workers to finalise their termination from Siemens global group.

    The protest was on the platform of Dresser-Rand Workers Association and the Coalition for the Protection of Workers in the Niger Delta.

    The company’s management prevented its Nigerian workers from participating in union activities.

    Inscriptions on the placards read: “We say no to workers’ discrimination”; “Racism is a crime against humanity”; “Save us from white slavery” and “We need 100 per cent entitlements for workers in Dresser-Rand.”

    An energy and maritime lawyer, Soalabo West, who is also counsel to the aggrieved workers, told reporters that it was unlawful to disengage workers without due process, especially those who had worked for many years.

    West said: “We find it unjustifiable for Dresser-Rand to invite its workers to a hotel room to discuss their termination from the company rather than have a worthwhile discussion with them at its corporate office at Kilometre 16, Port Harcourt-Aba Expressway.

    “We have a case against Dresser-Rand at the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, sitting in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital. We were surprised when we were informed on April 15 that Daniel Taylor directed that the workers should remove their personal belongings from the premises, ostensibly in preparation for their disengagement and forcible eviction from the premises.

    “The two Angolans drafted to coordinate the sack of Nigerian workers in Dresser-Rand have no work permits authorising them to work in Nigeria. We find this action indefensible.”

    In a letter to the managing director of Dresser-Rand, another lawyer, Godspower Egbule, noted that under Nigeria’s law, the planned sack was illegal and in contempt of court.

    Egbule said the proposed sack would be an effort in futility.

    The lawyer was optimistic that the action would be reversed in court, adding that the company should stay action on the proposed mass disengagement, pending the determination of the suit or negotiate an amicable settlement.

    Regional Director of Dresser-Rand Seun Suleiman asked our reporter to send a text message to his mobile phone.

    But he did not reply to the message last night.

  • Airtel, Liquid Telecom seal fibre deal

    Bharti Airtel’s mobile broadband subscribers in Africa will soon enjoy faster Internet access speeds on its networks. This follows an announcement that Airtel will use Liquid Telecom’s terrestrial fibre network to connect its mobile base stations and enterprises.

    The agreement enables Airtel operations to leverage Liquid Telecom’s existing 20,000km-long fibre network across East, Central and Southern Africa, as well as enjoy new purpose-built fibre infrastructure, to connect Airtel’s mobile base stations and enterprise customers with fibre.

    According to Liquid Telecom, the agreement answers the need for mobile operators to increase the Internet speed delivered over their mobile broadband networks.

    Liquid Telecom Group Chief Executive Officer CEO) Nic Rudnick said: “Mobile operators are relying on Internet access and data services to grow their revenues.”

    Airtel Africa CEO Christian de Faria, said the agreement is a milestone in providing fast broadband services to customers in a cost-effective way.

    “Airtel has invested significantly in mobile broadband technology across its African footprint and this agreement will deliver end-to-end fibre connectivity to our 3G and 4G base stations,” he said.

     

  • Telecom World: ITU urges innovators, SMEs to showcase products

    International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has urged Nigerian innovators and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to participate in this year’s edition of its annual technology fiesta known as the ITU Telecom World 2015.

    This year, it will hold in Budapest, Hungary, between October 12 and 15 and it is expected to attract the participation of all ITU-member countries including Nigeria.

    Speaking on the event, Director, Policy, Competition and Economic Analysis at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and also chairperson, ITU Telecom World 2015 Planning Committee, Ms. Josephine Amuwa said ITU has dedicated this year’s edition to innovators across the global community. She said it is an opportunity for Nigerian innovators to showcase their skills, products and services to the world, assuring that there will be innovators hub at the Nigeria pavilion during the event.

    Amuwa said ITU deliberately took the decision to encourage SMEs and innovators because of the pivotal role they play in fuelling the growth and development of the economy, especially in the area of job creation.

    “It will be an opportunity for innovators in Nigeria to showcase their creative and business acumen at the global space as over 120 countries and several global investors will be on ground to witness and see for the first time, such creativity by a large number of enterpreneurs under one roof,” NCC explained.

    Director, Public Affairs at NCC, Mr.. Tony Ojobo in a statement described this year as that of innovators and SMEs, adding that it their golden chance at ITU Telecom World 2015.

    Specifically, innovators and SMEs including Value Added Service (VAS) providers who have indeed turned around the fortunes of mobile network providers (MNOs) will have the opportunity to showcase their wares at the event.

    “Since multinationals and global investors will be on ground at Budapest, Hungary, many of these innovators and VAS providers may have the chance to attract investors to their works. So they should come and be inspired further in Budapest. Remember that ITU Telecom World is a rallying point for global ICT practitioners, a melting pot if you like for global ICT players”, Ojobo who is Chairman of the Media & Publicity sub-Committee for Nigeria’s participation, was quoted to have said in the statement.

     

  • X3M Ideas bags ‘Telecom Marketing Company’ award

    Lagos marketing communications agency, X3M Ideas has won the coveted award of the “Telecom Marketing Company of the Year” at the 10th edition of the Nigerian Telecom Awards which held last Saturday in Lagos.

    Top contenders for the popular award and their relevant portfolios include 141-Worldwide (for Etisalat Portfolio); DDB Lagos (for MTN Portfolio) and X3M Ideas  (Etisalat Portfolio). All three agencies were shortlisted on the nomination list for the ‘Telecoms Marketing Company of the Year” award under the telecom & Allied products segment.

    At the end of the judging session, X3M Ideas defiled book makers’ predictions  to beat the more experienced agencies to cart home the landmark 10th edition award in “Telecoms Marketing Company of the Year” category.

    According to the organisers, the rationale for the nomination and judgment parameters are very clear and independently carried out by an autonomous panel of Assessors & Judges. These include analysing available statistics, creative portfolio submitted and the rationale behind them, researches are conducted while we also interviewed relevant contacts.

    Speaking on the awards, Secretary General, Nigerian Telecoms Awards, Otunba Biodun Ajiboye said the awards organised by TelecomNews has passed the litmus test having been on for 10 years and known for its credible evaluation process.

    “If we have got to this stage, it means that the award has sailed through the tides of time and has come to stay as an elixir for the telecoms industry and allied service providers.”

    Steve Babaeko, Creative Director/CEO, X3M Ideas, speaking on the Telecom Marketing company of the year award won by his agency, said: “we are grateful to God and our clients for giving us the opportunity”.

    He, however, noted that as an agency, the intention is to create ads that work for our clients by moving their stocks. If awards are won along the way, “we are happy but will never get carried away by the euphoria. We will always have our eyes on the ball – our client’s marketing objectives and our reason for being their agency”

     

  • Orji praises NCC’s role in telecom

    Abia State Governor Theodore Orji has praised the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) for doing a good job in regulating the activities of service providers in the country which has brought sanity in the industry.

    Speaking in Umuahia, when he received the chairman of Board of the NCC Engr. Peter Igho and his team at the Government house, Orji described communication as very essential arm of development in any society.

    Orji said that his administration is addressing some of the problems confronting the operations of the NCC including the issue of multiple taxation and right of way, adding that the state government has made relevant legislation as it concerns telecommunications operation in the state.

    The governor said his administration is poised to make the environment conducive for NCC and the service providers to operate and pledged to partner with the commission to continue in its sanitization programme in the industry.

    He implored the commission to provide more facilities to educational institutions in the state as a way of assisting the state government, adding that state government alone cannot carry the burden of financing the educational institutions in the state.

    Earlier in his speech, Mr. Igho explained that telecommunications contributes to 8.5 % of the nations GDP and has transformed the way of doing things in the country and made public that his commission is making effort to improve the quality of service to Nigerians.

    Mr. Igho said that Nigeria has 129 million active subscribers while over 50 million Nigerians have access to the internet, adding that the tele-density is 92% and still increasing almost on daily basis.

    He however identified multiple-taxation and hindering of the right of way and vandalisation of ICT facilities as some of the factors that militate against improved service, pointing out that the commission is currently pushing for a law to classify telecommunications facilities as critical infrastructure.

    The board chairman disclosed that NCC has given ICT equipment to 38 secondary schools in the state among other items given to tertiary institutions in Abia and appealed to the Governor to partner with his commission to improve the quality of service to the people.

    On the issue of the activities of the service provider, Igho said that NCC is a regulatory body regulating their activities, “So it is our duty to ensure that they give us correct quality services, so far the quality of service is not the best, but we are on it”.

  • Retailers of unapproved telecom device to pay fine, jail term

    Retailers of unapproved telecom device to pay fine, jail term

    It will no longer be business as usual for retailers of unapproved telecom devices as the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has warned that anyone caught peddling such without approval risk paying a fine of N100,000 or jail term of not less than a year.

    Confirming this at the NCC sensitisation workshop on “Equipment Type Approval: A mandatory tool for safe telecommunications industry” the Executive Vice Chairman, NCC, Dr. Eugene Juwah, pointed out that NCC Act of 2003 empowers the Commission under section 132 to carry out type approval of all communications options for all the Nigerian communication market.

    “We also have in our type approval regulation that the commission has actually drafted which is also on the website to serve as a guidance on what are required and what to be done when it comes to type approval. We also have type approval guidelines which are the legal basis for which type approval is been carryout by the NCC of all the legal provision and it will help in the act.

    “Licenses service for facilities providers’ equipments manufacturers or suppliers shall obtained type approval committed to obtain their communications equipment or facilities trials of installation of services to Nigerian.

    “A person who sells or installs any communication equipment or facilities without first obtaining commission’s type approval get their certificate for committing an offence and unconventional for fine of not appealing a N100, 000 or a replacement for a term not including one year or to also certifying so it is quite region offence to actually reinforce or sell equipment that are not type approved,” he said.

    The EVC also explained what is type approval, saying that it’s a technical evaluation of equipment against prescribed specifications with the objective of determining it conformance to those specification they had international centre that they are been produce for all kinds of equipment and devices and they are number of international standard body of type approved that it may be caused on the occasion to install their international standard.

  • Phase3 Telecom invests $110m on broadband

    A leading fibre optic network company, Phase3 Telecom has said it has so far invested $110 million to enable broadband to get to the underserved and unserved areas of the country.

    In a statement, the company’s Director of Engineering Mr Ajibade Momolosho further said between now and 2016, $68 million more will be invested in broadband development even as he said that the company would be expanding its business frontiers to Accra and Senegal in the next one year and half

    He also stated that the company has so far deployed 4500km of fibre optic network. On its mandate which is to be West Africa’s IP backbone, he maintained that Phase3 Telecom has contributed immensely to the development of the telecommunications industry in Nigeria so far in its ten years of existence.

    “Five years ago, we didn’t have the kind of infrastructure in place, but phase3 provided the backbone at that time. It was a major contribution. We are key to the expansion of mobile network,” he said

  • How to curb cable theft, by telecom chief

    THE vandalism of metro terrestrial optic fibre cables can be curbed by using aerial optic fibre cables, the Head of Business Solutions and Sales, Phase 3 Telecom, Otuya Okecha, has said.

    Speaking after receiving the ‘Best Telecommunication Broadband for Education Award’ at the Eighth Titans of Tech Conference and Expo Award in Lagos, he said embracing aerial fibre optic fibre cables is a bulwark against vandalism of cables and its attendant disruption to service delivery.

    He explained that with its strategic positioning of optic fibre cables over high tension power lines for broadband penetration with high speed and great connectivitity, it would be difficult to for vandals to wreak havoc on the cables.

    He said firm has made remarkable expansion in the provision of bandwiddth to companies and schools across the country, adding it is the first indigenous company to deploy fibre optic cables in the country.

    Okecha said the company has areial fibre optic cables covering over 4500km, adding that with the placement of the telecoms infrastructure, are not vulnerable to vandalism.

    He reiterated the firm’s committment to services delivery, especially in the provision of excellent bandwidth for the development of the country’s educational sector to generate and harness the huge potentials inherent in technologically-driven education sector.

    “We will continue to champion the adoption of a very active and sustainable e-learning system that is at par with global standards. This informed the choice of we made in focusing on the promotion of e-learning in schools. We will also take active role in the development of sports which has a huge potential to engage the nation’s youthful population,” he said.

    “e-learning is key to the knowledge economy. We will continue to support the educational sector in the country through the provision of bandwidth to make teaching and learning more exciting for students not only to excel in their academic pursuits but to have the needed confidence and intelligence to compete with their counterpart on the global scene,” he added.

  • Nigeria’s telecom glory in Barcelona

    Last month, from February 25-28, the whole of the global mobile telecommunications community, to wit, operators, techies, equipment manufacturers, enthusiasts, regulators and investors emptied into the historical city of Catalonia in Barcelona, Spain. The event was the 2013 edition of the Mobile World Congress (also known as GSMA 2013). It is the Holy Grail of telecommunications as it pertains to mobile market. About 1,700 companies, over 72,000 people from 200 countries attended the event, the highest attendance ever, according to the organisers.

    The yearly event is itself a demonstration of the global acceptance of the mobile genre of telecom service. Besides, the congress offered opportunity to both emerging markets and the developed markets to share ideas, compare notes and build synergies towards the enhancement of the global mobile value chain. Nigeria was at the event. The nation’s telecom regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) made a strong showing at the global summit. This is to be expected. In matters of mobile telecom, Nigeria ranks among the global top ten in growth and market size. For five years in a row, Nigeria was the fastest growing mobile market in the world, a record it still shares with no one.

    It follows, therefore, that in a global meeting of who is who in mobile telecom, Africa’s largest market should not be a passive participant. Dr. Eugene Juwah, the spunky engineer and head of the nation’s regulatory commission who has manifested a tendency to restore sanity in the sector seized the moment. At a session tagged: The Broader Way 2013 Forum – Make it Possible, organized by China’s communications equipment manufacturer, Huawei, Juwah unveiled the limitless milieu of possibilities in the nation’s telecom sector.

    He took the cosmopolitan audience made up of equipment manufacturers, service providers, investors and an amalgam of enthusiasts through the contours and crucible of Nigeria’s telecom industry. If there was ever anyone in the crowd who was doubtful about the safety of his investment in Nigeria, that doubt quickly dissolved when Juwah gave a granular detail of the efforts of the Nigerian government to guarantee the safety and sustainability of investments in the country. He also graphically illustrated the growth pathway of the early investors in the nation’s telecom market as well as the outlay of incentives available to those who would be willing to board the next flight to invest in Nigeria. Juwah seized the opportunity to pitch Nigeria’s Broadband potentials. The ovation that greeted his submission spoke volume of the connection he made with the audience. It was also manifest that some key players in the global telecom market had a wrong perception of Nigeria as an investment destination. It was, in a sense, a moment of glory for the country as Juwah won many global converts for the nation’s telecom sector.

    No doubt, Nigeria has since the mobile explosion attended many international summits but this year’s mobile world congress was a clincher. Juwah made the most of it by holding strategic meetings with several global brands and organisations, namely the Commonwealth Telecommunication Organisation (CTO) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), on how to strengthen existing synergies with Nigeria. He did not pass off the opportunity to meet with Kamar Abass, managing director, Ericsson and other top management of Global Ericsson. One of the positive outcomes of the meetings was the announcement by the Secretary General of the ITU, Dr. Hamadoun Toure, of the consensus of the global community to make Nigeria a Cyber-security regional hub. The implication of this is that Nigeria would have a cyber-security testing centre. Making Nigeria a regional hub has a direct bearing on the massive investment in submarine fibre cable within the country and offshore. It is also a fitting endorsement of the continent-wide leadership of the country in telecom. Toure, a man who has never hidden his admiration of the progress made by the NCC as a flagship regulator within the ITU family, accentuated Juwah’s submission that now is the best time to invest in Africa, especially in Nigeria.

    For Nigerians at the congress, it was no surprise that the country ranks so high on the market-performance index of the ITU. At home, there is a growing tendency to vilify the NCC and dismiss the sector as under-achieving but the world sees Nigeria differently. The nation’s telecom regulator is ranked among the best in the world and it has in recent years become the most realistic tool to benchmark the regulatory authorities in other emerging markets. Juwah sees these attributes translating to good times for the nation in the coming years. He projects that by 2015 the contribution of the ICT sector to the GDP would have shot up from the present 5.6 percent to between 13 and 15 percent. This is not an overstatement. It is a realistic forecast given the strategic interventions of the NCC and the bouquet of incentives which the Nigerian government has outlined for investors.

    This year’s mobile congress in Barcelona simply served notice to the world that Africa is rising and can no longer be ignored. More gratifying is the global perception that Nigeria ideally defines the African market. Selling Africa, nay Nigeria, to the world is usually a tough job especially in the face of the stereotype that Africa is nothing but a spot on the global map where the most ludicrous and the downright ridiculous coexist; where famine, hunger, crime and corruption stomp the streets and marketplace. Such sordid profiling is worse for Nigeria but telecom has come to add a veneer of gloss to the nation’s grubby image.

    Back home, Juwah has promised to move service delivery in the sector to the next level with the expansion of broadband service and the introduction of mobile number portability. He has rallied the private sector to invest more in infrastructure and network expansion even as he has sharpened the regulatory instincts of the NCC. A mix of this and the enthusiasm he stirred among the global players in Barcelona would precipitate yet another telecom revolution in the country; this time, in data penetration and access. The auguries point to a bright and beautiful telecom future.