Telecom
Pantami Addresses BTAF with First-Ever 5G Hologram Display in West Africa
The Federal Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami has again stressed the importance of the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP) for nation-building.
Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami
The Honourable Minister was speaking at the Broadband Technical Awareness Forum (BTAF) for Governors which held on Thursday, October 20, 2022, at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja where stakeholders witnessed first-hand, the power of 5G connectivity.
Powered by the low latency of 5G enabled by MTN Nigeria, Pantami delivered the keynote speech from a different section of the venue, and attendees were able to interact with him as he was beamed onto a platform as a three-dimensional projection in real-time.
Organised by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the BTAF is a forum that discusses the importance of internet broadband penetration by highlighting its various benefits across different sectors of the economy for increased revenue generation, employment opportunities, and the efficiency its impacts across various fields such as education, medicine, and agriculture.
According to data released by the NCC on September 26, 2022, there is a 44.68 per cent broadband penetration in Nigeria and up to 79.8 per cent of the population has access to the internet.
Pantami says these figures reflect a progression from data released in 2019. Despite this marked growth, he insists that there is a need to view broadband penetration as a necessity and no longer as a luxury.
According to the Minister, research carried out by the World Economic Forum and Oxford Economies revealed that a 10 per cent increase in broadband penetration resulted in a minimum of 2.5 per cent increase in GDP sampled countries.
“There is no way we can attain economic development without broadband penetration, and there is no way we can acquire knowledge effectively and deliver content effectively to our students without broadband access,” Pantami asserted.
He continued: “Broadband penetration today is no more luxury, but rather it becomes necessary for security, for economic development, and education among many, many others. For example, when it comes to security, if you look at all the service systems that have been deployed by security institutions, today you cannot manage all this service effectively without broadband penetration.”
Also speaking at the forum, the Chairman, NCC, Prof Adeolu Akande noted that “it would be difficult to achieve faster and desired broadband penetration level without effective collaboration of state governors.”
The Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki in his remarks called for trust and open dialogue between the Federal Government and State Governments while assuring stakeholders of state governors’ commitment to broadband deployment in their respective states.
The BTAF played host to stakeholders in the communications and information sector, governors and their representatives.
Nigeria’s technology company, Globacom, has extended warm felicitations to Nigerians on the occasion of the 2024 Christmas celebrations.
In a goodwill message released in Lagos, Globacom urged Nigerians to embrace the spirit of love and kindness during the festive season, especially in the face of prevailing economic challenges.
The company emphasized the importance of practicing the teachings of Jesus Christ, particularly the virtues of obedience to God and loving one’s neighbor as well.
“Christ taught many virtues including obedience to God and loving one’s neighbour as oneself”, the company said, adding, “Now is the apt time to practise these teachings by sharing with the needy”.
Globacom also encouraged Nigerians to extend the conviviality of Christmas beyond the festive season by fostering love, peace, and harmony, as demonstrated by God through the birth of Jesus Christ.
Assuring its customers of uninterrupted services throughout the Yuletide period and beyond, Globacom urged them to take advantage of its innovative products and services to stay connected and share the memories of the season with loved ones.
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) have ordered Deposit Money Banks and Mobile Network Operators to settle the long-standing N250bn USSD debt dispute before January 2, 2025.
The CBN and NCC also directed banks to pay the pre-Application Programming Interfaces (API) debt before July 2, 2025.
They also ordered that post-API debts be settled before December 31, 2024.
The directive was issued in a joint cirular titled, “2nd Joint Circular of the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Nigerian Communications Commission on the Resolution of the USSD Debt Issue Between Deposit Money Banks and Mobile Network Operators.”
The circular dated December 20, 2024, was signed by Oladimeji Taiwo, acting director of the Payments System Management Department, CBN, and Chizua Whyte, head of Legal and Regulatory Services, NCC.
The regulators said, “In view of the foregoing, the CBN and the NCC hereby direct DMBs and MNOs as follows: 1. That 60 per cent of all pre-API invoices must be paid as full and final settlement.
“Payment plans (lump sum or installments) must be agreed upon between a concerned DMB and MNO by January 2, 2025. Installments must be based on equal monthly payments, with full payment due by July 2, 2025.
“DMBs must pay 85 per cent of all outstanding invoices issued after the implementation of APIs (i.e., February 2022) by December 31, 2024.
“Similarly, 85 per cent of future invoices must be liquidated within one month of service.”
According to the regulators, the transition to end-user billing will be activated only for DMBs and MNOs that comply with the payment conditions cobtained in the circular.
CBN and the NCC said they would provide further guidance on public enlightenment initiatives related to the transition.
The regulators also directed MNOs to implement the “10-seconds rule” for USSD invoicing.
This implies that any session lasting less than ten seconds will not be billable.
The regulators added, “Failure to comply with the terms outlined in this directive will attract necessary sanctions, ensuring that both DMBs and MNOs uphold their obligations.”
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has unveiled a draft regulatory framework aimed at addressing fraud, spam, and other challenges in the Application-to-Person messaging sector.
The telecom regulator made this announcement in a statement.
The proposed framework, which was introduced during a virtual Stakeholders’ Forum, is said to be a key step towards enhancing the sector’s integrity and ensuring a fair, transparent environment for all parties involved.
The draft framework, presented by Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman, NCC, who was represented by Chizua Whyte, NCC’s acting head of legal and regulatory services, seeks to regulate the A2P messaging space.
The A2P messaging, used for notifications such as bank alerts, promotional campaigns, and government updates, has become a vital communication tool in Nigeria.
However, the sector faces significant challenges, including consumer protection concerns, fraud, and data privacy issues, as well as an unequal distribution of value within the ecosystem.
“The international A2P messaging space in Nigeria faces gaps that have led to issues such as fraud, spam, and data privacy concerns. These challenges threaten the sustainable growth of this communication tool,” the NCC said.
The proposed framework aims to address these challenges by protecting consumers, promoting fair competition, and holding service providers accountable.
“This forum marks a pivotal step towards addressing these challenges. We are here to engage with all stakeholders—operators, aggregators, businesses, service providers, and consumers—to refine the framework and ensure it meets the needs of the entire ecosystem.”
The NCC stressed the importance of inclusivity and collaboration in creating an effective regulatory environment.
Firm Partners Access Bank to Train Youths in Digital Skills
Glo Felicitates Nigerians on Christmas Celebration
Greenwich Group Celebrates 30 Years of Financial Innovation
NERC Discloses $5.7 Million Debt Owed by International Customers for Q3 2024 Electricity Supply
QNET Collaborates with Lagos Food Bank to Aid Vulnerable Children
UBA Group Sets Foot in France with Full Banking Services
FG Begins N50 Electronic Levy Deductions from Moniepoint, Other Digital Banks
Report Reveals Most Organisations Fear AI-driven Cyberattacks but Lack Key Defences
Nigeria Risks Missing out on $1.2 Trillion AI Opportunity- NigComSat
Firm Sues NIMC, Others On Digital Rights Breach Allegations
Telecom2 days agoAirtel Africa to Return $100m to Shareholders via Share Buyback
Telecom3 days agoFrom Niche App to Global Giant: TikTok’s Controversial Journey
Telecom3 days agoGroup Advocates for Digital Rights at 2024 Internet Governance Forum
Broadcasting24 hours agoSpotify’s ‘Detty December’ Hub and Spotify’s ‘Songs of December’ now live
Broadcasting24 hours agoQNET Collaborates with Lagos Food Bank to Aid Vulnerable Children
News2 days agoEgueke, Former Bank Manager Jailed for $46,900 Fraud
E-Financial3 days agoCBN Permits BDC Operators to Buy FX from NAFEM During Festive Season
Telecom2 days agoFG Gives Banks, Telcos Six-Month Deadline to Resolve N250Bn USSD Debt