He said this would provide the necessary respite in the face of the current challenges facing the deployment and use of underground optic fibre cables, especially Right of Way issues, persistent vandalism and ecological problems.

Jegede, who said this at an Information and Communications Technology forum in Abuja, said aerial optic fibre systems would proffer the needed and timely solution to the aforementioned problems.

He stressed that aerial fibre optic routes offered both cheaper and more reliable services than their terrestrial equivalent; adding that operators would make their customers happy if they adopted the system.

In any case, Jedege projected that for the quality of telecoms services to be improved, operators must consider the aerial fibre system.

He said, “We are all aware of the problems of building and maintaining underground cables in Nigeria. It is one of the most difficult challenges that telecoms firms face today in view of issues such as host community hostilities and persistent construction of roads and its attendant impact on underground cables.

“Besides, excessive and unlawful regulatory activities by various agencies of government at different levels, and environmental and natural disasters such as erosion, sometimes leave underground cables exposed.”

Jegede added, “We have also witnessed persistent vandalism and theft of underground cables all over the country, all of which exacerbate the problem of poor quality of services, as large numbers of subscribers are cut off when these problems occur.

“These problems also take a lot of time to identify and repair. However, the aforementioned issues and many more can easily be overcome by the use of aerial optic fibre system.”

He explained that in view of today’s reality in which the West Africa region was still a developing region, road construction and the building of other infrastructure would be very frequent, leading to underground cables often being cut.

Source: www.punchng.com

Teniola stated that Phase3 Telecom envisaged this challenge and subsequently decided to design an open access network in partnership with Dancom ( a subsidiary of The Dangote Group) right from inception, currently covering over 3000Km nationwide – adding that is the basis for the company’s provision of services to all operators today in the Nigerian marketplace and beyond.
He added that the recent launch of 3.75G networks by some Mobile Network Operators in Nigeria suggested a Mobile Broadband eco-system was already in place adding that this might kick-start the development of other related services.
“With terrestrial networks already in place in a piece-meal form, these can provide the platform in ensuring speeds of 256Kbps and greater are available on devices that can support broadband applications. This eco-system is the beginning of a wider broadband eco-system that may transpire and include another range of broadband applications from the office desk or from our homes, which will complement the reach and presence of an always-on high speed internet access paradigm,” Teniola said.

According to him, this development showed that the Nigerian telecom landscape is one driven by a mobile operator’s choice of technology, innovation and investment as against the normal value chain that depicts a strong fixed line incumbent protected by a National Regulator and other licensed operators providing their services piggy-backed on a National Backbone facility.
He added that the drive to Long Term Evolution, one of the latest mobile services, demonstrates this when one considers that the broadband and next generation of the future is now demonstrating scenarios where consumers are hooked up with 100Mbps download speeds to the home.
He advised that the regulator and the entire industry must work together to define a proper programme that will show Nigeria the way, adding that Phase3 Telecom had already taken right steps with its open access fibre network.

“A broadband eco-system that relies purely on networks to evolve without careful planning is bound to fail both in terms of regulation and implementation,” Teniola stated
According to him, some level of stability at the backbone layer is also mandatory to serve as a reminder of its being a critical asset within a broadband eco-system that is not subjected to multifaceted ideas and creates more complexity in an already complex environment.

Speakers from across all sectors of the telecommunications industry, except the CDMA operators, took turns to make input in the form of presentations to an audience which included Members of House of Representatives Committee on Communications, Industry players, top executives of the Commission, the Consumer Protection Council and the media.

Telephone operators were unanimous in their request for a streamlining of the USPFUND and protection for infrastructure in meeting the rapid universal access objective of government, just as consumer and industry advocacies canvassed reform in penalty for poor service to compensate consumers rather than payment of fine to Government. They also mentioned poor public electricity which they said is responsible for 70% of total industry stress and distress.

Dr Eugene Juwah, Executive Vice-Chairman of NCC hinges the Commission’s hope for resolving the difficult issue of poor quality of service on a recent approval and gazetting of the Quality of Service Regulations by the Federal Ministry of Justice. This, according to him, will strengthen the NCC to take some severe measures when service providers are found wanting. He also revealed that the Commission recently engaged the services of seven Drive-Test contractors to carry out quality of service drive-testing in the six geo-political zones and Lagos.

Although the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation, CTO, was not present to make its presentation, it sent input which advises NCC on the need to conceive a National Broadband Infrastructure with special extended focus on ICT’s for the elderly, disability and the youth.

Source: www.cyberschuulnews.com

These came out at the recent eWorld Forum on Broadband ecosystems which focused on issues for regulators and operators.

Mr Olusola Teniola, Chief Operating Officer of Phase3 Telecom argued that those who will participate in delivery of cost effective implementation of broadband plans must be ready to change existing business models, policies and operations to better ones just as those planning the entire system must be deep, careful and focused.

Mr Titi Omo-Ettu, President of ATCON, also suggested that in circumstances which Nigeria has found herself, the industry must be discretionary in accepting solutions because Nigeria cannot accept solutions which will eliminate its people from production and active participation in service provision. He said Nigerians must not want to enjoy services that they, Nigerians, cannot provide. He said emphatically that those who offer solutions that does not translate to employment of Nigerians ‘should be told to take their solutions elsewhere’.

Source: www.cybershuulnews.com

Jonathan, who stated this at the In Orbit Delivery (IOD) ceremony of the communications satellite, NigComSat-1R, in Abuja, said the IOD marked the beginning of commercial activities of satellite for the benefits of Nigeria, Africa and the global community.

NigComSat-1R is a replacement of Nigeria’s satellite which was powered down on November 10, 2008 due to crisis with the solar panel whose battery powers began to deplete from 42 amps to 33 and finally hitting 18 amps.

The president, who was represented by Turner Isoun, former minister of Science and Technology, allayed the fears of existing and potential customers as well as investors that there was nothing to worry about as government has set in motion to acquire NigComSat 2 and 3 as backups to NigComSat-1R, in case of any unforeseen situation as it happened in the past.

Jonathan formally took delivery of the satellite from Yin Liming, president, China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC), contractors of the satellite at the ground station of NigComSat-1R in Lugbe, Abuja. He said, “One of the critical objectives of this administration is the need to improve the living conditions of our people by creating economic emancipation and empowerment through ICT, which has remained a viable transformation vehicle for our economic stability, educational growth and social welfare.”

He said China has been one of the four bigger trade partners with whom Nigeria has a very robust bilateral relationship. Yin Liming, while handing over the satellite, said the company kept to its promise of replacing the NigComSat-1R for Nigeria without any additional cost, saying the in orbit test was completed and acceptance review was successful.

While noting that space development has been prioritised as key national programmes and strategic innovative industry in China, Liming said the company looks forward to cooperating with Nigeria in more programmes like following up communications satellite and space infrastructure programme and making joint efforts for the great expectation of the two nations.

Source: www.businessdayonline.com

About eight states and their local governments have issued notices to telecom operators to pay taxes and levies exceeding N10 billion annually.

Speaking under the aegis of the Industry Working Group (IWG) on multiple taxations in the telecom industry, the operators and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday in Lagos said the survival of the industry now depends on all stakeholders, prevailing on the states and local governments to stop insisting on collecting taxes and levies on operators’ infrastructures such as base stations and masts.

The chairman of the IWG and Executive Commissioner, Stakeholders Management at NCC, Mr. Okey Itanyi, said that multiple taxation portends a grave danger for the telecoms industry if not quickly addressed. “The country may lose the gains and confidence achieved so far in the last couple of years.

The industry still requires investments in network infrastructure to ensure full access across the country, and to guarantee good and acceptable quality of service which has become a major challenge,” he said.

According to the vice chairman of the IWG, Mrs. Oyeronke Oyetunde, multiple taxation has been impeding telecoms growth in recent past.

She explained that a situation where a local government authority is demanding about N10million on each site from telecoms operators for building base stations in their vicinity, apart from other levies the operators have to contend with at the state and federal levels, would hinder operators in providing quality telecoms services to the generality of Nigerians, irrespective of their locations.

She noted that as a result of delay often experienced in infrastructure rollout, telecoms companies have only been able to deploy barely 20,000 base stations in the country, stressing that over 70, 000 base stations would be required in Nigeria, given its large size, to provide ubiquitous telecoms services.

“If you have a local government demanding N10m from an operator and you now multiply that by the number of Local Government Areas we have in the country, you would see that this is unsustainable in the long run for the operators.

It is either you kick the operators out of business or force them to pass the cost accrued to them through such illegal taxations their customers in form high tariff,” she said.

The President, National Association of Telecoms Subscribers, Chief Deolu Ogunbajo, noted that between 2006 and 2007, operators were charged about N10, 000 and N20, 000. “And more recently, the charges in form of multiple taxations and illegal demand of some frivolous levies, have run into millions of naira. This is unfavourable as operators may have to pass this cost to subscribers,” he said…

For more info visit; www.allafrica.com

The firm, West Africa’s only electricity grid aerial optic fiber carrier said with the provision of the backbone redundancy, quality of service to its clients would now be significantly enhanced as an alternate route for all traffic on its network between Lagos and Abuja had been provisioned.
According to Chief Operating Officer, Phase3 Telecom, Mr. Olusola Teniola, the achievement of the backbone redundancy was the fulfillment of a vision of the firm to ensure that its network would always be available to users in the event of any eventuality.

“In line with our determination to continually improve our services to our customers( IP and Clear channel), this backbone redundancy, effectively provides our clients currently enjoying peering, transit and MPLS VPN solutions and services from Lagos, a more reliable solution for their traffic, “ he said.

He added that the new system now has a provision in which load has been configured to equally balance at peak periods, thereby eliminating clogs, saturation and bottlenecks. In addition, he explained that the system allows traffic load to choose the least saturated path during off peak periods and failover entirely in the event of discontinuity on any of the two routes.
“With this new arrangement, essentially our uptime has been greatly increased and we will see a 99.999% efficiency leap in service delivery for all our IP clients,” Teniola added.

Johnson who stressed this today at the ongoing Mobile World Congress in Barcelona at the Government Mobile Forum session titled ‘’harnessing mobile broadband for the greater good’’ stressed that the Ministry was intervening and working on a number of initiatives that will reduce the digital divide within the country and ensure that no Nigerian is excluded from the power of ICTs irrespective of geographical location, gender or income levels. She said that the Ministry would enable inclusive development by creating the right enabling environment through effective private public sector collaborations that will bring critical ICTs to all Nigerians. She emphasised that a process of ensuring that underserved and rural areas are included in the development process is currently being vigorously pursued through ICTs.

At the Forum by the GSM Association which promotes mobile technology as a veritable tool for connecting the unconnected, Johnson said that the Ministry was working to remove the barriers that work against inclusive development in the country.

Describing the mobile phone as a great device that most Nigerians currently deploy to stay connected, Johnson stressed that the mobile platform currently provides endless opportunities and possibilities for development for Nigerians that needs to be harnessed in terms of using mobile communication devices as enablers of development. She said that Nigeria currently has over 95 million subscribers leading to a situation where Nigerians have mobile phones than bank account accounts.

On mobile broadband access, Johnson reiterated that mobile broadband is important for Nigeria and stressed the need for Nigeria to have enough Spectrum to accelerate broadband development. She said that because Nigeria has not had a viable incumbent to provide the needed fixed infrastructure, network providers have had to build their own infrastructure. She also added that the country was currently in the process of facilitating the roll out of infrastructure that will enable rural access.

On mobile broadband access, Johnson reiterated that mobile broadband is important for Nigeria and stressed the need for Nigeria to have enough spectrums to deliver critical services over the broadband infrastructure. She added that a mixture of fibre, satellite and mobile infrastructure will be deployed by Nigeria to achieve its set objectives. She said that spectrum will be used in a most efficient way to get more people connected to critical data that will engender development in the area of health, education and agriculture…

For more info visit: www.businessdayonline.com

The report however noted the competitive landscape of Nigeria’s telecom sector has forced operating companies to roll out new infrastructure to improve coverage and quality, which has resulted in a surge of subscription growth and usage.

The report entitled ‘Nigeria: New Ministry, Infrastructure Investments and ICT Policies Boost Market’ offers a precise profile of Nigeria’s telecom, media and technology sectors based on proprietary data.

Ronda Zelezny-Green, Associate Research Analyst at Pyramid Research said mobile services will benefit substantially from these investments, “with the sector as a whole expanding at a rate of 5.9 per cent in dollar terms between 2011 and 2016.”

According to the report, Nigerians located in remote areas will begin to gain notice because almost every operator has made overtures that indicate they plan to expand into underserved areas in order to make headway toward achieving higher levels of growth.

The lack of a strong fixed-line network has boosted uptake of mobile connectivity services…

for more info visit: www.businessdayonline.com

Idehen Efosa, NCC’s head of enforcement, told reporters on Thursday the commission gave seven companies a notice who were advertising phones yet to be tested by the regulator.
Efosa said the NCC “had advertised in the dailies for such companies to desist from dealing on mobile phones not approved by the commission. Besides, the NCC also wrote officially to the companies, informing them of a meeting, which they never honoured, with a public notice given to them and warning before this final clamp down”.

Nigeria is hopeful that the telecom sector can continue to grow dramatically in the coming months and years, and the NCC has put forward a number of plans to boost telecom infrastructure in rural areas to increase penetration in Africa’s largest country.

Source: www.itnewsafrica.com