Telecom
ISPs Seek Government Support, Task ATCON for More Advocacy
In a bid to ensure sustainable growth in its sector, the Internet Service Provider (ISP) stakeholders have called on the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to increase governmental support on its sector as over 568 ISP licensees have gone inactive.
This call was made during the panel session at the Telecoms Sector Sustainability Forum organized by Business Remarks media held on Thursday, July 7 2022 in Lagos State.
Expressing his views, Mr Micheal Ayoade, Chief Executive Officier of Dotmac Technologies, tasked ATCON for more advocacy as regards issues militating against their survival and growth in the industry.
According to Ayoade, ISPs are charged a higher rate than others for Right of Way in most states. Using Lagos State as an example, he said license operators pay a cheaper rate compared to ISPs, who are charged ten times more than the agreed N145 per meter rate linear for RoW.
He said ISPs lack unified backup to fight their cause and push for the agreed rate from the state government and taxes demanded by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).
Speaking on improving quality of service through laying of fibres and cables, Ayoade emphasized that without ATCON speaking for them in the industry, the cost overhead carried by individual company for survival will eventually lead to their untimely death.
“Collaborations among ISPs is important but not very straightforward because each Internet Service Providers determine their price structure through cost incurred, keeping manpower and other business risks”.
On his part, Mr Tony Emoekpere, Managing Director for MangoNet Integrated Technologies said the ISPs sub-sector is too fragmented to scale up. He berated the fact that ISPs players are close to 1000 in number.
Emoekpere said this shows that indigenous players do not understand the market terrain.
“Local content is a real challenge. The telecommunications business is a long-time investment which requires continuous investment and pressure to upgrade infrastructure.
“You don’t have to own all the infrastructures to provide service. In Orlando, there are just three major ISPs. Foreign companies are taking advantage of this market because they understand the value of collaboration with key players and their area of strength”.
Sharing views Ayoade, FiberOne Broadband Head of Sales and Marketing, Mr Kehinde Joda stated that multiple taxations, high cost of RoW, and operating in silos kill small businesses in the ISPs sub-sector.
While charging the umbrella body, ATCON on more advocacy, Joda said the sub-sector lacks necessary support. There are different tiers of the banking system such as some finance houses and microfinance banks supporting other industries.
Speaking further during the panel session, he said although there is excess capacity landing at the sea shores, there is a need for last-mile internet connectivity in the hinterlands. He also decried the high cost of fuel, vandalism, activities of street thugs, and mobile network operators disruption as part of the challenges ISPs face.
“There will be healthy competition, pricing and collaborations if the Nigerian Communications Commission can make the right policies for ISPs sustainability”, Joda noted.
Also eStream Networks CEO, Mr Muyiwa Ogungboye, represented by Mr Martins Akingba berated the lack of governmental support for the ISPs sub-sector in the telecommunications industry.
He highlighted that the government has not fulfilled its part towards ISPs’ sub-sector growth and sustainability. He, therefore, owns the present existence of ISPs to the resilience and ingenuity of businessmen in Nigeria.
In his words, “there is a certain level of investment needed to be made by the government, that was never made. The government have done nothing to sustain this industry. There is no National Network Backbone for the ISPs to build on.
Akingba noted that the National Infrastructure was built by the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) who are private business owners.
Moreso, the eStream Boss said it is quite unfortunate that the market takes advantage of the sub-sector because it is too fragmented. NCC needs to step in for ISPs’ growth.
In addition, he stressed the struggle with human capital flight and the huge brain drain in the industry.
He, therefore, urged others to rethink their business models, innovate and become more agile for sustainability and profitability unless they will be forced out of business by the activities of the MNOs.
Akingba further tasked the ISPs to expand into the West African coast, leverage on the opportunities made available to them and also think of sustainability strategies for growth.
WTES Projects Limited Chief Operating Officer (COO), Mr Chidi Ajuzie said the ISPs are struggling because of the regulatory and licensing framework. According to him communities ISPs cannot survive this terrain.
“ISPs in the United States and other countries survive because there is a universal player and universal infrastructure environment in existence. NCC, the government and others concerned need to build a National Uniform Infrastructure”.
He urged ISPs players to become more familiar with industry trends and initiatives both locally and globally to sustain their growth.
Ajuzie also harps on collaboration with players who already own infrastructures for efficiency and faster growth.
ipNX CEO, Segun Okuneye stated that the regulator, NCC needs to watch and support the industry sub-sector to ensure its survival in terms of infrastructures, pricing and creating enabling environment.
“NCC have an obligation to ensure its licensees survival irrespective of the activities of the MNOs. It is sad that states government are missing it when they focused only on increasing Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) because when they forced the ISPs out of business, unfortunately unemployment increase, taxes unpaid and so many things lost.”
Okuneye also advised ISPs to invest wisely and leverage of other backbone to grow and survive.
Equinoxcore Technology CEO, Mr Lanre Olanrewaju lamented the huge decline in turnover, subscriber base, challenges the struggle ISP face and the ever-changing policies.
In her opening speech, the convener of the Forum and Managing Editor of Business Remarks, Mrs. Bukola Olanrewaju said: “Over the years, studies have shown that the licence renewal rate of ISPs in Nigeria continues to drop, even as others take up the licence. In view of the critical need for internet connectivity for the digital economy and for mass digitalisation of Nigeria, the role of ISPs is central also for uptake of internet of things (IoT).”
Internet Service Providers in the Nigerian telecommunications industry have been struggling to stay afloat due to challenges confronting their market to remain in business, expand operations and post profit every financial year. In line with the above, findings also showed that most of the ISPs who served the enterprise market lost revenue during the pandemic because their services were cancelled or suspended, despite procuring wholesale capacity,” she noted.
The event enjoyed the sponsorship and participation of the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC), Skymax Integrated Network Limited, IPNX, eStream Networks, WTES Projects Limited, MangoNet Integrated Technologies, FibreOne Broadband, Dotmac Technologies, ICSL, NITDA
P) stakeholders have called on the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to increase governmental support on its sector as over 568 ISP licensees have gone inactive.
This call was made during the panel session at the Telecoms Sector Sustainability Forum organized by Business Remarks media held on Thursday, July 7 2022 in Lagos State.
Expressing his views, Mr Micheal Ayoade, Chief Executive Officier of Dotmac Technologies, tasked ATCON for more advocacy as regards issues militating against their survival and growth in the industry.
According to Ayoade, ISPs are charged a higher rate than others for Right of Way in most states. Using Lagos State as an example, he said license operators pay a cheaper rate compared to ISPs, who are charged ten times more than the agreed N145 per meter rate linear for RoW.
He said ISPs lack unified backup to fight their cause and push for the agreed rate from the state government and taxes demanded by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).
Speaking on improving quality of service through laying of fibres and cables, Ayoade emphasized that without ATCON speaking for them in the industry, the cost overhead carried by individual company for survival will eventually lead to their untimely death.
“Collaborations among ISPs is important but not very straightforward because each Internet Service Providers determine their price structure through cost incurred, keeping manpower and other business risks”.
On his part, Mr Tony Emoekpere, Managing Director for MangoNet Integrated Technologies said the ISPs sub-sector is too fragmented to scale up. He berated the fact that ISPs players are close to 1000 in number.
Emoekpere said this shows that indigenous players do not understand the market terrain.
“Local content is a real challenge. The telecommunications business is a long-time investment which requires continuous investment and pressure to upgrade infrastructure.
“You don’t have to own all the infrastructures to provide service. In Orlando, there are just three major ISPs. Foreign companies are taking advantage of this market because they understand the value of collaboration with key players and their area of strength”.
Sharing views Ayoade, FiberOne Broadband Head of Sales and Marketing, Mr Kehinde Joda stated that multiple taxations, high cost of RoW, and operating in silos kill small businesses in the ISPs sub-sector.
While charging the umbrella body, ATCON on more advocacy, Joda said the sub-sector lacks necessary support. There are different tiers of the banking system such as some finance houses and microfinance banks supporting other industries.
Speaking further during the panel session, he said although there is excess capacity landing at the sea shores, there is a need for last-mile internet connectivity in the hinterlands. He also decried the high cost of fuel, vandalism, activities of street thugs, and mobile network operators disruption as part of the challenges ISPs face.
“There will be healthy competition, pricing and collaborations if the Nigerian Communications Commission can make the right policies for ISPs sustainability”, Joda noted.
Also eStream Networks CEO, Mr Muyiwa Ogungboye, represented by Mr Martins Akingba berated the lack of governmental support for the ISPs sub-sector in the telecommunications industry.
He highlighted that the government has not fulfilled its part towards ISPs’ sub-sector growth and sustainability. He, therefore, owns the present existence of ISPs to the resilience and ingenuity of businessmen in Nigeria.
In his words, “there is a certain level of investment needed to be made by the government, that was never made. The government have done nothing to sustain this industry. There is no National Network Backbone for the ISPs to build on.
Akingba noted that the National Infrastructure was built by the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) who are private business owners.
Moreso, the eStream Boss said it is quite unfortunate that the market takes advantage of the sub-sector because it is too fragmented. NCC needs to step in for ISPs’ growth.
In addition, he stressed the struggle with human capital flight and the huge brain drain in the industry.
He, therefore, urged others to rethink their business models, innovate and become more agile for sustainability and profitability unless they will be forced out of business by the activities of the MNOs.
Akingba further tasked the ISPs to expand into the West African coast, leverage on the opportunities made available to them and also think of sustainability strategies for growth.
WTES Projects Limited Chief Operating Officer (COO), Mr Chidi Ajuzie said the ISPs are struggling because of the regulatory and licensing framework. According to him communities ISPs cannot survive this terrain.
“ISPs in the United States and other countries survive because there is a universal player and universal infrastructure environment in existence. NCC, the government and others concerned need to build a National Uniform Infrastructure”.
He urged ISPs players to become more familiar with industry trends and initiatives both locally and globally to sustain their growth.
Ajuzie also harps on collaboration with players who already own infrastructures for efficiency and faster growth.
ipNX CEO, Segun Okuneye stated that the regulator, NCC needs to watch and support the industry sub-sector to ensure its survival in terms of infrastructures, pricing and creating enabling environment.
“NCC have an obligation to ensure its licensees survival irrespective of the activities of the MNOs. It is sad that states government are missing it when they focused only on increasing Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) because when they forced the ISPs out of business, unfortunately unemployment increase, taxes unpaid and so many things lost.”
Okuneye also advised ISPs to invest wisely and leverage of other backbone to grow and survive.
Equinoxcore Technology CEO, Mr Lanre Olanrewaju lamented the huge decline in turnover, subscriber base, challenges the struggle ISP face and the ever-changing policies.
In her opening speech, the convener of the Forum and Managing Editor of Business Remarks, Mrs. Bukola Olanrewaju said: “Over the years, studies have shown that the licence renewal rate of ISPs in Nigeria continues to drop, even as others take up the licence. In view of the critical need for internet connectivity for the digital economy and for mass digitalisation of Nigeria, the role of ISPs is central also for uptake of internet of things (IoT).”
Internet Service Providers in the Nigerian telecommunications industry have been struggling to stay afloat due to challenges confronting their market to remain in business, expand operations and post profit every financial year. In line with the above, findings also showed that most of the ISPs who served the enterprise market lost revenue during the pandemic because their services were cancelled or suspended, despite procuring wholesale capacity,” she noted.
The event enjoyed the sponsorship and participation of the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC), Skymax Integrated Network Limited, IPNX, eStream Networks, WTES Projects Limited, MangoNet Integrated Technologies, FibreOne Broadband, Dotmac Technologies, ICSL, NITDA
Telecom
Coker Urges Africa to Close Digital Infrastructure Gap for Prosperity
Ayotunde Coker, Chief Executive Officer of Open Access Data Centre, has said that closing Africa’s digital infrastructure gap is the key to increasing prosperity on the continent.
“Closing the digital infrastructure gap is key to Africa’s prosperity,” he said this in his keynote speech at the ‘Hyperscalers Convergence Africa’ event held in Lagos on Thursday.
The inaugural Hyperscalers conference was organised by Africa Hyperscalers Media and was aimed at uniting the continent’s digital infrastructure community.
Coker stated that Africa accounts for about 17 percent of the world’s population but contributes only around 4 percent of the global GDP. This disparity, which he termed the prosperity gap, is closely linked to Africa’s underdeveloped digital infrastructure.
For instance, nine submarine cables deliver internet capacity to Nigeria’s shores, but a 90,000-kilometer fiber infrastructure gap results in slow and unreliable internet access in the country. Gaps like this hurt the economic potential of the most populous African nation.
“Meaningful broadband connectivity, which is measured by speed, latency, and cost, is necessary for economic development,” he stated.
He urged governments and businesses to focus on expanding fibre networks and improving broadband services to support digital growth. He noted the role of supportive regulations, arguing that while some African countries have made progress in implementing regulations for the digital economy, more needs to be done.
“There needs to be collaboration between governments, regulatory bodies, and the private sector to create an environment that fosters investment in digital infrastructure,” Coker stated.
He acknowledged ongoing efforts in Nigeria and across the continent to improve visibility and support for digital projects but warned that progress would remain limited unless the underlying infrastructure gaps were addressed.
“Africa must light up its dark digital spine,” Coker stated, emphasising the need for revolutionary efforts to drive corporate adoption of digital infrastructure and broadband connectivity. “Without these steps, Africa’s economic growth would continue to be stifled by its underdeveloped digital landscape,” he added.
Also corroborating Coker, Deremi Atanda, the chief executive officer of Remita Payments, noted that connectivity can transform Africa’s innovation and economy.
During a panel session themed ‘Innovating Towards Africa’s Digital Future,’ he stressed that the continent’s prosperity lies in the strength of its digital infrastructure.
“The prosperity of Africa is dependent on the quality of our digital infrastructure. Connectivity has the power to redefine Africa’s innovation,” Atanda said.
He explained that the ability of Africans to take responsibility for their own challenges will only improve with better digital infrastructure. “We must respond to Africa’s needs when it comes to digital infrastructure. It will enable Africans to better understand their problems and improve their quality of life across the continent.”
Frank Eleanya, Senior Writer for Business, and Big Tech at TechCabal, acknowledged that while efforts have been made to improve digital infrastructure, there has been a lack of leadership to fully realize these goals.
“What’s needed is the leadership to make it all happen. We have the capacity, but leadership must wake up and translate all these plans into reality,” Eleanya said.
Wabo Majavu, Executive of Strategy and Business Operations at Africa Data Centre, pointed out that involving communities in Africa’s innovation journey requires monitoring and measuring impact. “When you look at the opportunities, there’s a need to talk about access,” Majavu noted.
Telecom
Public-Private Partnerships for Infrastructure Development: Insights from Anambra and Lagos States
At the Hyperscalers Convergence Africa Conference held recently at the Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos, leading experts in technology and infrastructure development convened to discuss regulatory frameworks for fostering digital infrastructure in Africa.
Among the distinguished panelists were the Honorable Commissioner for Innovation, Science, and Technology, Lagos State, Olatubosun Alake, and the Managing Director/CEO of the Anambra State ICT Agency, Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata, who shared insights from their respective states on the journey so far.
In his remarks, Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata, CFA, highlighted Anambra’s success story through Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), particularly in digital infrastructure development.
He noted that Governor Charles Soludo’s initiative to waive Right of Way (RoW) charges was pivotal in attracting investors and enhancing ease of business, following the examples set by Lagos and Kaduna.
“Governor Soludo’s decision to waive RoW charges significantly boosted connectivity and economic growth in the state,” CFA said.
“Government is financially burdened, so we have focused on collaborating with local partners to connect our services.
For the first time, we now have a civil service with access to the internet – another successful example of PPP in action.”
A major component of the state’s digital transformation strategy has been leveraging partnerships with local businesses to foster digital access across government institutions.
CFA emphasized that such collaborations were critical for states, not just Anambra, as efficient resource management is key to meeting diverse governance priorities.
“Partnerships as this enable progress in areas like digital infrastructure without placing the full burden on government resources, making them a vital part of modern governance”. He concluded.
Olatubosun Alake, Lagos State’s Commissioner for Innovation, Science, and Technology, highlighted the importance of stakeholder consultation and advocacy, particularly when engaging the private sector.
He urged companies to establish their own codes of conduct to ensure smooth interactions with the government and legislative bodies, which play a critical role in reforms aimed at fostering ease of doing business.
“Ease of doing business is pivotal because it determines whether an investor will engage,” Alake said.
He also emphasized the importance of qualified personnel in civil service sectors and advocated for competitive pay packages to ensure optimal service delivery.
Other distinguished panelists included Dr. Ayotunde Coker, Chairman, Africa Data Centres Association; Tony Izuagbe Emoekpere, President, Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria; and Douglas Njenga, Director of Regulatory Affairs and Special Projects, WIOCC Group. The session was moderated by Sade Dada, Public Policy Manager for Anglophone West Africa at Meta.
The discussions underscored the importance of regulatory frameworks, partnerships, and targeted reforms in driving digital infrastructure development across Nigeria and the African continent.
Telecom
Trump’s Crypto-business: What Does it Portend for American People if he Wins the Election?
Donald Trump is promising to make America the “crypto capital of the planet” if he returns to the White House.
While he runs for president, Trump has launched a new venture to trade cryptocurrencies – promoting them on the same social media accounts that he uses for his campaign.
His two eldest sons, Donald Jr. and Eric, are also posting about their new platform, called World Liberty Financial.
So, too, is his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, who is married to Eric and also serves as co-chair of the Republican National Committee.
Trump has long melded his political and business interests, promoting his hotels and golf courses in the White House while selling sneakers, Bibles and shares in his social media company during his current campaign.
Now, Trump has launched a new moneymaking venture that could explode in value if he’s elected.
What’s more, presidential power could allow him to push through legislative and regulatory changes long sought by crypto advocates.
“Taking a pro-crypto stance is not necessarily troubling; the troubling aspect is doing it while starting a way to personally benefit from it,” said Jordan Libowitz, a spokesperson for the government watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.
“The success of this could be very tied to American economic policy,” Libowitz said.
Trump has changed his tune
Cryptocurrencies are forms of digital money that can be traded over the internet without relying on the global banking system.
They are commonly traded on exchanges, which are marketplaces that can be used to buy, sell and trade cryptocurrencies.
Exchanges often charge fees for withdrawals of Bitcoin and other currencies.
World Liberty Financial – linked to Trump – is expected to be a borrowing and lending service similar to recently hacked Dough Finance, an app built by four people listed as World Liberty Financial team members, according to crypto news site CoinDesk.
Many details about World Liberty Financial, including what stake Trump and his family members have in it, are still unknown.
After Lara Trump posted Tuesday on her X account about “our goal at World Liberty”, her husband, Eric Trump, posted online that Lara and his sister, Tiffany, had been hacked.
During his time in the White House, Trump said he was “not a fan” of cryptocurrency and tweeted in 2019: “Unregulated Crypto Assets can facilitate unlawful behaviour, including drug trade and other illegal activity.”
Trump has since, however, changed his tune and taken on a more favourable view of cryptocurrencies.
In May, he announced that his presidential campaign would begin accepting donations in cryptocurrency as part of an effort to build a “crypto army” leading up to Election Day.
The former president also attended a bitcoin conference in Nashville this year, where he promised to make the US the “crypto capital of the planet”.
Influence on monetary policy
If elected again, Trump has talked about exerting more control over monetary policy, suggesting he would press the Federal Reserve to set lower interest rates.
He is also promoting decentralised finance, or “DeFi,” which is a general term for using public blockchain space to disrupt the traditional finance world.
Trump has also talked about subsidising the use of Bitcoin mining in order to increase energy production and has vowed to block the creation of a Federal Reserve-administered Central Bank Digital Currency.
This is a digital form of central bank money that would be available to the public.
Appealing to the crypto voter base
Embracing cryptocurrency could be another way for the Trump campaign to reach younger men, including by engaging with conservative influencers.
Crypto also appeals to Trump allies who are concerned about government influence over global markets and worry generally about the reach of the so-called “deep state”.
Dustin Stockton, a pro-Trump activist turned crypto influencer, said he is supportive of the former president’s endeavours in the crypto space and the upcoming launch of World Liberty Financial.
“The Trump family’s engagement and involvement, and learning what it is that underlies crypto, I think is actually a really positive thing,” he said.
Stockton points to the Biden administration as anti-crypto, citing SEC head Gary Gensler’s pursuit of firms like Coinbase and Binance.
A conflict of interest?
While the White House issued an executive order on digital assets in 2022, no substantive laws have been passed by Congress or written into regulation by the White House.
Stockton said the lack of clarity of written rules by the Biden administration, as well as the SEC’s heavy-handed enforcement on crypto firms through a series of lawsuits, indicates that “there’s no clarity and there’s selective and arbitrary enforcement of regulations”.
“Frankly, I’d like to see all members of government get a better understanding of what this is,” he said.
J.W. Verret, a professor at George Mason University’s law school, said Trump would not be in violation of the law by launching a new project and promoting policies that would benefit it.
“I don’t see any problem with someone, anyone in government who owns assets or who starts a business – in fact, I think it’s hard for someone to regulate a particular type of business unless they work in that business,” he said.
Credit: Euronews except headline
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