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Telecom

Nigerians Firms Fret over Google Fi, Facebook Drones

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Eugene Juwah, executive vice chairman (EVC), Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Eugene Juwah, executive vice chairman (EVC), Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC),
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Information Technology (IT) experts in Nigeria have waxed worriedly over Project Fi and solar-powered drone, so called new services by Google Inc. and Facebook respectively warning that such gigantic projects could be threat to national security and much more long-term threat to the industry.

Google’s Project Fi offering allows users to connect to a WiFi network to make calls and access data while Facebook has deployed drones to provide broadband connectivity in remote areas.

But experts at the 2015 Beacon of Information Communication Technology (BoICT) distinguished lecture at the weekend sued for improved and impartial implementation, and urged the federal government to protect local firms from foreign domination.

Engineer Lanre Ajayi, president, Association Of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), said, that “We have to be circumspect about the emergence of these technologies in our terrain.

He said that “Well, there are opportunities that come with it, affordability; certainly, we would want our people have access to the internet. These technologies from Facebook and Google will grant these opportunities. On the other side, do we allow them to come and disrupt existing investments?

“People have worked so hard to put certain investments in place. Do we simply allow them to intimidate local investors? So, there is a balancing to add. It is very topical and disturbing to existing investors and at the same time Nigerians would say ‘yes, we want it, because we want cheap internet’. That is the poser”. Ajayi declared.

For Mr. Biodun Omoniyi, CEO, VDT Communications,  “The really issues are that these global companies are exposed to a lot capitals and infrastructural advancement. Yes, the regulator in Nigeria wants to achieve good internet penetration at affordable rates too, but we cannot overlook the issue of excessive dominance.

“So, Google Fi and Facbook Drones are like such project. Maybe what the country needs now is a bit of protectionism and balance needs to be struck in terms of our rules. The country’s borders cannot just be opened to investments that do not adhere strictly to our rules. The Company needs to be registered. I don’t’ know if Facebook is registered with the NCC; they need to be brought into our justice system”.   

The experts believe that the onus behooves on the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) to ensure local investors are not schemed out of the game, while they (the operators) must scale up their operations for even internet availability and affordability in the country.


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Nigeria CommunicationsWeek believes that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. So since 2007, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and how they affect lives.

Telecom

PAT Taps Osi as CEO

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Pan African Towers (PAT), a Nigerian infrastructure provider serving 9mobile and Spectranet, has appointed Echezona Osi as chief executive officer.

PAT Taps Osi as CEO

Echezona Osi

Adefolarin Ogunsanya, company’s, board chairman,  explained in a statement that Osi would succeed Oladipo Badru, whose tenure lasted nine months in acting CEO position. Osi has more than 28 years of experience in the telecommunications sector across various regions of Africa.

Prior to his appointment as CEO, he had served as the head of network deployment at Airtel Nigeria, operations director and chief technical information officer at MIC Tanzania, chief technology officer roles at IPT PowerTech Nigeria, Rhino Niger Networks and Biswal Nigeria.

He obtained a degree in electrical/ electronic engineering from the University of Benin and a postgraduate diploma in data science and business analytics from the University of Texas.


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NCC Introduces N10m Licence Fee for Bulk SMS Service

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Companies sending bulk international text messages, also known as Application-to-Person (A2P) messages, will now have apply for a licence that costs N10 million.

NCC Introduces N10m Licence Fee for Bulk SMS Service

This is part of new rules introduced by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) aimed at cleaning up the system, fighting fraud, blocking spam messages and stopping money from leaving the country unchecked.

These A2P messages are the kind customers get from banks, online stores, hospitals and political campaigns, automated texts sent from apps to their phones.

According to the commission, the bulk international text message system has been poorly regulated, allowing misuse and invasion of privacy.

“The International SMS Service Ecosystem in Nigeria has not been fully brought under regulatory control. It has been observed that the excessive use of the Short Message Service has led to fraud, spam and illegal activities,” the NCC said.

The regulator warned that without action, the problem would worsen as more people use mobile phones and digital services.

To solve this, the NCC is creating a central platform, or gateway, through which all international bulk text messages must pass through.

The agency said this would help to monitor messages in real time, ensure proper fees are paid, and make sure the money stays in Nigeria where it can contribute to the economy.

As part of the incoming change, service providers must follow strict rules, including strong data protection, spam filters, and message encryption.

Also, they must also work with local mobile networks and make sure all messages come from a verified sender

The NCC warned that any message without a proper sender ID will be blocked and not delivered to users.

To protect users from unwanted texts, the new rules say companies must get clear permission before sending any promotional content.

The rule also says people must also be able to choose whether they want to receive such messages or not.

Companies are now required to keep records of all messages for at least six months and must clearly state all charges involved.

The NCC said fees for help requests, cancellations, or service info must be transparent and not include hidden charges.

The commission will issue licences to several providers to encourage healthy competition but may limit new licences if needed.

Only companies that show they can stop fraud and safely deliver messages will be allowed to operate. They must also regularly report their message traffic and finances to the NCC.

It warned that any company that breaks the rules risks getting fined, suspended, or having its licence revoked.

Offences like charging illegal tariffs, ignoring security rules, or avoiding taxes will be punished, the NCC said.

The commission added that the new rules follow the Nigerian Data Protection Act 2023 and support the federal government’s goal of strengthening cybersecurity and controlling Nigeria’s digital space.

The framework will also be reviewed from time to time to keep up with new technology and market trends.


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MTN Nigeria Targets $1Bn Cloud Market with Largest Modular Data Centre

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MTN Nigeria has launched what it claims is the country’s largest prefabricated modular data centre, marking a bold push into the country’s fast-growing cloud market and taking aim at global giants such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud.

MTN Nigeria Targets $1Bn Cloud Market with Largest Modular Data Centre

Karl Toriola, CEO, MTN Nigeria.

The shift comes as demand for cloud services in Nigeria soars — driven by the uptake of mobile apps, fintech tools and e-learning platforms — while foreign providers have become costlier in the wake of the naira’s sharp devaluation.

“This is one of the biggest data centres in West Africa and probably one of the biggest in Africa,” said Karl Toriola, CEO, MTN Nigeria.

He described the new Tier III-certified facility, with locally hosted cloud services, as “transformative for the technology ecosystem in Nigeria and very supportive of the federal government’s agenda”.

MTN Nigeria, the country’s largest telecoms provider, has so far invested $120m in the first phase, delivering an IT load of 4.5MW. A second phase, set to double capacity to 9MW, is budgeted at $135m.

“We already have data centres that are running our existing capacities,” Toriola said.

“We will go to 9MW in short order, possibly 14MW, and we can expand even further.”

He said the facility would allow local hosting for tech developers, large enterprises including banks and oil companies, and government agencies — markets long dominated by foreign cloud providers.

“Multinational companies such as Netflix, Facebook and Instagram can also host a lot of their data here. That improves the quality of service and reduces the cost of storage,” he added.

 


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