In an interactive session with journalists in Lagos, Dr. Eugene Juwah, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, said that the license for the service would be given to the operator this February.

NP is a service that allows a subscriber to use another network other than his original network without losing his original number.

Juwah said that the NP operator would be allowed six months to build the infrastructure and an additional two months to test run the infrastructure.

”So we expect that most likely the Number Portability service will start in September this year,” he said.

The NCC chief also said that the NCC was on the verge of auctioning the remaining slots on the 2.3GHZ frequency.

”We are also looking at the 2.6GHZ frequency, which today is not in the custody of NCC, it is in the custody of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).

“And we are discussing within the National Frequency Management Council on what to do with this frequency.

“We believe that by the time we conclude all these, there will be enough frequency to be able to add towards the fibre development to create a good broadband deployment in Nigeria,” Juwah said.

Source: www.leadership.ng

The IWG which was drawn from the regulatory agency, operators and the subscribers has the mandate to articulate the position on dangers of multiple taxation and engage relevant levels of government with the aim of stopping the imposition of illegal taxes/levies on the telecoms operators in view of the grave socio-economc implications.

The Executive Commissioner of the Commission, Mr Okey Itanyi, in his keynote address during the inaugural ceremony said that IWG would act in an advisory capacity and make appropriate recommendations on all matters relating to levies, taxes for site build-out in all parts of the country.

Terms of reference of the group, according to him, are but not limited to the following; to review recent cases of multiple taxations suffered by operators within the telecoms industry; enlist the support of all stakeholders, articulate the industry position on the dangers of multiple taxation on the nascent industry and ensure wide publicity of same; and develop the strategies for addressing and managing the threat posed by multiple taxation to the growth of the telecoms industry

Others include: to form a strong lobby group to meet various arms of government to press home (sensitize) the dangers of multiple taxations to the nascent industry; to liaise with Federal Inland Revenue Service and JTB to ensure a fair; and equitable tax/levies for operators within the industry; and to identify various economic palliatives necessary to improve Quality of Service, National Security, ICT penetration and present same to the policy makers within the government.

Itanyi said telecoms industry in the last few months has witnessed cases of forceful closure of base stations ( BST) in various parts of the country by agents of states and local governments albeit for reasons bordering on non-payment of spurious levies and taxes.

“As a regulator, NCC is alarmed that these glaring cases of multiple taxation, when added to the current socio-economic realities in the country portend grave danger to operator’s expansion plans in addition to the quality of service in the country. The problem if not quickly addressed , could even erode all the gains of the past 10 years in this country.

“And the rate at which various state governments are jumping at this illegality as a strategy to shore up their internally generated revenue compels the Commission and all stakeholders to take urgent steps to stem this growing menace within the industry before it becomes a national epidemic” he said.

Source:www.vanguardngr.com

Director Public Affairs for NCC, Mr. Tony Ojobo who spoke with THISDAY in a telephone conversation, said the NCC had already commissioned a consortium to handle the implementation process of Number Portability and that the licence authorising the consortium was ready.

According to him the license takes effect January 2012, and the licence mandates the consortium to commence Number Portability implementation within seven months after receiving it.
Since the licence is ready, we are looking at August this year, for the commencement of Number Portability, Ojobo said.

Head, Media and Public Relations for NCC, Mr. Reuben Muoka had said that Number Porting within telecoms networks remained in the interest of subscribers and that the NCC had longed planned its implementation, but was waiting to get a central national data of telecommunications’ subscribers across networks, adding that the on-going Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) card registration exercise, would be a better platform and avenue to successfully carryout Number Portability in the country.

“NCC was only waiting for the completion of the on-going collation of data from SIM card registration exercise, to enable it commence Number Portability across networks. Now that we are building a central data base of all telecoms subscribers, we are sure to commence Number Portability this year, more so that NCC has already commissioned a consortium to handle its implementation,” Muoka said.

NCC had last year, announced the appointment of a consortium of three companies to implement the proposed Number Portability services in Nigeria, which will allow phone users to move from one network to another without losing their original numbers.

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Managing Director of Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NigComSat), Mr. Timasaniyu Ahmed-Rufai who gave the hint during an interactive session with the media in Abuja at the weekend, said he was happy for the successful launch and landing of NigComSat-1R.

Amed-Rufai added that the communications satellite was currently undergoing test to ascertain its fitness after the launch.
According to him, the test-run will last for five weeks (January ending), and thereafter, the satellite will commence full commercial service February 6.

“We are currently test-running the satellite to ensure that its entire systems are still in order and that they still retain their values after the satellite was launched. The result we are getting so far from the test is very good. At the end of the test, which NigComSat Engineers are currently carrying out in Nigeria under the tutelage of China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC), builders of NigComSat-1R, it will be formally handed over to Nigeria, to take full control of the communications satellite. Testing is taking place at the two ground stations in Abuja, Nigeria, and we will go full commercial sales of transponders and channels to customers that are within and outside Nigeria,” Ahmed-Rufai said.

NigComSat-1R is a replacement communications satellite for NigComSat-1 that was successfully launched into orbit in 2007, but was de-orbited on November 10, 2008, following a high degree thunder storm that struck the satellite, few months after it was launched and rendered it inefficient as it could no longer transmit communications signals from orbit.

Fielding questions from journalists on its marketing strategies, Executive Director, Marketing for NigComSat, Mrs. Abimbola Alale said NigComSat had before the launch in December, commenced pre-launch marketing with the government circles and with some private sectors.

According to her, customers to NigComSat-1 are confident in NigComSat-1R because of the quality and cheap services rendered by NigComSat-1 before it was de-orbited, and new customers are already showing interest to hook on to NigComSat-1R as soon as it goes commercial.

The Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), Galaxy Television, have given us their words to return to NigComSat-1R, as soon as it goes commercial. Several other government agencies and the private sectors have also indicated interest to hook on to NigComSat-1R, and over 60 per cent of government agencies are ready to hook on to NigComSat-1R. Internet Service Providers (ISPs), customs, immigration, army police among others within the country, as well as customers outside Nigeria are all waiting for NigCoSat-1R, and we are pleased to share with the public, this development.

“As we speak, we have two requests from Ghana for the purchase of our transponders and our satellite covers over 40 African countries, and it is capable of delivering services to every customer in those countries, be it government or private,” Alale said.

Reeling out the benefits of NigComSat-1R, Ahmed-Rufai said it would boost the country’s educational system through multimedia education over television and the internet, increase broadband penetration, create additional jobs, boost security and enhance communications in the country among others.

Source: www.thisdayonline.com