Telecom
Medallion, Galaxy Backbone Make Case for Infrastructure Sharing in ICT Sector
The issue of infrastructure sharing in Nigerian telecommunications industry is extremely important since the resources used to provide the services are limited.
Whether in passive or active model, infrastructure sharing is a key element in promoting healthy competition among market players, with a reasonable investment value and a fair price to be charged to the consumer.
These were the thoughts of panellists at the Mobile and Disruptive Technology Forum (#MoDiTECH2019) organised by TechEconomy.ng in Lagos, recently.
Moderated by Mr. Toba Obaniyi, the Vice President, Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA), the panelists discussed issues around “Infrastructure as a Limitation to Unleashing Digital Services in Nigeria”.
Dr. Kris Ranganath, Chief Technical Officer (CTO), Medallion Communications, speaking during the panel session, reiterated that leveraging the capacity of colocation companies such as Medallion Communications Limited could be the way out for players to reduce capital expenditure (CAPEX) and operational expenditure (OPEX).
Dr. Ranganath said that despite a record of over $70 billion local and foreign direct investments (FDIs) into the country’s telecoms sector, lack of a robust infrastructure remains one of the challenges that have bedevilled the industry.
He said that as the major employer of labour and an enabler of economic development, the industry deserves protection by the government to continue to add value to the GDP.
He said that Medallion Communications Limited, one of West African one-stop interconnect and hosting companies readily comes into the picture as an enabler of colocation model for the country
The CTO said that the Company has preached and has painstakingly been building infrastructure backbone supporting Nigeria’s ICT and telecommunications industry in the area of carrier neutral infrastructure sharing and connectivity over the years and will continue to add value to the ecosystem.
He said, although they have not totally addressed the challenges, but their efforts have given rise to Nigerians appreciating the value of shared infrastructure and data center service delivery.
“The Medallion collocation center, located in Lagos, is today, one of the most connected facilities in Nigeria. Over 80 service providers, including all global system for mobile communications (GSM) operators, code division multiple access (CDMA) operators, fixed wireless and fixed line operators in Nigeria are connected to the Medallion’s collocation center.
“The resilience telecom infrastructure Medallion has built over the years is currently accommodating the hosting of contents from both local and international service providers in Nigeria. Therefore, we are localising a huge percentage of content and data, which were hitherto hosted abroad,” the Medallion Communications CTO added.
He said that while the Company drives colocation, among other services, the client lists also include all long distance, international fiber network operators and metro fiber transmission providers in Nigeria.
More so, Chidi Okpala, Marketing Manager, Galaxy Backbone Limited, said that infrastructure sharing is a way of reducing the costs of investing in networks, increasing the value of the business, optimizing the allocation and use of infrastructures when duplication is impossible, and guaranteeing the compliance with regulatory obligations.
He added that the resultant impact is in an improvement of the conditions of the service provided to the users, especially in offering quality service.
Okpala said that more importantly, infrastructure sharing is always advisable to foster competition in the sector, thus favouring the final consumer, either with an improvement in the quality of the service, or with a possible reduction in the prices charged by the sector.
According to him, Galaxy Backbone has continued to provide connectivity services to Government MDAs across the length and breadth of Nigeria on its 1GOV.ng platform.
“This has given federal government the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of economies of scale and encourage local partnerships”.
Galaxy Backbone (GBB) is the Digital and Shared Services Infrastructure provider of the federal government.
For close to two decades, GBB has continued to strive towards living its mission being, to drive national development through the provision of pervasive ICT Infrastructure and services to public institutions, underserved communities and other stakeholders.
This mission propels the day to day running of the organisation and how it interacts with institutions, local communities and other stakeholders.
Similarly, the persistent infrastructure deficit in the Nigerian telecoms sector are due to obvious multifaceted factors like multiple taxation, vandalism, inconsistent policies, among other factors.
In his contribution, the president, Association of Licensed Mobile Payment Operators (ALMPO), Mr. Chinedu Onuoha, said that in addition to improved infrastructure deployment, introducing innovative solutions that have the potential to reduce costs in digital payments is crucial too.
He said that FinTechs must continue to strive to develop and unleash real-time settlement solutions for financial institutions and capable of impacting of rural dwellers.
He said that standardization through policies cannot be overemphazised as the costs, risks and delays inherent in today’s infrastructure often limit electronic payment products, particularly to large-value transactions.
He referred to the recent issues generated by the Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) charges by banks and telecos could have been addressed through stakeholders’ engagements.
He reminded the participants that infrastructure deficit is chief among the reasons financial institutions find it difficult to even offer low-value payment products.
For instance, banks and licensed mobile money operators lack capacity to manager issues arising from network downtime among other issues.
Mr. Onuoha said that for these reasons and more, ALMPO was formed “to create a voice for the industry in order to create, influence and shape policies, Government legislations and to build standards within the frameworks that will provide stability and growth to the mobile money environment and also to contribute to the economy of the Mobile payment initiative in Nigeria”.
Vitel Wireless, a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), which recently made history as the first operator in Nigeria to be allocated a mobile number series by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is set to launch operations this quarter.
This is sequel to announcement by Wireless Technology Labs (WTL) that t has built the network of Vitel Wireless, and enabled overseas roaming, in preparation for Vitel’s launch.
Vitel Wireless, which is headquartered in Lagos, was licensed by the NCC in 2023 and will be the country’s first MVNO.
Its launch is set to shake up Nigeria’s telecoms market with Vitel offering an alternative to the services of the country’s four major operators—MTN, Airtel, Globacom and 9Mobile.
Vitel’s network will go live in Nigeria’s major cities first and then expand nationwide.
Pricing will be competitive for basic services like voice, SMS and data and Vitel will also focus on value added services like location-based services (LBS) and IOT.
Vitel Wireless is building Experience Centres in Lagos, Abuja, Enugu, Port Harcourt, Kano and Nigeria’s other major cities where customers can purchase SIM cards.
In addition, Vitel is building a distributor network with SIM cards available through retail channels and online subscriptions using eSIMs.
WTL has already completed the integration of Vitel’s infrastructure with the network of a major MNO and has also enabled international roaming using its proprietary advanced core systems.
This means that Vitel will be able to launch as soon as the NCC approves its network and operational model.
Kenneth Nwabueze, CEO of Vitel Wireless, said “We are going to be offering innovative solutions beyond what the big four operators who have dominated Nigeria’s telecoms market are currently offering. We are investing heavily in our operations, and our work with WTL will enable us to launch in Q2, 2025”.
WTL, which is headquartered in Belgium, has been active in Nigeria and across Africa for more than 20 years working with operators of all sizes to rollout both urban and rural networks. Its work has garnered widespread recognition and industry awards.
WTL has already enabled the networks of two of the 46 new MVNOs licensed by the NCC, and recently announced that it is working with Nigeria’s first Mobile Virtual Network Enabler (MVNE) which is constructing new mobile network infrastructure to provide capacity for emerging MVNOs through its Platform as a Service (PaaS) model.
Mr. Satya Mekala, CEO of WTL, said, “I congratulate The NCC for licensing new operators to improve competitiveness, increase rural coverage and drive the adoption of digital services including Fintech, Edtech, Agriculture, IOT and more. I further thank Vitel for giving us the opportunity to showcase our advanced core technologies and wish them great success in becoming the first ever MVNO in Nigeria”.
ipNX, Nigeria’s leading information and communications technology company and connectivity provider is collaborating with the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) to explore opportunities for further growth and development policy alignment in support of the Federal Government of Nigeria’s broadband penetration and digital transformation agenda.
The company recently visited NCC at it Abuja office to strengthen the collaborative relationship between both institutions.
The delegation from ipNX, which was led by Ejovi Aror, group managing director, was received by Dr Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman/chief executive officer, Nigeria Communications Commission.
During the visit, the discussions focused on the current state of internet access in Nigeria, the myriad of challenges being faced by service providers, including but not limited to vandalism of key infrastructure and right of way, as well as the regulatory landscape.
The engagement highlighted the shared vision of both institutions to bridge the digital divide and empower Nigerians through reliable and affordable internet connectivity.
As a leading player in Nigeria’s ICT sector, ipNX reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to the realisation of the National Broadband Plan, which aims to achieve 70% broadband penetration this year.
With over two decades of pioneering innovation within the sector, the company has consistently demonstrated resilience across different economic cycles without compromising quality of service and affordable pricing.
Commenting on the visit, Aror, stated, “Our engagement with the Nigeria Communications Commission is a positive step towards shaping the future of telecommunications in Nigeria. At ipNX, we believe that active collaboration with regulators and other key stakeholders is critical to achieving the development targets outlined in the National Broadband Plan. We are proud to continue playing a pivotal role to drive broadband penetration and ensure that every Nigerian, irrespective of their location, has access to the transformative power of the internet.”
The meeting also emphasised the importance of policy alignment and regulatory frameworks that enable innovation, investment, and sustainable growth in the telecommunications sector.
As Nigeria continues to make strides in its digital transformation journey, ipNX stands ready to leverage its expertise, infrastructure, and partnerships to support the realisation of the government’s broadband penetration objectives.
The company remains dedicated to empowering individuals, businesses, and communities through cutting-edge technology and unparalleled connectivity solutions.
Truecaller, the popular caller identity app, announced that it surpassed 450 million users earlier this week, expanding it’s global reach.
The company added 50 million users in the past 10 months, including 15.5 million since the beginning of 2025.
Leadership Changes and Market Expansion
India remains Truecaller’s largest market, a factor reflected in the company’s recent leadership decision.
Following the decision of its co-founders to step back from daily operations last year, Truecaller appointed Rishit Jhunjhunwala, previously the Chief Product Officer and MD of India operations, as the new CEO.
While India continues to be a key market, Jhunjhunwala noted that the company is seeing rapid growth in other regions.
“We are proud that we now serve more than 450 million users globally. As before, we continue to see steady growth in our largest market, India, but the fastest relative growth is in markets outside of India.
“So far in 2025, we see strong growth trends in Latin America, South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Malaysia, and the US,” Jhunjhunwala wrote in a blog post.
Regulatory Challenges in India
Despite its dominance in India, Truecaller faces potential challenges as the country’s telecom department pushes for mobile carriers to implement a government-backed caller ID system.
This move could introduce competition to Truecaller’s services in one of its most crucial markets.
Financial Performance and Market Position
Truecaller maintained an active user base of nearly 430 million throughout Q4 2024. The company reported strong financial results for the quarter ending in December, with:
Net sales increasing by 23% year-over-year
Profit after tax rising by 29%
Stock price up more than 33% year-to-date
Product Enhancements and AI Integration
Earlier this year, Truecaller improved its caller ID functionality for iOS, overcoming previous limitations imposed by Apple’s operating system.
The company has also been expanding its offerings beyond caller identification by introducing:
Call recording and transcription features
An AI-powered assistant for call screening
Enhancements to its SMS and chat functionalities
With these advancements, Truecaller aims to solidify its position as a comprehensive communication platform while navigating competitive and regulatory challenges.
Vitel Wireless, Nigeria’s First MVNO to Launch Operations This Quarter
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Truecaller Surpasses 450m Users, Expands Global Reach
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