Info Tech
Telcos in intense lobby to stop ban on SIM sale
ABUJA – An intense lobby by telecommunications companies in Nigeria to halt government’s plan to temporarily ban them from selling new SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) cards has begun, industry insiders say.
The move by government is one in a series of regulatory interventions specifically geared towards compelling Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to make greater investment in network quality by putting a temporary hold on subscriber acquisition. As at October 2013, the country had about 121.8 million active mobile subscriptions.
Omobola Johnson, minister of communication technology, had also earlier declared that when MTN and Airtel’s licences come up for renewal in 2017, government would push to have enhancing service and infrastructure clearly engraved into their contracts. This is a clear indication of government’s position on telcos’ abysmal showing in the area of Quality of Service (QoS).
“Government’s plan to ban the sale of new SIM cards is not sitting well with many operators. They have already begun to put machinery in motion to convince government at the ministerial level not to move in this direction,” our source said.
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Last year, mobile operators earmarked N979 billion for network expansion initiatives. But subscribers are yet to feel the impact of such investment in terms of the quality and efficiency of communications services. Poor service characterised by drop calls and incoherent transmission is still prevalent in the country.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) had earlier threatened to impose stiffer sanctions on telcos facing QoS issues in the new year.
In 2012, four service providers – MTN Nigeria, Etisalat, Airtel, and national carrier, Globacom – were asked to pay a cumulative sum of N1.17 billion by the regulator as penalty for the poor QoS rendered to subscribers on their respective networks in the months of March and April.
But a senior executive at one of the big GSM networks told BusinessDay in an interview, Thursday, that these sanctions would not solve the problem at hand, saying that Nigeria still required 10 solid years of continuous investment in network expansion to fully address the QoS issue.
“We expect government at all levels and the telecoms regulator to place more priority on creating a conducive and friendly operating environment to further sustain investments in network upgrade and expansion initiatives. There are still fundamental issues plaguing the telecoms industry which have not been addressed. The telecoms industry is faced with epileptic electricity supply, acute delays in right of way (RoW) approvals, multiple taxes and regulation and vandalism,” he added.
Industry analysts have also said that sanctions are a disincentive to further investments in the telecoms industry.
“If you restrict supply because you want the QoS to increase, you’re actually killing the business model of the telcos. If you stop them from doing that, then you’re actually destroying the demand that will justify their investment. It’s counter-productive,” Bismarck Rewane, chief executive officer, Financial Derivatives Company, a risk advisory firm, told Bloomberg.
Kamar Abass, managing director, Ericsson Nigeria, said in an interview that it was not in the best interest of telcos to deliver shabby QoS, adding that they lose revenue when calls cannot be completed. He also said the lack of power supply was a fundamental drawback to achieving superior QoS.
“If you think about Nigeria, 100 percent of cell sites need an alternative power source. In fact, most of them need an alternative for the alternative. This implies having two diesel generators plus battery per cell site. It just adds complexities to the point where this thing is not just expensive but frankly, it’s a miracle that QoS is at the level it is today,” Abass said.
Analysts have also said that such aggressive stance from government was negative for the growth outlook of the industry, adding that such a clampdown could send negative signals to investors hoping to explore new revenue opportunities in the country’s emerging broadband market. It is estimated that the implementation of the telecoms regulator’s new broadband market structure could contribute about N190 billion to the country’s GDP.
Andrian Wood, a former chief executive officer of MTN Nigeria, who advised the Federal Government to avoid creating disincentive to investments in the telecoms sector, said: “MTN has paid sizeable dividends in the last three years. Don’t also forget that they have invested $10 billion. I think it’s already in the public domain that investment in the industry is about $25 billion up till now and MTN has invested half of that. So, if you take stiff measures against the most successful of the operators, including Globacom, Airtel Nigeria, all that will do is to discourage investors from the broadband generation.”
Only recently, the telecoms regulator called on holders of Nigeria’s 120 million mobile lines to take telecoms companies to court for delivering poor QoS, a declaration that has already drawn the indignation of many stakeholders in the industry.
Gbenga Adebayo, chairman, Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), in a recent report, said the commission was well aware of all the issues responsible for poor QoS.
“It is easy to apportion blames. The question I would like to ask is: What is the NCC doing or what have they done to deal with the issues we put before them?” he said
– BUSINESS DAY
In efforts at spicing up the 2023 ITREALMS E-Waste Dialogue, the management of ITREALMS Media has partnered with E-waste Producer Responsibility Organization of Nigeria (EPRON) membership organisations for a day-long collection scheme of small electronic waste on Friday, December 15, 2023.
The EPRON members aligning their partnership with 2023 ITREALMS E-Waste Dialogue are EL-AS Tech Enterprises Limited and WEEE Eco-Friendly.
ITREALMS’ day-long collection scheme is part of the commemoration of 2023 international E-Waste Day (IEWD) within the ITREALMS E-Waste Dialogue with the theme “You Can Recycle Anything with a plug, battery or cable” at Welcome Centre Hotels, International Airport Road, Lagos.
Revealing this collaboration, the Group Executive Editor, ITREALMS Media, the organisers of the 2023 ITREALMS E-Waste Dialogue, Sir. Remmy Nweke, urged mobile device enthusiasts to come along with their devices that have reached their end-of-life to the venue for proper disposition by professionals who would also be on grounds to address some topical issues.
The collection of small electronic wastes especially mobile phones and like-devices, would be carried out by EPRON member organisation, EL-AS Tech Enterprises Limited as facilitated by ITREALMS Media group as part of this year’s ITREALMS E-Waste Dialogue on Friday, December 15, he added.
He disclosed that the exercise would commence at Welcome Centre Hotel by 9am till close of work hours the same day.
Nweke pointed out that the collection of small e-waste items would include mobile phones, pointers mouse, earpieces, rechargeable torches, phone chargers, to name a few.
Further, he said, that this initiative has become time-serving because some people may have missed any other opportunity before now for the year-long campaign, hence this awareness on e-Waste has to be continuous, “ITREALMS came up with this scheme.”
Nweke beckoned on Nigerians, especially mobile phone users, to leverage the opportunity in disposing of their mobile devices they no longer use, of course in exchange for a voucher or gift item.
In her reaction to this year’s day-long small waste collection, EPRON Executive Secretary, Mrs. Ibukun Faluyi, described the initiative as commendable, expressing confidence it would intensify the collection of end-of-life devices for proper disposition.
Mrs. Faluyi, also urged Nigerians to take advantage of this day-long collection of small wastes courtesy of ITREALMS Media.
Recalling for instance that in October 2022, EPRON had partnered SLOT alongside some UN agencies for collection of small e-waste items in Lagos, including the United Nations Information Centres (UNIC), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), International Labour Organisation (ILO), Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) and Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA).
This is even as the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Dr. Aminu Maida and Director-General, National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), Prof. Aliyu Jauro, would both lead speakers at the 2023 ITREALMS E-Waste Dialogue slated for this Friday, December 15, in Lagos.
Today, September 12, the tech corporation Apple will introduce the iPhone 15, their newest iPhone model.
According to a Forbes story, this model, which will be introduced at the company’s “Wanderlust” event in Cupertino, California, will be available in four variations: the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Here are five things you should know about the new iPhone 15 model.
1. The new model is made of titaniu, not stainless steel as some other Apple smartphone models, Senior research analyst at DIGITIMES, Luke Lin reports.
2. The Pro Max model will feature double the optical zoom on the iPhone 14 as it comes with a newly-introduced ‘periscope lens upgrade, performing 5-6x optical zoom.’
3. The Pro models will carry an A17 bionic chip expected to make it perform faster.
4. The iPhone 15 model will feature a USB-C charging port, the same port featured on some Android phone models.
5. Due to its titanium shell, the new model is anticipated to be more expensive to purchase. The following is the speculated price list, as reported by Forbes:
The iPhone 15 starts at $799, the iPhone 15 Plus at $899, the iPhone 15 Pro at $1,099 ($100 increase), and the iPhone 15 Pro Max at $1,299 ($200 increase).
In an effort to reduce the exorbitant cost of Premium Motor Spirit, better known as petrol, the Infrastructure Bank Plc announced its collaboration with FEMADEC Group on Monday to offer 500 buses powered by autogas (Compressed Natural Gas).
Partners in the agreement claimed that the project was created to provide citizens with dependable, affordable, and environmentally friendly travel options, taking into account the negative effects of the nationwide increase in PMS costs.
Under Decree No. 51 of the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s 1992 Constitution, the Infrastructure Bank, originally known as the Urban Development Bank of Nigeria Plc, was founded in 1992 to promote the quick development of infrastructure throughout the nation.
In a statement issued in Abuja on its partnership with FEMADEC, the bank said, “The preliminary offer extended by TIB lays a solid foundation for the expansion of FEMADEC Group’s CNG bus fleet.
“With plans to introduce 500 CNG buses within the next five years, commencing with an initial batch of 50 buses in the forthcoming year, this proposal stands poised to instigate significant change.
“The acceptance of this proposition by FEMADEC Group, notably championed by Fola Akinnola, the Group Chief Executive Officer, is a testament to their zeal and dedication to this alliance.”
The bank described the partnership as a “pivotal endeavour that is primed to redefine Nigeria’s public transportation landscape, offering dependable, cost-effective, and ecologically conscious travel alternatives for citizens, while harmonising with the nation’s broader sustainability ambitions.”
“This partnership represents a remarkable stride towards a more ecologically aware future for Nigeria’s transportation sector, highlighting the shared commitment of both TIB and FEMADEC Group to sustainable advancement and progress.”
It said FEMADEC Group’s strides in operating Compressed Natural Gas buses, including the existing fleet of 20 CNG buses under LAMATA, underscored their unwavering dedication to ecologically sound solutions, a commitment predating the fuel subsidy removal.
“Their leadership within the CNG value chain is undeniable, and the new alliance with TIB underscores their foresight.
“This partnership seamlessly aligns with TIB’s sustainability objectives, echoing their resolute endorsement of the government’s net-zero and climate change agenda.
“The bank’s aspiration to champion Nigeria’s infrastructure progress is evident in its endorsement of pivotal initiatives like this, yielding expansive positive impacts on both the environment and society,” the bank stated.
The bank added that it would continue to make a significant contribution to the country’s growth as a leading financial institution committed to advancing effective and long-lasting infrastructure projects.
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