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Tag: GSM

  • Aviation authority battles telcos over infrastructure deployment

    Aviation authority battles telcos over infrastructure deployment

    The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has sparked a fierce battle against telecoms companies operating in the country, insisting they must obtain permit from the Agency before erecting high rise structures.

    Although, most telcos in Nigeria have third party arrangement for base stations/towers management, however, NCAA issued a very stern warning to all Global System for Mobile Communications operators to ensure they always obtain Aviation Height Clearance (AHC), Permits and Licences before construction of high rise structures.

    A statement signed by Mr Sam Adurogboye, the General Manger, Public Relations of NCAA, said others affected by the warning are landing facilities owners, stakeholders and the general public.

    The Regulatory agency said these Permits, AHC and Licences are to be obtained before the construction of the following – tower, telecommunication masts, high rise buildings/structures and landing facilities.

    “The landing facilities include construction of helipad/helideck for civil use and heliports.

    “This action is in line with the Civil Aviation Act. 2006 Part IX (30) (L) which empowers the Authority to prohibit, regulate and remove any structure which, by virtue of its height or position, is considered to endanger the safety of aircraft operations.

    “In addition, the Civil Aviation Act. 2006 Part IX (30) (K) stipulates that the Authority will grant and certify licences for the construction of helipads, helidecks, and heliports.

    “It is therefore an exercise in illegality to operate into a heliport (surface level, elevated or helideck) without the approval of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority,” Adurogboye said in the statement.

    On the other hand, he explained that for those who want to renew their heliport certificate, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig. CARs) Part 12.10.6 highlights that heliports operators are required to commence the process of renewal of Heliport Certificate not less than 90 days to the date of expiration of the certificate.

    In his words: “The Regulatory Authority is compelled to issue this warning as part of our oversight responsibilities which is principally safety and security of flight operations in and out of Nigerian airspace”.

    “The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) will therefore view very seriously and run the rule over any violation of these safety measures. All stakeholders should be guided,” he added.

     

  • Senate condemns telecoms operators inefficiency, urges NCC invoke the law

    Senate condemns telecoms operators inefficiency, urges NCC invoke the law

    The Nigerian Senate has condemned in strong terms the unwholesome practices by telecoms operators, and urged the Nigerian Communications Commissions (NCC) to invoke appropriate provisions of the law to protect Nigerian consumers from such practices.

    Senate President Bukola Saraki speaking in Abuja said unwholesome practices especially that which have to do with dropped calls in the country have cost Nigerians billions of Naira.

    “This is unacceptable!” said the Senate President.

    Although telecommunications operators have gradually become an integral part of the Nigerian economy and a tool in the social-economic life of Nigerians, millions of subscribers continue to complain about an increasing rate of dropped calls; voice quality problems; and not being able to control their bundle usages, which oftentimes leads to the phone companies automatically switching their services to pricier airtime options.

    “In this regard, the Senate condemned the inefficiency of GSM Network Operators in Nigeria,” Saraki stated.

    The Senate hitherto passed a motion on the increasing rate of dropped calls and other unwholesome practices by telecommunications network operators in Nigeria and urged the NCC to invoke the appropriate provisions of the law to protect telecoms consumers.

    He also called on all relevant agencies of government to carry out a thorough investigation on the causes of dropped calls in order to improve the experience of Nigerian customers.

    Meanwhile, the NCC had declared “state of emergency” on Quality of Service in the telecoms sector, and promised service improvement.

     

  • Numbers of Nigeria’s Internet users continue to drop

    ImageFile: Numbers of Nigeria’s Internet users continue to dropThe Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said Internet users on Nigeria’s telecommunications networks declined to 92,446,687 in November 2016, continuing the downward roll of October 2016.

    The telecommunications industry regulator made the disclosure in its latest Monthly Internet Subscribers Data released on Thursday.

    Since NCC authorized telecoms service providers to hike the price of data, which it has since made u-turn on, the number of Internet users have continued to dwindle.

    Also read: NCC orders GSM service providers to hike data tariff and NCC makes u-turn on data tariff increase

    In October, NCC reported that Internet users on both Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) networks decreased by 391,679 in respect to September figures.

    While the telecoms regulator reported recently that active telecoms subscribers is on the increase(http://thenewsguru.ng/ncc-reports-active-telecom-subscribers-increase/), the result is yet to reflect on the numbers of Internet users.

    The recent figures released by NCC indicates that Internet users on both Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) networks reduced by 759,683.

    Out of the 92.4 million Internet users in November, only 30,309 users were on CDMA networks, the same number recorded in October. The rest were hooked to the GSM networks.

    The data revealed that MTN had 32,017,779 subscribers, a decrease of 447,000, compared with the 32,464,779 subscribers in October.

    Globacom has 27,122,892 customers on its network in November, revealing a decrease of 62,660 users, from the 27,185,552 in October.

    Unlike Glo and MTN, Airtel gained 311,462 customers to balloon to 19,143,700 Internet users in November. The telecom firm’s October record was 18,832,238.

    Etisalat lost far more customers than other networks, recording 14,132,007 customers who browsed the Internet in November. The figure was 561,485 lower compared to the 14,693,492 users it had in October.

    The NCC data revealed that of the CDMA operators, Visafone is king, commanding 30,305 users, the same as in October.

    Multi-Links has just four Internet users; the same figures recorded for the firm in October.

    Meanwhile, stakeholders have decried the fact that despite IT boom, over 90% of Africans have no access to Internet.

  • Nigeria to achieve 30% broadband penetration by 2018 – Minister

    The Federal Government says the country will achieve the 30 per cent national broadband penetration by 2018 as projected in the country’s National Broadband Plan.

    The Minister of Communications, Mr Adebayo Shittu, disclosed this when he featured at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja.

    Shittu said the country had so far achieved between 18 to 20 per cent penetration as a result of private sector initiatives.

    The minister said government was encouraging all GSM and ICT companies to invest in the communication sector to expand the broadband penetration.

    He said the government was also encouraging a number of initiatives, including foreign companies coming to invest in the country, who had expressed interest.

    “I have had the privilege of attending a number of international platforms where I met a lot of them as the chief marketer of the industry.

    “The ministry of communications is not into business, government has no business in business, what the ministry does is to provide an enabling environment for operators and industry entrepreneurs to be encouraged to invest.

    “When I say entrepreneur, it is not only Nigerian entrepreneurs even the foreign entrepreneurs.

    “Already, the rate at which we are now, we are about 18 to 20 per cent penetration and all of this is mostly as a result of private sector initiative.

    “I am very confident that by the Grace of God within the next two years, we will reach the target of 30 per cent,’’ he said.

     

  • NCC anticipates increased service demands on telecoms operators

    In anticipation of increased service demands, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has called on telecommunications operators to strengthen Quality of Service (QoS) on their various networks in the festive season.

    The Executive Vice Chairman, Prof. Umar Danbatta made the call at the grand finale of the NCC-sponsored Telecoms Cup Tennis Tournament in Lagos on Sunday.

    Represented by Mr Jerry Ugwu, a deputy-director in the NCC, Danbatta said that the Yuletide period of the year always witnessed increased traffic on telecommunications networks.

    He charged operators to be prepared to fully cater for subscribers’ reliance on voice, data and Short Messaging Service (SMS) during the period.

    ”NCC’s message on a good Quality of Service (QoS) is always consistent to serve the interest of all operators, subscribers and stakeholders, despite that the operators are believed to know the dynamics of the market and understand the demand flow as well.

    ”This is a period that traffic is higher and so, operators must be prepared to meet the demands because it brings business to them.

    “They too will not be happy if bad quality of service should lead subscribers to deserting their (operators’) networks,” Danbatta said.

    He called the attention of operators to migration of traffic from major cities to the hinterland, which might lead to the emergence of the need to adjust service distribution within the period.

    Meanwhile, the final game of the tournament between Nishant Abi and Walter Eze closed at 6-1; 6-1 in favour of Nishant.

    Nishant and his partner also won the Men’s Double of the tournament.

    The Vice Chairman, Tennis Section of Ikoyi Club, Mr Collins Onuegbu, commended the NCC for putting efforts into sustaining the sponsorship of tennis competitions.

    Onuegbu said that the sponsorship would rejuvenate the game in Nigeria, as the sport was almost dying because of lack of sponsorship.

    ”A long time ago, tennis used to be a very popular sport in Nigeria, but not again. Today, it is football that attracts a lot of sponsorship because it is very popular.

    ”So, the fact that NCC is putting in a lot of energy around sponsoring tennis should be appreciated. This is good for the younger ones coming up and also, most of us that are still playing,” he said.

  • Use 2442 short code to stop unsolicited text messages – NCC advises GSM users

    The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, has urged telecommunication subscribers in the country to take advantage of the 2442 short code designed by the commission to stop unsolicited messages.

    Danbatta gave the call at the 79th edition of the Telecommunication Consumer Parliament held in Abuja and was contained in a statement he personally signed.

    The NCC Chairman explained that the 2442 short code was designed for consumers to regulate unsolicited text messages they receive.

    According to Danbatta, the commission in a bid to ensure telecom users to take advantage of the short code, has put in “place programmes to inform, educate and protect” consumers.

    The statement reads, “As a telecom Industry Regulator, the issue of Consumer protection is very paramount to us. This is because we believe the consumer is the king in the palace of market. In order to uphold this principle, the Commission puts in place various programs to inform, educate and protect the consumer of telecom services.

    “One of such programme is Telecom Consumer Parliament. The forum provides a unique opportunity for tripartite meeting of the Regulator, Operator and Consumers (ROC) to discuss pressing issues affecting the industry in general and consumers specifically. The forum also affords a platform for the consumers to express their views freely and state their expectation from the regulator and the Service Providers.

    “As we are aware, following the barrage of complaints on the menace of unsolicited messages, the commission swayed into action by mandating the activation of the 2442 short code to enable consumers control the types of messages they receive. I am glad that it has come into effect and I urge all consumers to take advantage of this new regime, by sending “stop to 2442” to avoid unsolicited messages.

    “The Commission is quite aware that for this initiative to succeed there should be massive public awareness campaign by both the regulator and operating companies.

    ”It is in this regard that the theme of today’s parliament becomes relevant. The objective is to place the issue on the front burner of our discourse until unsolicited messages become a thing of the past.”