PUBLISHER’S THOUGHT
More Data Less Voice more than doubled over the last 13 years. The global mobile industry is the most vibrant and fastest growing industry and this shows so well in the data growth as far as telephony is concerned. Smartphones and tablets) operating on increasingly ubiquitous mobile broadband networks are allowing users to adopt an ever growing range of new services and applications, which in turn is driving an explosion in mobile data traffic. These transformations and new services have been made possible thanks to the significant investments that mobile operators have been making to deliver the sustained growth and ubiquity of mobile broadband connectivity. According to GSMA Reports in 2014, accelerating higher speed network deployments is also driving data growth. The report says that there is an ongoing technology shift in the global connection base, driven by improving coverage of higher speed networks and the increased affordability of more advanced handsets and devices. While 2G remains the dominant technology in terms of the number of connections, the proportion has fallen from 90% of total connections in 2008 to 67% by the end of 2013. The absolute number of 2G connections fell for
Akin Naphtal Group Publisher
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he data explosion is still on, at least f r o m a l l indications. People generally talk less on the phone and send fewer text messages now because there are so many ways to communicate over an Internet connection. But it's not like carriers are suffering. I n s t e a d, t h e y ' ve s u c c e s s f u l l y adapted to our growing hunger for mobile data. Carriers are raking in huge amounts of revenue from mobile data plans alone — the regular fees we pay to reach the Internet. Worldwide revenue from mobile data in 2011 amounted to $300 billion, according to a finding. Revenue for mobile operators overall totalled $1.5 trillion in 2012 alone, with mobile data accounting for 28 percent of that, the study estimates. Profits for carriers have
Group Publisher Akin Naphtal IT& Research Henry Gyedu
Associate Editor, Ghana Carol Opata
Ac ng Group Editor Kehinde Olesin IT/Business Reporters Derrick N.A Tagoe Deborah Arthur
IT/Business Reporters Tope Ajayi
NIG 3a, Shomoye Tejuosho Close, off Ogunmodede Street, Allen, Ikeja, Lagos Tel: +234 1 291 5803, Mob: +234 806 3603521, +234 8161342518
Contribu ng Editors David Ajao Terry Washington Social Media Execu ve Julius Ofori Boadu
UK Unit 2, Anchor Bay Ind. Estate Manor Road, Erith, Kent, DA8 2QA Tel: +44 777 510 9698 info@instinctwave.com www.instinctwave.com
GH: 6, Motorway Extension, Dzorwulu, Accra, Ghana Mob: +233 208 910 380, Tel: +233 302432849
the first time in 2013, and this decline is likely to accelerate going forward. By 2020, 2G connections will account for only a third of the total connection base, with 3.2 billion 2G connections by that date excluding machine-to-machine (“M2M”) Affordabilit y of handsets and devices is a big plus. For instance, the new Nokia 215 is cheap but yet “internet ready “. This $ 29 Microsoft's new Nokia 215, a Series 30 phone runs Facebook, Messenger, and Twitter .That's a smar tphone phone! In June 2014, Ericsson Mobility Report cements the obvious trend. According to the company's findings, the number of mobile subscriptions worldwide grew approximately 7 percent year-onyear during Q1 2014. The number of mobile broadband subscriptions grew even faster over this period – at a rate of 35 percent year-on-year, reaching 2.3 billion. The amount of data usage per subscription also continued to grow steadily. Around 65 percent of all mobile phones sold in Q1 2014 were smartphones. To g e t h e r, t h e s e f a c t o r s h ave contributed to a 65 percent growth in mobile/cellular data traffic between Q1 2013 and Q1 2014. We may never stop talking on our phones, but the data explosion is still on! Crea ve Manager Isaac Agyeman-Duah
Crea ve Officer Lawrence Otoo
Business Development Execu ve Gina Ibeh Liability While every care has been taken in the preparation of this magazine, the publishers cannot be responsible for the accuracy of information in herein, or any consequence arising from it. MobileWorld is a controlled circulation magazine and not available on newsstand. It is free to qualified readers worldwide. c Instinct Wave 2014 No part of this publication may be used, copied or reproduced without prior consent of the publisher.
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Contents MTN Plays a fundamental Role in Nigeria's Economy Michael Ikpoki Chief Executive OďŹƒcer, MTN Nigeria
8 26 Ghana to Launch First Satellite in 2020
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27 Priority Communications Introduces M2M Connectivity Enabler
29 Tigo Ghana partners with Ericsson to improve on network quality
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WhatsApp Hits 700M Monthly Active Users monthly active users. Additionally, every day our users now send over 30 billion messages. ” In August, Whatsapp announced that it had reached 600 million active users, meaning it got over 100 million new users in a span of four months. Facebook acquired Whatsapp for $19 billion in February and the firm’s said the acquisition was in line with a shared mission of bringing more connectivity and utility to the world by delivering core internet services efficiently and affordably.
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an Koum, CEO of mobile messaging app, WhatsApp, has revealed the app has hit 700 million a c t i ve u s e r s, u p from 600 million it
recorded in August. I n a Fa ce b o o k p o s t , K o u m announced, “I hope you all had a happy and peaceful holiday season. Today, we’re thrilled to share that WhatsApp has more than 700 million
Mark Zuckerberg, Founder and CEO of Facebook said WhatsApp will soon connect 1 billion people worldwide. Currently, WhatsApp beats Twitter’s 284 million users and Instagram’s 300 million users and slightly behind Facebook’s 1.3 billion active monthly users.
Etisalat & FirstBank Partner to Launch ‘Firstmonie’ t h e E t i s a l at Easywallet SIM application solution. This will promote the use of Firstmonieon the Easywallet SIM Tool Kit menu. Lucas Dada, Director, Business Segment at Etisalat Nigeria, said this partnership will provide added value to all customers and stakeholders in the mobile money industry.
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obile operator, Etisalat Nigeria, has partnered leading financial firm FirstBank, to l a u n c h ‘Firstmonie’ on
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“Etisalat easywallet is one of the most s e c u r e a n d convenient platforms for mobile money services. With the easywallet, Etisalat subscribers can make financial transactions such as Peerto-Peer transfers, Bills Payment and Airtime top-up, directly from their mobile device,” he explained.
He added that Small and MediumScale Enterprises (SMEs) in Africa collectively contribute a lot to the n a t i o n ’s e c o n o m y a n d t h i s necessitates the need to support this segment of the economy by making financial transactions easier, safer, more efficient and innovative. He described EasyWallet as one of Etisalat’s strategies of facilitating financial integration of the SMEs. “Etisalat Easywallet is the first to partner with prominent Nigerian banks and independent Mobile Money Operators including First Bank, GTBank, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Zenith Bank and Pagatech. It is convenient and helps our corporate clients (SMEs) to also enjoy benefits of cost reduction, inventor y management, streamlining intermediaries, ensuring price transparency and competitiveness,” he added.
Ericsson Introduces Maritime ICT Cloud Platform
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r i c s s o n h a s introduced Maritime ICT Cloud, an end-toe n d o ffe r i n g t h a t combines a managed cloud platform with industry applications, service enablement, connectivity management, and consulting and systems integration services.
Ericsson's Maritime ICT Cloud will connect vessels at sea with shorebased operations, maintenance service providers, customer support c e n t re s, fl e e t / t r a n s p o r t a t i o n
partners, port operations and authorities. At the same time, the offering enables services used to manage fleets, monitor engines and fuel consumption, oversee routes and navigation, and ensure the wellbeing of the crew. Ericsson will provide everything from satellite connections to application support in one complete package, and manage operation of the Maritime ICT Cloud on behalf of its customers.
in three main categories, namely voyage optimisation, cargo monitoring and crew welfare. Fuel is the single biggest expense for any ship owner, and also a major source of emissions that are harmful to the environment. Using engine diagnostics and up-to-the minute information about weather and traffic conditions both at sea and in ports, Maritime ICT Cloud enables ship captains to optimise their voyages to save time, fuel and money while also limiting environmental damage.
Maritime ICT Cloud delivers benefits
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MTN Plays a fundamental Role in Nigeria's Economy Michael Ikpoki Chief Executive OďŹƒcer, MTN Nigeria
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hat strikes you rst when you m e e t M r. Michael Ikpoki the Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria is his simplicit y. H is eyes are the second; they peer, look deeply into your very own and connect instantly. His deep knowledge of the telecoms, his readiness to part with his understanding and his cheerful disposition are incomparable. He joined MTN in 2001 as a regulatory advisor after a six-year stint with the Nigerian Communications Commission. Before the latest appointment as the Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Ikpoki was the chief executive officer of MTN Ghana; a position he was appointed to in April 2011 after successfully running MTN Nigeria's sales and distribution channel as its executive from 2006. A seasoned business executive, Michael is well read, with an academic pro le that includes General Management Programme at the Harvard Business School; sales at the INSEAD Business School; nance and analytics at the Lagos Business School; and a degree in law from the Rivers State University of Science and Technology. In this exclusive interview with MobileWorld, the CEO of the Year at the Ghana Telecom Awards 2012, Mike as he is fondly called shares on MTN's remarkable moments, quality of service, MTN's leadership and many more .Excerpts.... With the stiff competition in the Industry, what are the factors that have helped MTN to maintain its leadership position in the sector? Leadership doesn't just happen; it's something you work at. The first factor for us is investment; a network
cannot grow without investing in building its capacity. We have been very consistent in investing in our market. In the last 13 years, we have invested a cumulative of about $15 billion, that's an average of $1.2 billion a year investment. That's the level of our commitment to the Nigerian market. I think that in itself puts us in a position where we are able to get the value and also attract the number of customers the technology and platform can accommodate. The second factor is the brand, when I say brand, I do not mean the adverts and commercials, it's about who we are, how we have connected with our customers, having the right products and ser vices, connecting to our customers, meeting the needs of our customers, having the right operations and distribution to support our services. Over the years, we have worked hard on our brand, distribution and operations. We have tried to get better and listened to our customers by getting closer to the market and adapt as need be. Lastly, it's about people and culture, we are ver y passionate about people, given the kind of responsibility we have as a business in this market, we need to create the right culture for our people to contribute meaningfully to the business. Early this year, MTN partnered with Novo-Lumos to provide mobile electricity services in the rural areas, what's the update on that innovation? The Novo-Lumos partnership is really about providing a solar powered platform to enable people in off-grid locations to get electricity. We are working with Novo-Lumos and GSM Association. It's a pilot we are working on, if we get it right, we will roll out to other parts of Nigeria. And if all things go as expected, we should roll out in the first quarter of 2015. For us, it's
about our commitment to making the lives of our customers brighter by helping to bridge a lot of the economic gaps in our market. With the NCC constantly on the back of telcos to improve quality of service, what are the challenges standing in the way and how is MTN navigating the terrain? For us, epileptic electricity supply remains a big issue. For instance, in our market today, we have only 17 percent of our sites connected to the national grid. We are hopeful that the ongoing investment in the nation's power sector reform will address this. We have also had a lot of challenges around fibre cut and infrastructure. Anytime a fibre is cut, traffic going to one destination or the other is affected. This affects the quality of service. As an industry, we are working with NCC and the Ministry of Communication Technology to put a bill before the National Assembly to declare our fibre infrastructure as critical national infrastructure. That is the only way we can protect the fibre to salvage the problem with call connections and quality of our service. The issue of multiple taxes has also been a lot of concern. Having multiple agencies taxing us on the same lines raises issues about cost management. However, we have signed an MOU with the Lagos State government for instance, to give us concessionary rates on Right of Way, so that we can invest in infrastructure and grow the economy. We are discussing with other states on this same issue with a view of going in the same direction. On our part, we have also outsourced the management of our network to two vendors - Ericson and Huawei since April 2014. We believe that puts us in a better position to deliver better quality of services. We are also working on better customer feedback, using customer-centric KPIs and tools so
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we can get direct feedback from the customers, to ensure we are giving quality service. What is your view on the Bank-led mobile money model in Nigeria today, which has shut out telecom operators as against what obtains in other African Countries? I will take a more positive look at this. The issue about the model will depend on the regulatory regime on a country by country basis. I would rather we focus on the objective. CBN has come up with a cashless society policy which enables people, especially the unbanked to be able to transact businesses and services and make transfers via their mobile phones or other devices. I think that fits in with the objective of mobile money. In August, we launched a Diamond Y 'ello Account with Diamond Bank. There are other competitive offerings along the same line, helping people to transact business via their phones. So for us, it is about supporting the objectives of the government in promoting a cashless economy, even though it may not be like what obtains in Kenya and other countries, I think it is a good start. What effect will the recent tower outsourcing and the Alcatel Lucent connectivity agreement you signed, have on the bottom line business of MTN? This is in line with our vision of focusing on our customers and making their lives a whole lot brighter. What we are doing is not unusual. If we can get third parties to manage our infrastructure better than ourselves, then that makes more sense. That will help us focus on our core business. It's for us to improve on our operational efficiency. The Alcatel partnership takes care of the 100 gigabyte fibre optical technology and this helps us have a more robust fibre capacity to enable us manage the fibre cuts a lot b e t t e r, w h i c h a l s o m e a n s a n www.mobileworldmag.com 10
improvement in our services. This is part of our normal CAPEX investment. We expect that the first phase should be done in the first quarter of 2015, and the next phase by second quarter of 2016. All this is to enable us operate a more robust and effective network so we can deliver better ser vices to our customers. There has been a lot of complaints about MTN's data pricing being on the high side, is this due to the growing function of voice revenue? I would say our prices are quite competitive and are in line with best practice. The truth is that the very nature of data services is more network-capacity intensive because people actually spend more time on the network to get the service. The reality of our business is to focus more on building new capacity to support data and more customers coming online and being able to get efficient services. Rather we have been more innovative in offering bespoke data services, take for example our social media bundles for our new customers, which we know are quite relevant to their lifestyle and needs. So I think our services are competitive and fair. Let's not forget that these things take time, we are still growing the network, it took us 13 years to cover 95 percent of the population, so we are sure to get there with regards to our data services. Having been in the market for 13 years, what are some of MTN's remarkable moments? Our consistent investment in the country is a great achievement, $15 billion investment over the years is no joke, and we are set to increase our investment. MTN was rated 6th in the federal government's listing of top 100 companies in Nigeria. This s h o w s o u r s t a k e i n N i g e r i a' s economy. We see ourselves not just as a telecom operator; we see
ourselves as very intrinsic in the social economic life of this country. We are at a point where we want to open up the digital economy in Nigeria, unlock value, create wealth, new opportunities, provide infrastructure and services, it's an exciting phase we are going into. How are you supporting the growth of E-commerce in Nigeria? We are supporting ecommerce with our digital services, and creating opportunities for SMEs. What should we expect from MTN in 2015? For MTN, we have been very clear about our vision, which is to lead the delivery of a bold, new digital world to our customers. This means continuous investment in technology and infrastructure to support more customers coming online, to be able to provide relevant innovative products and services that enable them connect with their desires and aspirations. Taking it from this context, our focus will be on CAPEX investments that will improve coverage in key markets, coming up with exciting products and services, identifying customer needs and coming up with products that are most useful to them. We look forward to an exciting future at MTN. How w i l l yo u d e s c r i b e yo u r leadership style? I am very result-oriented, and in trying to achieve this, I try to create clarity in directions, creating a more collaborative environment and a great company culture, this is what makes it easy to achieve our objectives. Considering your busy schedule, how do you balance family and work? I try my best, I try to spend as much time as I can with the family if I am not traveling, especially during weekends, but during the week, it's difficult for me.
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Etisalat Nigeria Introduces SmartPak to Rev Up Data Offering ‘Etisalat SmartPak’. According to the telco, it introduces the s e r v i ce i n re s p o n s e to i t s subscribers’ varied preferences in regards to data consumption, simplicity and control. The Etisalat SmartPak offering is designed to provide subscribers with data for their preferred consumption platforms. The packages are positioned to give subscribers unlimited access to the content they use most in an easy to understand format that suit their lifestyle, enabling them maximize value.
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igeria’s fastest g r o w i n g telecommunicati on company, Etisalat, has launched the
M a t t h e w W i l l s h e r, C h i e f E xe c u t i v e O ffi c e r, E t i s a l a t Nigeria, speaking on the new product said the Etisalat SmartPak is different from the all-purpose Easyblaze bundles which charges customers for size of data they want; rather each pack provides unlimited access to specific services.
offering internet services in terms of their desired content; be it social or business content. For example, a customer who prefers chatting and does more chatting can subscribe to ChatPak for access to chat apps such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, WeChat and 2Go, rather than data access in Megabytes and Gigabytes.” The Etisalat SmartPak consists of the Social Me Pak, Chat Pak, and Video Pak. The ChatPak offers access to all chat applications like WhatsApp and BBM while the Social Me Pak gives subscriber access to social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, in addition to the chat apps available on ChatPak. The Video Pak offers 2-hour access to stream for only N400!! With this, subscribers can watch their favourite football match or makeup video without thinking of the costs.
He said, “The Etisalat SmartPak fits each consumer’s internet needs by
Orange, Ericsson Complete Live LTE-A FDD Trial in the 3.4-3.6GHz Band
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range and Ericsson have successfully used the 3.4 3.6 GHz ( 3 . 5 G H z ) frequencies for testing data speeds, coverage and FDD carrier aggregation. This live LTE Advanced FDD trial, which was authorized by the French regulator ARCEP, was carried out in October November 2014 on Orange's network in Bordeaux using Ericsson's pre commercial equipment. Ericsson Thomas Noren, Vice President, Head of Radio Product Management, Ericsson
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Th e fi r s t p h a s e o f t h e t r i a l wa s performed at the Orange Labs in Paris.
In this trial, speeds of 300 Mbps were achieved by using the 3.5 GHz band in aggregation with the 2.6 GHz band, thereby confirming the potential of 3.5 GHz FDD technology to increase mobile broadband capacity. The second phase was carried out on Orange's live mobile network and was based on Ericsson's pre-commercial FDD 3.5 GH z radio base station equipment. For the trial, new antennas supporting the 3.5 GHz band were installed at the Le Ponant and Meriadeck sites in the city center of Bordeaux. A range of streaming-based services were tested
Ethio Telecom Partners Ericsson to Transform its Network in Ethiopia
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performance of its 2G/3G network. This w i l l consequently e n s u r e improved quality of n e t wo r k coverage, richer and m o r e innovative m o b i l e communicati on services to subscribers in southern Ethiopia.
ricsson has signed a f r a m e w o r k agreement on 2G /3G m o b i l e communication equipment and related services such as design, planning, deployment, tuning, and
The agreement with Ericsson will be used for the procurement of Ericsson products and services and aims to transform the current network and add additional capacity to meet the country's need to bring connectivity to more than 60 million subscribers nationwide.
optimization with Ethio Telecom. Th e n e w l y s i gn e d f ra m e wo r k agreement will allow Ethio Telecom to further improve the capacity and
"Ethio Telecom sees this agreement with Ericsson as an important step towards fulfilling the country's need for communication under the
allowing the team to continuously m o n i to r n e t wo r k p e r fo r m a n ce between the base station and the mobile prototype throughout the live trial. The data throughputs acquired during the tests were measured, both before and after carrier aggregation of the two bands. A peak performance of 150 Mbps at a distance of up to 700 meters was achieved in the 3.5 GHz band when used alone, and speeds of 300 Mbps was attained when used in aggregation with the 2.6 GHz band.
provide advanced mobile broadband services using a FDD access scheme for high peak data rate applications to enhance user experience," said Alain Maloberti, Senior Vice President, Orange Labs Networks.
3.5 GHz suitable for the deployment of macro-cells in FDD mode in cities "This live FDD trial demonstrated that the 3.5 GHz band can be successfully used in urban and suburban environments in stand-alone mode or in aggregation with another band to
This project has provided an opportunity to gather essential experience on the ways future multifrequency networks could be optimized from cost and performance perspec tives. One of the most rewarding results of the trial is the co n fi r m at i o n t h at t h e ex i s t i n g network grid can be reused for a 3.5 GHz macro grid; in Bordeaux, the trials used the same grid as for the 1800 MHz and 2.6 GHz bands.
Telecom Expansion Plan. We believe in a long-term partnership with Ericsson," said Andualem Admassie, CEO, Ethio Telecom. On his part, Rafiah Ibrahim, Head of Region Middle East and North East Africa at Ericsson said, “Ethiopia's 3G market is rapidly growing, driven by Ethiopian's high demand on connectivity. Ericsson is devoted to suppor t the development of E t h i o p i a ' s t e l e c o m i n d u s t r y, leveraging our global expertise and technology leadership. Today's signing of the framework agreement will further solidify our partnership with Ethio Telecom as we will work together to ensure rewarding new user experience for Ethiopian consumers in the new connectivity era and we are fully confident that we will together achieve this objective." The signing ceremony was hosted by H.E Dr Debretsion, Minister of Telecommunications in Ethiopia, and was attended by key representatives from Ethio Telecom, Ericsson, and local media.
spectrum is suitable for providing substantial capacity gains that can satisfy future consumer needs" said Thomas Noren, Vice President, Head of Radio Product Management, Ericsson. The successful trial's results reconfirm that the FDD access scheme is a promising solution for the 3.5GHz band to provide mobile operators additional capacity for advanced services and applications in Europe.
"This live FDD trial also demonstrated that the macro coverage of 3.5 GHz
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The Future of Communications: Internet of Things
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he Internet of Things has created a buzz in the technological world. As we look around for ways to increase connectivity and make it more eďŹƒcient, the Internet of Things is expected to play a huge role in linking devices. It is bound to create a revolution, and completely change the face of the communications industry. Just some time back, Bosch established an Internet of Things community, showing the world that this concept has now become mainstream. Indeed, the Internet of Things is talked about so much everywhere: it is all over the news, the web, and technological www.mobileworldmag.com
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discussions. But the truth is that the technology, though attractive, is still limited and has never been experienced by most of us. Understanding the Internet of Things The Internet of Things, also referred to as IoT, Man to Machine, Machine to Machine and Machine to Mobile, is a technology which aims to connect every day objects to the internet, giving each of them an identity of their own. The communication methods are similar to that of RFID, but other wireless concepts, sensor technologies or QR codes may also be incorporated. If all objects can actually be connected t h i s w a y, t h e y c a n e a s i l y b e
represented digitally and can be related to you, the surroundings and other nearby objects. Thus, the object becomes more intelligent, and a network of such connected objects, is referred to as ambient intelligence. At a deeper level Let's make things a bit simpler now in an attempt to understand better. In the past, internet was about data. In the future, it will be about objects. Our computers will be able to identify and recognize all of these objects and will know everything that there is to know about them. Such a technology can help us keep a track of every single thing and contribute to common goals of
reducing waste, costs and loss. The technology is expected to be so powerful that it will notify us when an object has to be repaired or repacked. Right now, we limit connectivity to co m p u te r s, s m a r t p h o n e s a n d tablets. The Internet of Things takes this to the next well and assumes that every single object can be connected to a huge network, which is the internet itself. Plus, all these objects can communicated with one another, allowing the world to emerge as a huge information system. From a technological point Did you get everything up till here? Now let's delve into the technological aspects. Once all the objects are connected, how will we control them? Smartphones. They are equipped with sensors and can connect to other objects, which will also feature wireless sensors and chips. In the past, IoT was expensive, but with the advent of efficient chips that can be linked to the web, the costs can be bought down.
Enterprises like GE and Samsungs are working on intelligent products like lighting systems and smart thermostats which are based on the Internet of Things. Are there any challenges? If the Internet of Things can truly be implemented to its core essence, data will be generated in huge quantities and will have to be stored, processed and retrieved. Experts expect to achieve this with cloud computing, but there are still challenges involved. We have already talked about sensors and embedded chips. IoT devices will also contain actuators. The wireless sensors will play the most significant role, having the capabilities of functioning autonomously if deployed in a suitable environment. The current sensors in the market are based on protocols such as Zigbee, Bluetooth Low Energy and Radio Frequency Identification. Sensors which can be used for IoT must have more power so that that more messages can be sent and
received. Many companies are trying to come up with sensors that use natural power sources such as thermal energy and photovoltaic energy so that they can work for an indefinite period of time. Complexities are present, and no solution can be deemed reliable for right now. Companies are also trying to develop wireless sensors, which will be based on the RFID technology. These sensors can be installed in concrete, pillars, walls, piping systems and many other environments. But they can work effectively only when there is an RFID close toe the RF power source. Applications The Internet of Things has many applications and can be perceived in different ways. Every single company seems to have its own vision about the concept. Cisco refers it as the Internet of Everything, whereas GE has termed it as the Industrial Internet. Like we said, the Internet of Things can be a complex concept, but companies want this to be as
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simple as possible for the consumers. Right now, they are focused on making their existing devoices smarter to give users a familiarity with wireless sensors and chips. Monitoring of Everything IoT has been visioned as something which links all the devices to the internet. With all these connections, we will be able to know everything that we want to know, and everything can be monitored as well. Environmental Monitoring An environmental monitoring system provides data about pollution, land, plant growth, and so on. Such systems can also monitor traďŹƒc, identify chemical hazards, and detect earthquakes and oods. Weather forecasting is another application. With the IoT, all these applications can be realized through a low cost and reliable framework.
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Nokia 215: Microsoft unveils its cheapest ever internet phone with 29-day battery life and $29 price tag will help it increase its market share in Asia, the Middle East and Africa. The phone costs $29 (£19) and co m e s w i t h t h e O p e ra M i n i Browser and Facebook Messenger built in, and can run Twitter and other apps. Despite that, it is mostly a low-spec phone — with a 320 x 240 pixel display, a 0.3 megapixel camera, a radio and a torch as its headline features.
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icrosoft today unveiled a c h e a p , internete n a b l e d Nokia phone that it hopes
But that is likely to help it pick up buyers in the budget market, especially in developing countries. And the lack of hi-tech features mean that it is a robust phone, built to be durable and with a battery that Microsoft says can last up to 29 days on standby.
And the torch might sound like a minor addition, but Microsoft points out that it will be useful in the markets that it hopes the phone will be shipping into — such as the 20% of the world that don’t have regular access to electricity. Microsoft announced the phone as its “most affordable internetready entry-level phone yet”, saying that it would be “perfectly suited for first-time mobile phone buyers or as a secondary phone for just about anyone”. The phone will be released in Europe as well as the Middle East, Africa and Asia in the first quarter of 2015. It is available in a normal version as well as a dual SIM one.
The software is also built for more difficult terrains, and the built-in apps can work without a 3G connection.
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MTN Nigeria Moves Closer to Digital Journey 2.0 with BetterMe App
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n a bold move to d em o n st rate h ow every Nigerian can use the power of the internet to do extraordinary things that make for a be er life in 2015, Nigeria's leading Informa on and Communica ons Technology (ICT) company, MTN has launched its Be erMe campaign with the unveiling of the My2015Be erMe app and three 2015 Be erMe Bundle offerings for customers across all strata. Speaking at the colourful launch c e re m o ny, G e n e ra l M a n a g e r, Corporate Affairs, Ms. Funmi Onajide highlighted the current trend in the telecoms industry as evidenced in the movement from predominantly voice services to data and digital services. “In the past, the focus was on voice – that is the ability to connect people so that they could make phone calls. This industry has achieved that with well over 100 million ac ve subscribers in Nigeria of which MTN has 60 million subscribers as at the end of 2014; that dispensa on was known as Telco 1.5. Now we are moving to Telco 2.0 which is characterized by full scale focus on
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data and digital services leveraging the power of the internet,” said Onajide. She added that the Be er Me campaign would build on the innova ve drive among the youth and expose Nigerians from all walks of life to how they can see the posi ve value in the internet while using it to create experiences that are relevant to their peculiar circumstances and enjoying the way various digital and data products and services make their lives be er. In a similar vein, MTN Nigeria's Chief Marke ng Officer, Bayo Adekanmbi said that the new campaign demonstrates MTN's commitment to enabling Nigerians become be er in all spheres of endeavour. He added that the app will introduce Nigerians to internet content that they may not be aware of including local content websites like pidgin-based websites; local language news, sports and home grown produc vity tools. “The My2015Be erMe app aims to enhance peoples' lives with the power of the internet. It provides easy access to a variety of digital content and offers subscribers a single pla orm to access, view and
share New Year resolu ons & must-do, 2015 prophesies & events, news, daily deals, gossips, fashion, healthy living and lifestyle ps. It is our desire that t h e a p p revo l u o n i ze s t h e industry in the same way that MTN Callertunez service revolu onised the music industry by reducing piracy and ensuring t h at a r ste s ge t a d e q u ate remunera on for their talent,” said Adekanmbi. MTN's CMO expressed op mism that the app would allow bloggers and internet users get more value for their me, talent and energy spent using the internet for life enriching purposes such as shopping, educa on, entertainment, fashion, skill acquisi on/learning a new language, spiritual and mo va onal content as well as tracking new year resolu ons. Explaining how to get the app, Adekanmbi said customers can download the app free by sending the keyword, 2015 to 131 via SMS. An SMS containing the link for download is then sent, which the customer clicks to download the app and takes the customer to the homepage where an area of interest is selected. These bundles are: Be erMe Daily Bundle which consists of 20 Na onal mins + 15MB + 35 Na onal SMS cos ng N250 only; Be erMe Monthly Bundle which consists of 100 Na onal mins + 100 Na onal SMS + These bundles are: BetterMe Daily Bundle which consists of 20 National mins + 15MB + 35 National SMS costing N250 only; BetterMe Monthly Bundle which consists of 100 National mins + 100 National SMS + 300MB costing N2,015 only and BetterMe Monthly Data Bundle which consists of 2015MB and costs N2,015 only.
Phase 3 Telecom Set to Connect More Cities cities worldwide especially with recent network expansion projects, upgrades and global partnership with PCCW Global, the Hong Kong-headquartered international operating division of HKT, Hong Kong's premier telecom service provider.
Chief-Executive-Officer-of-Phase3-Telecom-Mr.-Stanley-Jegede1
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elecommunication s services provider, Phase3 Telecom, infrastructure has announced it would connect more cities to its n e t wo r k t h i s ye a r w h i l e re affirming its key focus to ensure that West Africa enjoys full access t o re l i a b l e, h i g h - s p e e d a n d affordable broadband connectivity. Last year, the company recorded major successes including the addition of over a 1000km to its 6 0 0 0 k m cove ra g e a re a w i t h footprint expansion of its MPLS network and fixed broadband services; making it possible for people and businesses to access the superior performance of its aerial fiber optic connectivity which has the full potential of internet usage at “superfast” speed on its enterprise-wide networks. According to Chief Executive Stanley Jegede, it is a great professional boost for Phase3
family to k ick- off 2015 with renewed vigor to connect more cities. He stated that, “It reinstates the team’s drive to offer strong, trustworthy and seamless communications solutions to clients all over West Africa. It is a clear attestation to Phase3’s unflinching commitment to enabling new, advanced and highly differentiated telecommunications ser vices across Nigeria and throughout the African continent in order to deliver the most innovative solutions. “It is an incomparable high point for us that people and businesses operating in the region can effectively connect with each other and the rest of the world as they ride on our network and strong international partnerships”. Jegede maintained that connecting these cities also means businesses in these locations get to enjoy network access to over 400
He also noted that, “Phase3’s relentless effort to get more cities connected belies the company’s central vision to run an infrastructure that is the largest in size and most versatile in connectivity. Our brand promise is to remain the choice network; that provides high level services to meet the unique needs of our numerous broadband customers and that continuously improves network performance and value creation to satisfy the changing needs of our enterprise customers”. “We will keep operating efficiently, innovatively and reliably, with a focus on the successful redefinition of the market towards convergence. This will make telecommunications not only more coherent but intelligent as it will actively prepare clients for the rapidly evolving future of broadband capabilities. Thus; launching active users into a new world of naturally smart, vastly sustainable, swiftly adaptive, completely reliable and ver y simple intelligent networks that is yet a rising phenomenon in this region,” Jegede added. By this development, Phase3 in its 11th year of operations continues to show its capabilities as a foremost indigenous ser vice provider championing the drive to r e - d e fi n e N i g e r i a’s telecommunications landscape with an unwavering dedication and eagerness to deliver to all West Africans services they need for a s u s t a i n a b l e s o c i o - e co n o m i c progress. www.mobileworldmag.com
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Local Internet Hosting Opportunities Key to Internet Development in Africa Michael Kende SOC’s Chief Economist and co-author of the report www.mobileworldmag.com 20
Local Internet hosting is key to the development of the Internet ecosystem in emerging countries, according to a report released by the Internet Society The development of locally relevant Internet content that is attractive to users has been shown to have a positive impact on Internet adoption. As the infrastructure necessary for Internet access is becoming more available in developing countries and emerging regions, efforts to increase Internet adoption rates are now focused on the development of such content. However, the impact of such efforts on Internet adoption rates will be limited if the infrastructure and enabling environment for local hosting and content delivery is overlooked. In many developing countries and emerging regions, the vast majority of content accessed by local users is hosted abroad. As the content must traverse often expensive and sometimes under-provisioned international links, this can have a significant impact on the economics of access as well as the user experience. “The lack of locally hosted content can have significant impacts on the entire Internet ecosystem in a country,” writes Michael Kende, ISOC's Chief Economist and co-author of the report. “First, accessing any type of content abroad can be very costly for ISPs, and therefore, international links are often under-provisioned, resulting in slow access times that limit usage. Second, these increased costs for accessing international content are passed on to users, with high prices limiting usage. Finally, these limits on demand will, in turn, restrict the creation of further Internet content, k e e p i n g t h e e n t i re e c o s y s t e m underdeveloped.” The report, “Promoting Local Content Hosting to Develop the Internet Ecosystem,” co-authored by Mr. Kende and K aren R ose, S enior Director, Internet Society's Office of Strategy and Research, uses Rwanda as a case study in exploring those
dynamics, working in close partnership with the Ministry of Youth and ICT (MyICT) in Rwanda and the Rwanda Information and C o m m u n i c a t i o n Te c h n o l o g y Association (RICTA). While focused on R wanda, the situation there is common in many developing countries. “Strengthening the enabling environment for the hosting of local content can have positive cascading impacts on stakeholders and the local Internet economy, including its end users,” said Ms. Rose. “Global hosting options have clearly been valuable for content developers, however, the local hosting environment is yet to mature in many developing countries, limiting the practical options available for content developers to host locally. The cost and latency involved in accessing content abroad from emerging economies can depress usage, with the result that the full potential and benefits of the Internet a re n o t re a l i ze d. Ad d i t i o n a l l y, depressed usage impacts content developers directly, as less user engagement with content translates to a lower potential for content and service providers to earn revenue from advertising and sales.” Cost Almost all of the commercial websites in Rwanda are hosted abroad. A small savings for the content providers in hosting it abroad results in significantly higher costs for the ISPs to access the content. For one of the larger Rwandan websites that was examined, the content developer saved USD$111 per year by hosting overseas, while it cost the Rwandan ISPs approximately USD$13,500 in transit costs to deliver the content from abroad to local users. This impact is limited, however, because the websites hosted abroad suffer from high latency, which reduces usage. Latency The delay experienced by users in Rwanda to download a webpage can frequently be five seconds or more,
and this can increase for webpages composed of multiple elements. The cumulative effect can make the overall Internet experience slow and frustrating, with a corresponding negative impact on usage. This can also limit the viability of interactive and data-intensive services such as gaming or video streaming, which depend on low latency. The report provides several examples of the positive impact on usage when Google and Akamai made content available locally in Rwanda. For instance, Akamai recently turned on a cluster in Rwanda that increased throughput dramatically, and within two months usage increased by 80%. The report then recommends several steps to bolster the local hosting environment in Rwanda, in order that local content providers have the option to experience the benefits of local hosting. According to the Minister of Youth and ICT in Rwanda, the Hon. Jean Philbert Nsengimana, “The Rwandan Internet environment has seen impressive growth in recent years due to the commitment and involvement of a range of stakeholders, including an enterprising population and business community, dedicated technical co m m u n i t y, a n d s t ro n g p o l i c y leadership throughout the Government of Rwanda.” Minister Nsengimana added, “This project has demonstrated how the Internet ecosystem in Rwanda, and other countries in a similar position, can work together to bolster the e nv i ro n m e nt fo r l o c a l co nte nt hosting.” While local content hosting is a key element for creating a vibrant local Internet economy, the report notes that the focus for policymakers, companies, and content entrepreneurs, should be on creating a positive enabling environment that will incentivize local hosting and service development and thereby offer content providers a local choice, rather than imposing measures that artificially require local hosting
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UK Moves Towards Becoming 'Digital Nation', Records 28BN Minutes Online In 2014
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new report from The Cloud has revealed the UK's mobile web u s a g e h a b i t s, with the wi-fi provider's analysis revealing a huge increase in the amount of time spent on browsing the internet. The data, pulled from The Cloud's network of more than 22,000 public hotspots, showed a 78% increase in the time logged on to public WiFi when compared with 2013, with over 28 billion minutes being spent online. According to the data, smartphones remained the most common way to connect, accounting for 89% of usage. Android saw the largest user
growth year-on-year at 49%, whilst tablets continued to show an increase in use at 21%. Overall, 2014 saw an increase of 34% in user base for The Cloud, resulting in an active user increase from 9 million to over 12million. "In business, the digital sector is now wor th £71 billion to the UK economy. That means we spend a vast amount of our lives online and it is shown clearly in our new figures," said Roger Matthews, Commercial Director, The Cloud. The growth of consumers connecting to The Cloud is one that Matthews expects to continue with reliability being key to success:
more popular, we expect 2015 to bring an increased demand for reliable, high-speed connectivity. Because of this, we believe tech savvy users will start autoconnecting to The Cloud network to save on data." "We are an increasingly digital generation and the larger screens that tablets offer are well-suited to content-obsessed consumers who devour everything from movies to gaming," explained Matthews. “2015 will bring more rich media, more streaming and more WiFi minutes than ever before. This is an exciting era in digital and the UK public are undoubtedly embracing it."
"As rich media content becomes
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Ghana to Launch First Satellite in 2020
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he Ghana Space Science and Te c h n o l o g y Institute (GSSTI) and Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) have outlined a road map towards the launch of Ghana’s first satellite, Ghanasat 1. The project would be a joint venture between the State, GSSTI, GAEC and Menasat Gulf Group Public Limited Company, a UKbased producer of very high resolution (1m) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) used for aerial imaging. The project will begin with the establishment of a data centre in 2015, for receiving, processing and analysis of radar images from the COSMO-SkyMed satellite
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constellation of the Italian Space Agency. Phase two would see the establishment of a ground direct receiving station and the final phase would be the satellite launch in 2020 and a facility for integration of the high resolution ear th observation satellite constellation. When complete, this endeavour would enable Ghana to obtain satellite images and other information of tropical regions. The information will be of significant use in areas such as security, risk management, maritime management, environmental m o n i t o r i n g, ro a d t r a n s p o r t , defence and intelligence. Dr Nana Ama Browne Klutse, Manager of remote sensing at GSSTI and a research scientist at
GAEC, said the data centre would reduce the cost on satellite image procurement and also boost the National Spatial Development Framework. Professor Riccardo Maggiora, Chief Technology Officer of Menasat, said a low inclination orbit at a low altitude would enable a very short revisit time of 6 hours, which means that images could be taken off any particular place, four times a day. He also demonstrated to stakeholders, the remarkable abilities of Menasat’s SARs. Aside providing images through smoke, steam and clouds, they could measure tec tonic and structure displacement rates which is useful for predicting landslides and building disasters.
Priority Communications Introduces M2M Connectivity Enabler
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r i o r i t y Communications Limited, a leading player in t h e telecommunicati ons industry, has introduced Machine to Machine (M2M) connectivity that enables automated wired or wireless communication between mechanical or electronic devices. Mrs. Mabe Shaibu, business development manager for Priority Communications Limited, while speaking to journalist during a recent Forum organized by the Company said that, with presence in over 26 states of the federation, Priority came up with the M2M to enable clients' networked machines to exchange information and perform actions without the
manual assistance of humans. She explained that Priority's M2M connectivity has the following key components: Radio frequency identification (RFID), sensors, computing programmed software used for interpreting data and making decisions and cellular communications or WIFI. She further stated that “because of the level of complexity needed for machines to communicate with each other, Machine to Machine requires deep integration between systems and a thorough understanding of metadata, product data and business processes, as well as an understanding of IT and financial impacts of the data that it provides and this”, according to her, “is what Priority Communications has fully packaged to deliver to her clients
nationwide”. In addition, she emphasized that Priority's M2M nationwide services for Offsite, ATM, cash centers and branches is well optimized for locations that require reliable, consistent uptime, and stable band width. She added that it has been deployed from locations outside Lagos to network with operation centers in Lagos with up to 99% uptime. When asked what distinguishes this service from the others, she stated that its combination of microwave radio & fiber helps to deliver unbeatable throughput giving our clients high speed connectivity with a very fast response time.
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SimplePay, eTranzact Complete Mobile Money Integration
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igerian online p a y m e n t p l a t fo r m , SimplePay, has announced a partnership with eTranzact International PLC, Africa's leading provider of mobile banking and payments services, which will allow its users send money to any PocketMoni account instantly by logging into their SimplePay. “We are excited to work with an international financial institution like eTranzact to expand SimplePay's product offering. This service is just the first of many exciting projects we are doing with eTranzact,” said S i m e o n O n o n o b i , S i m p l e Pa y Founder. www.mobileworldmag.com
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eTranzact's PocketMoni is a mobile money solution designed to allow users conduct financial transactions anytime, anywhere, from their phone. With PocketMoni, your phone is now your bank and your mobile phone number your account. From the convenience of your desktop to the palm of your hand, SimplePay has simplified the lives of thousands of connected Nigerians by eliminating physical cash from financial transactions. With this synergy, both platforms are positioned to serve the customer better which is the main goal of the collaboration. On his part, Ike Eze, Executive
Director, Strategy and Corporate D e ve l o p m e n t a t eTr a n z a c t International PLC and Head of PocketMoni said, “We are happy to finally bring this collaboration to the marketplace. Our key goal with payments and mobile money is to leverage on technology to make p a y m e n t s e a s i e r, a n d o u r collaboration with SimplePay will enable us do this.” SimplePay and PocketMoni users can immediately start enjoying the benefits of this service.
Tigo Ghana partners with Ericsson to improve on network quality
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obile Network Operator, Tigo has entered i n t o a partnership with wor ldc l a s s Communications technology and services provider, Ericsson, to help manage and improve its network quality and service delivery. The strategic deal will enable Tigo extend its footprint nationwide and ensure customer satisfaction by delivering superior network quality using Ericsson's state-of-the-art technology and experience. In a recent interview with the CEO of
Tigo Ghana about its overhead fibre project in Bogoso in the Western region, Roshi Motman, touted Ericsson's capability and capacity saying: “Ericsson is recognized world-wide for their extensive experience in advising and supporting telecom operators to secure network quality and improved efficiency. Tigo Ghana is going to leverage on their expertise to offer our customers a reliable and seamless network experience”. She explained that although like other telecom companies the network is core to their operations, companies like Ericsson are market
leaders and renowned for telecommunications services. She believes the partnership will give Tigo Ghana the opportunity to focus on delivering quality experience for its customers and managing the network. “It will also guarantee network quality and optimisation which is crucial for customer experience” Roshi emphasised. Ericsson will m a n a g e a l l m a i nte n a n ce a n d operations of Tigo Ghana's active network among others.
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UBA Launches Twitter Alert Service n 18 African Countries
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Pan African bank, United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA) has introduced transaction alerts a n d d i r e c t messages for its customers via its twitter handle. The service is available in all 18 African countries, where the bank is present. The service is an innovative first from the pan-African bank and remains the only bank in Africa to offer such a package. Speaking on the service, UBA's Director, Information Technology, Rasheed Adegoke, said “What we have done is take social media banking to a new level. Twitter is increasingly becoming a popular means of communication especially among the young adults.” “As a highly innovative bank, we are giving the Millennials, who are increasingly banking with us an option to get transaction alerts on their preferred platform,” he added.
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Ad e g o k e a l s o i n d i c a t e d t h a t previously, customers can only receive transaction alerts as text messages to their mobile phones and as e-mails. Acco rd i n g l y, t h e U B A Tw i t te r Notification Service will not replace the current SMS alerts system in place for all of the bank's customers, but will complement it for added convenience for all those who subscribe to the service. UBA customers seeking to receive twitter powered transaction alerts to their twitter account should visit the UBA Group website or the UBA twitter page to register. On the UBA Group website, customers will be requested to click on the Twitter notification service page, and enter their account number then click on submit. Follow the displayed instructions to log into their personal account and enable access. Once this process is completed, the customer will start receiving transaction alerts securely.
The alerts will only be seen by the receiver, since it goes into his or her direct message box, just like an SMS message going to a phone. The introduction of this service reinforces UBA's growing presence and engagement with its numerous customers on social media. UBA has been acknowledged as one of Nigeria's leading banks in the social media space. In February 2014, a social media report by Alder Consulting ranked the bank among the top three, in effective use of social media in Nigeria. UBA is active on Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, Instagram and Google plus and runs a corporate blog.
Showcasing Nigeria's ICT Sector at ITU Telecom World
Omobola Johnson, Minister of Communication Technology,Nigeria at the ITU Telecom
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Dr. Eugene Juwah,Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigeria Telecommunications Commission (NCC)
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Service Provision Fund (USPF), the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), and the Nigeria Broadcasting Commission (NBC) on hand to provide exper t guidance and support to investors desirous of investing in Nigeria.
The Minister of Communication Technology, Dr Omobola Johnson who led the Nigerian delegation to the forum seized every opportunity to outline, highlight and showcase N iger ia's IC T sec tor's growth trajectory and great investment potentials to discerning investors looking for where to invest. Present at the event where investors and partners –such as telecoms operators like MTN, Etisalat, and Airtel. Indigenous companies that are expanding both within the country and into regional markets such as MainOne and Zinox and Government agencies like -the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), the Universal
Nigeria, she stressed, presents a large and di ver se ma r ket for discerning operators to come in to invest. She urged investors that are already cognisant of Nigeria's ICT sector's potentials to continue to invest and called on others standing outside looking in and yet to invest because they consider Nigeria to be chaotic, unstable and uncertain to come in and invest. Dr Johnson unveiled Nigeria to the global community as the most populous country and biggest economy in Africa- currently taking concrete steps to diversify her economy with clear results becoming noticeable in key non-oil sectors such as Agriculture, Power, Manufacturing and IC Ts. The Minister added that with the clear growth path of Nigeria, it comes as no surprise that Nigeria remains one of the top three destinations for
ate last year's ITU Telecom World 2014 (7th-10th December) with the theme “Future in Focus” held in Doha might have come and gone but potential investors, participants and delegates will not forget in a hurry the impact of Nigeria's ICT sector growth and success stories that reverberated at the four day event.
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foreign direct investments (FDI) in Africa. In fact, Nigeria has attracted the most FDI capital and the second most FDI projects in Sub-Saharan Africa. She reiterated that the increasingly diversified nature of Nigeria's economy is reflected in the increasingly diversified nature of investments coming into the country. Within 2007 till 2013, Nigeria recorded more than 50% FDI c a p i t a l i nv e s t e d i n t o c a p i t a l intensive resource sectors, while 50% of FDI projects are service o r i e n t e d – w i t h t h e telecommunications sector experiencing strong growth attracting 24% of FDI projects. The newly elected Secretary General of the ITU, Mr Houlin Zhao who was on hand to support Nigeria, commended Nigeria's ICT sector growth. Zhao eulogised Nigeria on its Broadband policy initiatives and successes recorded in the ICT sector. He particularly singled out Nigeria deploying 4G for commercial services- a feat that he stressed had
put the country ahead of much of Europe and China. The EVC of NCC, Dr Eugene Juwah also highlighted Nigeria's IC T growth reiterating that Nigeria has witnessed phenomenal growth in subscriber numbers- achieving almost 100% teledensity ratio with active subscriber numbers exceeding 134 million. He emphasised that President, Goodluck Jonathan has approved an inclusive national implementation plan to enable nationwide pervasive broadband deployment. He added that the Open Access Model that is being adopted by the Nigerian Government allows for inclusive, fair and transparent licensing processes as well as incentives for investors in the ICT industry.
Dr Johnson disclosed that consumer spending in 2010 was US$115bn; projected to increase to US$167bn by 2020, PC penetration of 4.5%with four PC assembly plants currently in the country; producing an average total of 130,000units. She also disclosed that of all PCs sold in Nigeria in 2011, 30% were assembled and manufactured in the country, though all mobile phones used in Nigeria are imported. This scenario she highlighted presents opportunities for entities active in the assembly and manufacturing of personal computers, laptops and mobile devices (tablets, phones etc.) and those operating in the aftersales support category as well as entities operating in the Original Design Manufacturer (ODM) facility setup space.
An Investment Forum was also held at the ITU to showcase Nigeria's ICT growth and success stories of investors that are already investing in Nigeria. Dr Johnson updated participants at the ITU Telecom Wo r l d w i t h t h e p o l i c i e s a n d initiatives that have been unveiled by the M inistr y to accelerate Nigeria's transformation into a digital economy leveraging ICTs. One of such is the National Broadband Plan which is currently being implemented with the goal of increasing broadband penetration rate from 6% to 30% by 2018. Immediate opportunities that exist at both the Federal and State levels with respect to the roll-out of broadband infrastructure at the metro-level and last-mile were also highlighted. Other opportunities in the service sectors that rely and/or are influenced by communications infrastructure – such as financial services, consumer products and eCommerce, tourism and business services was presented at the investors forum.
Painting a great picture of Nigeria's potentials, Dr Johnson informed participants that of all the African markets, investors believe Nigeria offers the best overall prospect for investment returns over the next 3 years- She added that FDI projects in West Africa grew at a CAGR of 27.7% b e t we e n 2 0 0 7 a n d 2 0 1 3 , t h e strongest growth on the continent and Nigeria in addition is the gateway to regional West African market (ECOWAS) with 15 West African countries- these 15 member countries of the ECOWAS have a population in excess of 300 million, with Nigeria alone accounting for more than half at 60%. Nigeria also accounts for about 71 % of ECOWAS GDP and over 50% of the region's manufacturing capacity. Back at the home front, she disclosed that Nigeria's ICT Sectorial contribution to GDP in 2013 was 10.44 % and currently 9.58% in real terms for Q3, 2014. These indicators are clear testimonies that should attract investors into the country's ICT sector.
Dr Johnson stressed that the Policy Focus and Priority of the Nigerian Government in increasing adoption of ICT tools by the population and increasing local participation in relevant sub-sectors of the ICT industry is enabling the development of other key sectors of the Nigerian economy. Shedding light on market Indicators in Nigeria,
In a Presentation titled '' Spotlight on Nigeria's Investment Opportunities and Success Stories”, at the Investors Forum, Dr Johnson shared success stories of companies like - IHS Towers- a Nigerian and African Telecoms success story and one of the most attractive asset backed infrastructure business in the telecom sector. IHS is accelerating a
mobile enabled economy-through mobile infrastructure. The company founded in 2001 in Lagos, Nigeria; is now operating in five markets: Nigeria, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Rwanda and Zambia. IHS manages over 21,000 towers with 14,500 in Nigeria. Through its recent 9,151 mobile tower deal with MTN in Nigeria, IHS is now No1 in Africa, No1 in EMEA and Top 10 in the World. IHS in 2014, successfully raised US$2.6bn in debt and equit y bringing the total capital raised by IHS since 2012 to US$4.5bn. IHS employs 1000 people currently with 80% of them engineers and over 2/3rds from Africa. Its recent expansion has led to the creation of up to 40,000 jobs through subcontracting and the establishment of new related entities. IHS is a bold, profitable and innovative business committed to the highest quality service – uptimes in excess of 99% are market leading. Over 350,000 towers needed to meet demand across Africa- thus seeking the best energy efficient technologies. The company plans to add additional 2,000 Towers yearly to further Nigerian National Broadband Plan 2013 – 2018 targets. Its Capex investments in New Gen DCDGs, Solar energy, Hybrid solutions have brought in a 25% reduction of diesel consumption along with reduced carbon emission. Another great success stor y highlighted by Dr Johnson is Kongalaunched in July 2012 with eight (8) staff members. Konga received over $15 million in funding from investors including Naspers and Kinnivik and by the fourth quarter of 2013, moved into a 11,000 sq. meter warehouse and fulfilment centre. In less than 3 years, the company has built an operation that leads the market in customer satisfaction, merchandise shipped and innovation. Today Konga has offices in Lagos, hubs in South Africa and China; with w a re h o u s e s a n d d i s t r i b u t i o n centres all over Nigeria. In the fourth quarter of 2014, Konga opened a software engineering centre with 100 engineers focused on developing software services and applications that will be used in-
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to live and develop.”
Tony Ojobo, Director Public Affairs, Ms Josephine Amuwa, Director, Policy Competition & Economic Analysis,Dr. Eugene Juwah, Executive Vice Chairman, all of NCC, Mike Ikpoki, CEO, MTN Nigeria and Iyabo Solake, Director of Finance at NCC
house. Konga is growing extremely quickly, 11X in its first year of operations and 4.5X in the second year. Konga.com now employs over 700 individuals and delivers orders across the whole of Nigeria – to every state. It opened Seller HQ Konga's Marketplace Platform – in April 2014. It allows business owners to display and sell their items on Konga.com. Seller HQ's growth has been rapid with "marketplace" derived orders now accounting for over 50% of sales. Tens of thousands of sellers are registered and trading on the site today. Konga recorded spectacular figures for 2014's “Black Friday” sales and a 1440% year-onyear revenue increase. It processed N50 Million ($ 272,000) worth of orders every HOUR and grossed about N600 Million ($ 3.5 Million) in revenues over a two day sale period. 100,000 items processed; 500 % more items sold in two days than in all of 2012. Soon after the Investors Forum, Dr Johnson was in a panel session titled ''A Regulators Nightmare'' where she emphasised the commitment of the Federal Government to providing an enabling environment that will transform Nigeria into a digital economy. She informed other panellists and participants that there were four www.mobileworldmag.com
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things that keep her team awake at night. One is the need to balance intervention with market forces, second-is trying to build a digital economy in a scenario where the telcos are currently only concentrating in the big cities and third- is achieving balance within all aspects of the spectrum, while the fourth – is deciding who is best placed to regulate mobile money / digital currency. Dr Johnson emphasised that in addressing the 'Regulators nightmare,' Regulators need to participate in the entire ecosystem of the telecommunications industry, in order to keep up. This is crucial, especially in a telecoms environment where according to the ITU-market innovation is significantly outpacing polic y creation- no doubt a recipe for the regulators Nightmare'. The panellists in their different submissions agreed with Dr Johnson that the solution to addressing the Regulators Nightmare is for there to be a balance between intervention and market forces. Balance and collaboration were key words that Dr Johnson kept bringing up as effective keys to tackle the regulators nightmare. According to Johnson “strik ing the balance between overregulation and flexibility, is crucial for the ecosystem
Other panellists like Dr. Ali Jazairy, Head of Innovation and Technology Transfer Section at the Wo r l d I n t e l l e c t u a l Pro p e r t y Organization (WIPO), Mr. Christian Salbaing, Deputy Chairman of Hutchison Whampoa Europe L i m i te d, M r. E r i c Lo e b, Vi ce President of International External Affairs at AT&T and in their different submissions agreed with Dr Johnson that strong collaborations within the entire ICT ecosystem was crucial to addressing 'The Regulators Nightmare' The moderator of the session, Mr. Andy Haire, Principal at AJH Communications, effec tively steered the panel discussions to bring out solutions from the panellists that going forward will address the nightmare faced by regulators. The panel session ended with all the panellists agreeing that 'collaboration, balance, stakeholder engagements across government ministries, embracing innovation and new skill sets and flexibility across the entire ecosystem was crucial to addressing the regulators nightmare. The ITU Telecom World 2014 after days of intensive debates, discussions and networking presented Nigeria with a veritable platform to highlight it's strength despite its challenges as well as the phenomenal growth being recorded in the ICT sector. This growth was validated by the New Secretary Gen and no doubt investors present at the Forum were struck by the consistent growth recorded in the sector and would surely scale up t h e i r i nve s t m e nt s i f t h e y a re currently investing or decide to invest if they were undecided before. The FDI which currently stands at $32b will no doubt increase as the policies and enabling environment created by the Nigerian Government is sustained and as ICTs continue to facilitate the socio economic development of the Nigeria Government.
Omobola Johnson, Minister of Communication Technology,Nigeria present a gift to Dr Hamadoun I. TourĂŠ, out-going Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union
In the middle is Mr.Tony Ojobo, Director Public Aairs,Nigerian Communications Commission
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Mrs. Nnena Ukoha,Head, International Aairs, Nigerian Communications Commission
Mr. Yusuf Kazaure, MDCEO, Galaxy Backbone
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Nigerian Ambassador to Qatar, Ambassador Shuaibu Ahmed, Dr.Tunji Olaopa, Permanent Secretary, Omobola Johnson, Minister of Communication Technology, Dr. Eugene Juwah,Executive Vice Chairman, NCC and Stanley Jegede, CEO of Phase3Telecom
Houlin Zhao,Secretary-General, ITU
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Osondu Nwokoro,Director of Regulatory Affairs and Special Projects, Airtel Nigeria and Nigerian Ambassador to Qatar, Ambassador Shuaibu Ahmed
Omobola Johnson, Minister of Communication Technology,Nigeria present a talking drum to current Houlin Zhao,Secretary-General of the ITU
Mr.Tony Ojobo, Director Public Affairs, Mrs. Iyabo Solanke, Director of Finance , Mrs Maryam Bayi, Director, Consumer Protection Bureau all of NCC
Head, Public Relations, Chineze Amanfo and Ibrahim Dikko, Director, Regulatory Affairs, Etisalat Nigeria
Dr Hamadoun I. Touré, out-going Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Ms Josephine Amuwa, Director, Policy Competition & Economic Analysis,NCC www.mobileworldmag.com
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Telcos in Ghana Welcome New Directive to Minimise Fibre Cuts and Communications Manager at the Ghana C h a m b e r o f Te l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n s , Derek Barnabas Laryea stated that, "The chamber has not studied the directive, but in general, building roads in consultation with telcos is a fantastic idea.” He indicated that if the directive was adhered to religiously by the s t a k e h o l d e r s i t wo u l d reduce fibre cuts in the country drastically. On his part, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, Minister of Communications said, "Fiber cuts cut people in communities and cities off the telecommunications super highway depriving them of vital services.
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he Ghana Chamber o f Telecommunications (GCT) has welcomed the government's directive that contractors should regularly engage telecom companies before embarking on any road work in the country. The novelty directive, which was recently issued by the Minister of Roads and Highways, Alhaji Inusah Fuseini, aims to put an end to the incessant fibre cuts, a setback that is costing local mobile network operators millions of Cedis. In furtherance to this, the ministry, he said planned to establish a standing technical committee (STC) to deal with the incidents of fibre cuts in the West African country.
The proposed STC, Alhaji Fuseini noted, would serve as an advisory body to guide and identify cable and fi b r e m a r k i n g s b e fo r e a c t u a l construction begins. Commenting on the development, the Research
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"This is why following an interministerial meeting, including the National Security, government enhanced cooperation among stakeholders for the implementation of the Right of way policy". He added that, "Telcos have also been urged to report all cases of fiber cuts to the nearest police station. The fibre does not contain copper, as the criminals think. Copper cable technology is not popular now.” The minister also assured telecom service providers in the country that the government would continue to intensify the fight against fiber cuts and urged telcos to invest in technologies that allow for minimal interference. The telecoms chamber revealed that 1,370 fibre cuts were recorded nationwide within the six-month
period beginning January, 2014, which appeared to overtake the incidents recorded in the past three years. There were at least 2,302 fibre optic cable cuts experienced by the telecom service providers in 2013, a rise from 1,605 and 480 cuts in 2012 and 2011 respectively. According to Laryea, repairing the cuts was costly, saying "It costs an average of GHc17,253 to repair a cut". He, therefore, explained that millions of cedis which would have gone to networks expansion or upgrading was rather spent on fibre optic cable repairs. MTN, Vodafone, Glo and Expresso have their own fibre optic back bones, while Airtel and Tigo use privately owned fibre owned by MainOne. A number of these cuts have been traced to road construction, excavation by utility companies, outdoor sign companies, theft and the National P e t r o l e u m A u t h o r i t y ( N PA ) approved activities. Fibre cables are cables containing one or more optical fibres that are used to carry light. The optical fibre elements are typically individually coated with plastic layers and contained in a protective tube suitable for the environment where the cable will be deployed. Different types of cable are used for different applications, for example long distance telecom, or providing a high-speed data connection b e t w e e n d i ffe r e n t p a r t s o f a building. Thousands of channels can be multiplexed together over one strand of fibre. The fibre optic network has formed a very important part of the transmission network of every modern telecommunication service provider.