Top 5 Phones
Technology Times
Samsung Galaxy Pocket leads Top 5 selling mobile phones in Nigeria Page 17 & 18
CDMA churn grows as Nigeria crosses 105m lines
Consolidating Nigeria’s Internet position on governance
Omobola Johnson, Minister for Communication Technology
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Monday, OCTOBER 8-14, 2012
WEEKLY NEWSPAPER OF NIGERIAN ICT SECTOR
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NCC denies frequency racketeering
N
igerian Communications Commission (NCC) has denied a newspaper report of alleged frequency spectrum racketeering by the current leadership of the telecoms industry regulatory agency. Reuben Muoka, Head, Media and Public Relations, NCC, denied that the current boss of the regulatory agency has allegedly sold frequency slots belonging to the Nigeria Police to a private firm, Open Skys. The telecoms regulator also absolved its boss, Eugene Juwah of any wrongdoing in the process of allocation of the frequency which it said preceded his July 2010 resumption in office as Executive Vice Chairman of NCC.
According to a statement by the agency’s spokesman, there is also no truth to the allegation that NCC issued a frequency spectrum to Smile Communications. Muoka adds, “Dr. Eugene Juwah, the Current Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, did not initiate the allocation of the aforesaid frequencies, having resumed in July 2010, while the process began since 2009. Even after resumption at the NCC, Dr. Juwah has strictly followed due process of issuance of licences and frequencies.” According to him, “The Nigerian Communications Commission has been inundated by calls from concerned citizens over a story in t h eContinued on Page 16
Adenuga: ‘I didn't default in payment for 2001 GSM licence M
ike Adenuga jr, the Chairman of Globacom Limited, has said that Communication Investments Limited (CIL), his investment vehicle used to bid in the January 2001 Nigerian GSM Licence Auctions, did not default in meeting deadline stipulated by government to the four winning bidders in the milestone deal that was to profoundly redefine the telecoms landscape in the country. Adenuga's decision to walk down memory lane comes amid another
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milestone for Globacom, his whollyowned Second National Operator, which last August clocked nine added to the complementary distinction for the telecoms magnate who was awarded the nation's second highest honour, the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) medal for national economic development contributions by President Goodluck Jonathan. Globacom has grown to become number two operator by subscriber
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numbers even though it entered the telecoms game two years behind rival MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria and Mtel, the moribund mobile phone business of pioneer national operator, NITEL. In the keen 2001 GSM bids, CIL was pitted against Econet Wireless Nigeria Ltd; United Networks Mobile Ltd; MTN Nigeria Communications Ltd and MSICeltel Nigeria Ltd, who all deposited $20 million each to prequalify for the auction.
Adenuga again reopened the sticking point of the 2001 Nigerian GSM Auction that was generally regarded as free and fair during which the licence earlier awarded CIL was withdrawn by government over alleged late payments. The development was to set back Adenuga's entry into the competitive but lucrative telecoms stakes by some two years when he eventually launched service using Globacom, the company under which he was eventually issued the multi-service
SNO licence for $200 million in what market analysts reckon was a concession to resolve the CIL debacle. The Globacom Chairman's took exception to a newspaper columnist's view that, "Adenuga could not muster the requisite licence fee within the stipulated time of 14 days." Speaking through Mike Jituboh, the Executive Director Special Project, Globacom, Adenuga, recolcontinued on page 2
CAPDAN seeks Fashola’s support for Ikeja Computer Village omputers and Allied Products Dealers Association (CAPDAN), the pressure group of businesses operating in Ikeja Computer Village, Lagos, has called on the government of Babatunde Fashola, Governor of Lagos State, to complement efforts at creating a conducive business environment in the nation’s largest market for technology products and services becauseofitsstrategicimpor-
tance to Nigeria’s ICT development. Specifically, CAPDAN is seeking the administration’s support to solve the security and sanitation problems within the market environment. Mac Eze, Vice-President of CAPDAN, told Technology Times in an exclusive interview that the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) squad under the command of the Lagos State Special Task
Force (Environmental Unit) and men of the Nigeria Police Force recently jointly demolished the roadside shops at Computer Village to enhance the beauty, hygiene and cleanliness of the environment. "We want to see more of this in order to encourage greater patronage in a clean market,” Eze said, noting that the government’s efforts towards sustained business promotion creates employ-
ment and contributes to the overall national economic growth. “Such clean-up exercise was done some time back when the government cleared all the road-side shops and the people affected went to form the current GSM Village in Ikeja. If they can push the others also to Mangoro side, there is a market there that is undercontinued on page 16
Babatunde Fashola, SAN, Lagos State Governor