BlogIT_Naija
Abridging the DigITal Divide Between 3G World & "Africa's Eco-hub."
Thursday 27 December 2007, 5:48 AM
Voice over IT–stakeholders berate GSM operators on QoS, rules of engagement
The claims by Nigeria’s leading telecoms operators that poor power generation in the country was responsible for the poor quality of service experienced in recent times in the sector has been regarded as unfounded by a foremost ICT figure.
In self-justification, almost all the mobile operators in the country have declared that because there is energy and power crisis in Nigeria, leading to low power generation, they have resorted to generating power themselves which is not enough to provide optimum level of service required in a robust and wide market economy like Nigeria.
But Engineer Bayo Banjo who doubles as the Managing Director of Disc Communications and 2nd Vice President of the Association of Telecom Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), described the excuse as an ‘untenable subterfuge’, at a round table discussion after lead presentation at opening of the 12th edition of ATCON international exhibition and conference programme, NICOMM 2007.
He said rather than the poor energy story, the operators’ quest to make profit by all means was largely responsible for the poor turn out of telecom services that subscribers have come to grapple with in recent times.
“It’s laughable when operators harp on energy and power crisis in Nigeria each time they are confronted with poor services they are rendering to subscribers. But we know that power is not actually the real issue; the truth is that operators are not obeying the law and the regulator seems slow to wield the big stick. The quest to make huge profit is largely responsible because the operator, if what they are declaring as profits are true can even generate adequate power supply and still provide quality services at affordable prices.”
Earlier while declaring the event open, the President of ATCON, Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem had wonder why any investor in Nigeria would not be happy to obey regulations, expand his investments and tap on numerous potential of good business climate that Nigeria has been blessed with.
According to Ekuwem, Nigeria is regarded as one of the fastest growing telecom markets in the world today and unarguably the fastest growing telecom market in Africa and is reputedly ranked with top ICT service hungry populations in the world. In his analysis, “Nigeria has a vibrant population of about 140 to 150 million dynamic human beings who can afford some basic ICT service. The local currency has a fairly strong local purchasing power; the enabling policies and laws are encouraging; the regulatory ambience is competent; those who took the lead to invest in 2000/2001 are bountifully reaping the fruits of their investments. It is one sector of our national economic life that we have not done badly – why will a would-be investor, local or foreign, tarry to invest in Nigeria?”
However he raised an alarm over the increasing rate of importing foreign content into the Nigerian market, saying that “the low level of local content in the telecom industry in particular and the ICT industry in general, is not encouraging – more than 90% of the materials used are imported; hardware, software, firmware, etc.
Do we even have a sufficient critical mass of highly skilled manpower?”
He advised that stakeholders in Nigerian economy should “let the next wave of growth in the industry be ICT market-targeted manufacturing and assembly of goods. Otherwise, its funny that we daily, flock the Customs warehouses in the ports (sea and air) to clear goods and carry same into the country for business. When will we begin the process of reversing the trend; that is, go to Customs warehouses to register goods for export?
I know our industry has done a lot in creating jobs; but I know that we can do more to alleviate poverty, create wealth, take a lot of boys and girls off the streets by creating jobs and contribute to a buoyant national well-being. We must not forget that there’re no self-made area-boys or area-girls, or militants, it is the economic situation that made them. Let all contribute to enhancing social security; at that time, we can say with confidence that this industry is sustainable.”
-Dis na Naija!
-doregos.
Tributes:
The Vanguard Newspaper - http://www.vanguardngr.com
In self-justification, almost all the mobile operators in the country have declared that because there is energy and power crisis in Nigeria, leading to low power generation, they have resorted to generating power themselves which is not enough to provide optimum level of service required in a robust and wide market economy like Nigeria.
But Engineer Bayo Banjo who doubles as the Managing Director of Disc Communications and 2nd Vice President of the Association of Telecom Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), described the excuse as an ‘untenable subterfuge’, at a round table discussion after lead presentation at opening of the 12th edition of ATCON international exhibition and conference programme, NICOMM 2007.
He said rather than the poor energy story, the operators’ quest to make profit by all means was largely responsible for the poor turn out of telecom services that subscribers have come to grapple with in recent times.
“It’s laughable when operators harp on energy and power crisis in Nigeria each time they are confronted with poor services they are rendering to subscribers. But we know that power is not actually the real issue; the truth is that operators are not obeying the law and the regulator seems slow to wield the big stick. The quest to make huge profit is largely responsible because the operator, if what they are declaring as profits are true can even generate adequate power supply and still provide quality services at affordable prices.”
Earlier while declaring the event open, the President of ATCON, Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem had wonder why any investor in Nigeria would not be happy to obey regulations, expand his investments and tap on numerous potential of good business climate that Nigeria has been blessed with.
According to Ekuwem, Nigeria is regarded as one of the fastest growing telecom markets in the world today and unarguably the fastest growing telecom market in Africa and is reputedly ranked with top ICT service hungry populations in the world. In his analysis, “Nigeria has a vibrant population of about 140 to 150 million dynamic human beings who can afford some basic ICT service. The local currency has a fairly strong local purchasing power; the enabling policies and laws are encouraging; the regulatory ambience is competent; those who took the lead to invest in 2000/2001 are bountifully reaping the fruits of their investments. It is one sector of our national economic life that we have not done badly – why will a would-be investor, local or foreign, tarry to invest in Nigeria?”
However he raised an alarm over the increasing rate of importing foreign content into the Nigerian market, saying that “the low level of local content in the telecom industry in particular and the ICT industry in general, is not encouraging – more than 90% of the materials used are imported; hardware, software, firmware, etc.
Do we even have a sufficient critical mass of highly skilled manpower?”
He advised that stakeholders in Nigerian economy should “let the next wave of growth in the industry be ICT market-targeted manufacturing and assembly of goods. Otherwise, its funny that we daily, flock the Customs warehouses in the ports (sea and air) to clear goods and carry same into the country for business. When will we begin the process of reversing the trend; that is, go to Customs warehouses to register goods for export?
I know our industry has done a lot in creating jobs; but I know that we can do more to alleviate poverty, create wealth, take a lot of boys and girls off the streets by creating jobs and contribute to a buoyant national well-being. We must not forget that there’re no self-made area-boys or area-girls, or militants, it is the economic situation that made them. Let all contribute to enhancing social security; at that time, we can say with confidence that this industry is sustainable.”
-Dis na Naija!
-doregos.
Tributes:
The Vanguard Newspaper - http://www.vanguardngr.com
Wednesday 19 December 2007, 8:09 AM
NCC to impose fines on operators over poor service
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is to start imposing fines on telecommunications operators for poor services delivery. Mr Ernest Ndukwe, the Executive Vice Chairman of the commission made the statement in Ikeja on Saturday at a breakfast meeting with newsmen at Sheraton Hotels Ikeja.
He said “We are coming up with fines on operators whose network are congested above 10 per cent. He said that such subscribers will be made to refund to subscribers N175 air time.
He said in the future that as infrastructure improves NCC will reduce the allowable congestion to 5 per cent.
According to him some state government have placed obstacle in the path of expanding the number of base stations in the country by imposing all manner of taxes and by not allowing the erection of mast by operators.
He said the fact that people always crowded the operator’s offices with complaints meant that the quality of service offered to subscribers was nothing to write home about. Ndukwe urged the operators to open additional customer care centres to attend to subscribers promptly.
He called on the operators to also build more base stations for better service, saying that the number of base stations in the country, which he put at about 10,000, was grossly inadequate saying that for quality of service to improve Nigeria require not less than 40,000 base stations as in the UK which has 40,000 base stations.
“We are building infrastructure in Nigeria which we are not able to build since independence,’’ said, noting that “it was just six years ago that some infrastructure came up”
The NCC Executive Vice Chairman rated the services offered by the operators as poor, advising them to show more seriousness in their service delivery.
(From Vanguard Online Edition - Wednesday, 19 December 2007 - http://www.vanguardngr.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3242&Itemid=0)
-Dis na Naija!
-doregos.
Tributes:
The Vanguard Newspaper - http://www.vanguardngr.c
He said “We are coming up with fines on operators whose network are congested above 10 per cent. He said that such subscribers will be made to refund to subscribers N175 air time.
He said in the future that as infrastructure improves NCC will reduce the allowable congestion to 5 per cent.
According to him some state government have placed obstacle in the path of expanding the number of base stations in the country by imposing all manner of taxes and by not allowing the erection of mast by operators.
He said the fact that people always crowded the operator’s offices with complaints meant that the quality of service offered to subscribers was nothing to write home about. Ndukwe urged the operators to open additional customer care centres to attend to subscribers promptly.
He called on the operators to also build more base stations for better service, saying that the number of base stations in the country, which he put at about 10,000, was grossly inadequate saying that for quality of service to improve Nigeria require not less than 40,000 base stations as in the UK which has 40,000 base stations.
“We are building infrastructure in Nigeria which we are not able to build since independence,’’ said, noting that “it was just six years ago that some infrastructure came up”
The NCC Executive Vice Chairman rated the services offered by the operators as poor, advising them to show more seriousness in their service delivery.
(From Vanguard Online Edition - Wednesday, 19 December 2007 - http://www.vanguardngr.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3242&Itemid=0)
-Dis na Naija!
-doregos.
Tributes:
The Vanguard Newspaper - http://www.vanguardngr.c
Wednesday 19 December 2007, 6:55 AM
Yar’Adua tows the line of his predecessor –grants last mile mobile license
Despite the petitioning of NigComSat by well-meaning telecom pundits and economists over its seeking undue nudging from the presidency, it is saddening and debasing that President Yar’Adua would mandate the Nigerian Communications Commission to grant a mobile operating license “immediately” to the cry-baby.
(Read the prelude; Last mile telecom licensing – NigComSat's controversy- http://community.zdnet.co.uk/blog/0,1000000567,10005842o-209737b,00.htm)
The status quo
It is pertinent to note that with the approval of Federal Executive Council, the adoption and publication of the National Telecoms Policy (NTP), the Nigerian Government firmly resolved to liberalize the telecommunications market and promote competition. One of the policy objectives of the NTP was the restructuring and privatization of NITEL and M-TEL by the divestment of majority shares owned by the government to the private sector. This has been achieved by the sale of a substantial portion of government interest in NITEL and M-TEL to Transcorp.
The NTP clearly recognizes the value effect of competition and regulation when it states:
“The Federal Government of Nigeria will actively liberalize the telecommunications market and encourage the participation of the private sectors at all levels. Accordingly, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) will be charged with the responsibility of issuing licenses to all telecommunications operators, assignment of frequencies and numbering, and establishing and enforcing regulations that ensure fair and equitable competitive practices among all telecommunications operators”.
The argument didn’t sit well with the NigComSat officials who easily pointed to the license granted Abu Dhabi based Mobadala Trading Company early in the year for $400 million. They insisted that Mobadala, an UAE government owned company was not a telecom operator but still got a license from NCC. NigComSat viewed that as ‘double’ speak.
However, this line of argument is punctured because Mobadala came into Nigeria under a bi-lateral trade agreement between both governments in Abuja and Abu Dhabi.
All is not rosy –GSM subscribers
Nigeria’s major mobile operators have come under public scrutiny recently over poor quality of service. The National Assembly has also held a public hearing on the mobile operators QoS, whilst the Minister of Communications, John Odey, has had to call on the NCC to penalize the operators for their poor services.
In September, the NCC issued a directive to the operators on the poor QoS with a warning the may face sanction from November 1, 2007 if they continue to offer poor services to the public. The sanctions may include daily surcharge on their billings to the customers, which the NCC insists may be offered to their subscribers as airtime rebate.
NigComSat prides its services and mandate
Ahmed Rufai, Managing Director of NigComSat believes the company is better placed to not only offer last mile mobile services, and insisted it would also be in position to offer rural telephony which the existing operators promised but are not yet offering. He had argued that NigComSat mobile operation would e devoid of the current poor QoS experienced on existing operators.
Mr. Niyi Ibietan -Head, Corporate Communications of NigComSat Ltd- stated last week in Abuja that the letter from President Yar’ Adua to the Minister of Science and Technology, Mrs. Grace Ekpiwhre, conveying the directive has been delivered to its chief executive, Rufai.
Part of President Yar’ Adua’s directive to the NCC stated that the “Ministry of Science and Technology is to liaise with the NCC to implement the directive”. Ibietan expressed appreciation of the satellite firm’s management to the president’s directive. “The management of NigComSat remains thankful to all practitioners of mass communication and other stakeholders for their rational articulations in defense of our position.”
The grey licensing
NigComSat Limited is s company operating under the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology with a mission to be the leading communication satellite operator and service provider in Africa. It is a public–private partnership with the private arm envisaged to have a controlling share.
It launched the first geostationary communication satellite – NigComSat-1 – in Sub-Saharan Africa last May, which has C, Ku, Ka, and L bands. It promised to “provide comprehensive, transmission and application services via digital or analogue system. And would operate same by either fixed or mobile satellite, direct broadcast satellite services, end-to-end solution and also engage transponder leasing services”.
What is however not clear from the presidential directive to the NCC is on the nature of ‘express’ license that NigComSat got. Industry analysts argued that if the directive exempt it from paying licensing fee, that would have negated the principle of ‘free enterprise’.
(Adapted from the Vanguard newspaper - October 29, 2007)
-Dis na Naija!
-doregos.
Tributes:
The Vanguard Newspaper - http://www.vanguardngr.com
(Read the prelude; Last mile telecom licensing – NigComSat's controversy- http://community.zdnet.co.uk/blog/0,1000000567,10005842o-209737b,00.htm)
The status quo
It is pertinent to note that with the approval of Federal Executive Council, the adoption and publication of the National Telecoms Policy (NTP), the Nigerian Government firmly resolved to liberalize the telecommunications market and promote competition. One of the policy objectives of the NTP was the restructuring and privatization of NITEL and M-TEL by the divestment of majority shares owned by the government to the private sector. This has been achieved by the sale of a substantial portion of government interest in NITEL and M-TEL to Transcorp.
The NTP clearly recognizes the value effect of competition and regulation when it states:
“The Federal Government of Nigeria will actively liberalize the telecommunications market and encourage the participation of the private sectors at all levels. Accordingly, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) will be charged with the responsibility of issuing licenses to all telecommunications operators, assignment of frequencies and numbering, and establishing and enforcing regulations that ensure fair and equitable competitive practices among all telecommunications operators”.
The argument didn’t sit well with the NigComSat officials who easily pointed to the license granted Abu Dhabi based Mobadala Trading Company early in the year for $400 million. They insisted that Mobadala, an UAE government owned company was not a telecom operator but still got a license from NCC. NigComSat viewed that as ‘double’ speak.
However, this line of argument is punctured because Mobadala came into Nigeria under a bi-lateral trade agreement between both governments in Abuja and Abu Dhabi.
All is not rosy –GSM subscribers
Nigeria’s major mobile operators have come under public scrutiny recently over poor quality of service. The National Assembly has also held a public hearing on the mobile operators QoS, whilst the Minister of Communications, John Odey, has had to call on the NCC to penalize the operators for their poor services.
In September, the NCC issued a directive to the operators on the poor QoS with a warning the may face sanction from November 1, 2007 if they continue to offer poor services to the public. The sanctions may include daily surcharge on their billings to the customers, which the NCC insists may be offered to their subscribers as airtime rebate.
NigComSat prides its services and mandate
Ahmed Rufai, Managing Director of NigComSat believes the company is better placed to not only offer last mile mobile services, and insisted it would also be in position to offer rural telephony which the existing operators promised but are not yet offering. He had argued that NigComSat mobile operation would e devoid of the current poor QoS experienced on existing operators.
Mr. Niyi Ibietan -Head, Corporate Communications of NigComSat Ltd- stated last week in Abuja that the letter from President Yar’ Adua to the Minister of Science and Technology, Mrs. Grace Ekpiwhre, conveying the directive has been delivered to its chief executive, Rufai.
Part of President Yar’ Adua’s directive to the NCC stated that the “Ministry of Science and Technology is to liaise with the NCC to implement the directive”. Ibietan expressed appreciation of the satellite firm’s management to the president’s directive. “The management of NigComSat remains thankful to all practitioners of mass communication and other stakeholders for their rational articulations in defense of our position.”
The grey licensing
NigComSat Limited is s company operating under the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology with a mission to be the leading communication satellite operator and service provider in Africa. It is a public–private partnership with the private arm envisaged to have a controlling share.
It launched the first geostationary communication satellite – NigComSat-1 – in Sub-Saharan Africa last May, which has C, Ku, Ka, and L bands. It promised to “provide comprehensive, transmission and application services via digital or analogue system. And would operate same by either fixed or mobile satellite, direct broadcast satellite services, end-to-end solution and also engage transponder leasing services”.
What is however not clear from the presidential directive to the NCC is on the nature of ‘express’ license that NigComSat got. Industry analysts argued that if the directive exempt it from paying licensing fee, that would have negated the principle of ‘free enterprise’.
(Adapted from the Vanguard newspaper - October 29, 2007)
-Dis na Naija!
-doregos.
Tributes:
The Vanguard Newspaper - http://www.vanguardngr.com
Tuesday 18 December 2007, 4:59 AM
From The Boss' Mouth -Telkom, Visafone.
Telkom SA open to mergers
The chief executive of Telkom South Africa says his firm is open to mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures as it looks to expand its presence in both the fixed line and mobile sectors. Reuben September says a deal is likely within months, Dow Jones reports, since the telco is keen to push ahead with fixed-mobile convergence. Telkom recently ended negotiations with MTN, the South African cellco which was interested in acquiring Telkom’s wireline business, and at the same time halted talks with Vodafone which would have seen the UK-based firm increase its stake in South Africa’s largest mobile operator, Vodacom, which is currently a 50:50 joint venture between Telkom and Vodafone. Options open to Telkom include a tie-up with the other South African mobile provider, Cell C.
(Telegeography's CommsUpdate: http://www.telegeography.com/cu/article.php?article_id=20991&email=html)
Visafone ‘ready to launch’
Nigerian operator Visafone has announced it is ready to launch services. CEO Ninan Thomas said, ‘We will offer the best in terms of quality of service: voice clarity, seamless connectivity, wide coverage, mobile, high speed data (3G) and a host of fantastic value added services,’ adding that Visafone had carried out a number of strategic acquisitions which already guarantee the company 100,000 subscribers and coverage in 40 cities and 13 states including the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja. The company plans to employ over 5,000 Nigerians in the next three years and has entered into long-term partnerships with equipment suppliers and engineers like Huawei and Nokia. Visafone received a unified access service licence from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in July 2007 at a cost of NGN400 million (USD3.2 million). The licence is valid for five years and includes spectrum in the 800MHz band.
(Telegeography's CommsUpdate: http://www.telegeography.com/cu/article.php?article_id=20986&email=html)
-doregos
Tributes:
Telegeography - http://www.telegeography.com
The chief executive of Telkom South Africa says his firm is open to mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures as it looks to expand its presence in both the fixed line and mobile sectors. Reuben September says a deal is likely within months, Dow Jones reports, since the telco is keen to push ahead with fixed-mobile convergence. Telkom recently ended negotiations with MTN, the South African cellco which was interested in acquiring Telkom’s wireline business, and at the same time halted talks with Vodafone which would have seen the UK-based firm increase its stake in South Africa’s largest mobile operator, Vodacom, which is currently a 50:50 joint venture between Telkom and Vodafone. Options open to Telkom include a tie-up with the other South African mobile provider, Cell C.
(Telegeography's CommsUpdate: http://www.telegeography.com/cu/article.php?article_id=20991&email=html)
Visafone ‘ready to launch’
Nigerian operator Visafone has announced it is ready to launch services. CEO Ninan Thomas said, ‘We will offer the best in terms of quality of service: voice clarity, seamless connectivity, wide coverage, mobile, high speed data (3G) and a host of fantastic value added services,’ adding that Visafone had carried out a number of strategic acquisitions which already guarantee the company 100,000 subscribers and coverage in 40 cities and 13 states including the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja. The company plans to employ over 5,000 Nigerians in the next three years and has entered into long-term partnerships with equipment suppliers and engineers like Huawei and Nokia. Visafone received a unified access service licence from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in July 2007 at a cost of NGN400 million (USD3.2 million). The licence is valid for five years and includes spectrum in the 800MHz band.
(Telegeography's CommsUpdate: http://www.telegeography.com/cu/article.php?article_id=20986&email=html)
-doregos
Tributes:
Telegeography - http://www.telegeography.com
Friday 7 December 2007, 3:36 AM
Mergers & Acquisition-the new CDMA order for Nigeria's PTO pioneers.
Challenged by the ground-breaking market penetration of a once telecom market follower -Starcoms- Nigeria's foremost PTOs, Intercellular Nigeria and Multilinks telecommunications are alarmed and treatened by the reality of losing their monopolized and service-rationed subscriber base to their ravaging competitor.
This has necessitated the earlier partnership arrangement between Multilinks telecommunications and Telkom; now in the offing is an astonishing quest by Intercellular to re-route its weakened management channels through Sudatel, while it jettisoned ethnicity with Dangote's Alheri Engineering Ltd.
Starcoms presently enjoy an equal market share-mind with the GSM operators; this feat is not without the seemingly communist direct foreign investment by Huawei Technologies, and Indo-centric management style of the company.
Read related news: Sudatel set to buy over Intercellular (http://businessdayonline.com/Technology/1271.html)
-Dis na Naija!
-doregos.
Tributes:
BUSINESSDAY - http://businessdayonline.com
This has necessitated the earlier partnership arrangement between Multilinks telecommunications and Telkom; now in the offing is an astonishing quest by Intercellular to re-route its weakened management channels through Sudatel, while it jettisoned ethnicity with Dangote's Alheri Engineering Ltd.
Starcoms presently enjoy an equal market share-mind with the GSM operators; this feat is not without the seemingly communist direct foreign investment by Huawei Technologies, and Indo-centric management style of the company.
Read related news: Sudatel set to buy over Intercellular (http://businessdayonline.com/Technology/1271.html)
-Dis na Naija!
-doregos.
Tributes:
BUSINESSDAY - http://businessdayonline.com
