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Tag: NCC

  • No honeymoon, hit the ground running, Pantami charges new NCC board chairman

    No honeymoon, hit the ground running, Pantami charges new NCC board chairman

    The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami has given the new Chairman, Board of Commissioners of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Adeolu Akande, a marching order to hit the ground running by providing necessary direction for effective regulation of the telecom industry in Nigeria.

    Pantami gave the charge on Thursday during the swearing-in ceremony for Akande, who is representing the South West zone, as the Chairman of NCC Board of Commissioners, and Chief Uche Onwude, the commissioner representing the South-East zone. The event took place at the Minister’s office in Abuja.

    The Minister said the NCC Board led by Akande must “hit the ground running”. The Minister, who said “there is no time for celebrations now and no time for honeymoon”, declared that “we would congratulate the NCC Board after you must have completed your tenure with resounding successes and achievements that have positive impact on Nigerians.”

    The Minister emphasised the need for the NCC Board to totally sanitise the industry of improperly-registered Subscriber Identification Number (SIM) cards and to develop regulations on the number of SIM cards an individual or organisation can have at any particular time, as well as ensure seamless integration of SIM data with the national database of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).

    Meanwhile, Prof. Akande, who spoke after the oath of office, assured of his readiness to work with other members of the Board and Management team of the Commission to exceed expectation in providing quality directions for effective regulations of the nation’s telecommunications industry.

    Akande, who served as Chairman of the Board of National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) before his present appointment, said there is no doubt that the NCC, as the nation’s telecom regulator, has a major role to play in the development of the Nigerian economy, especially in the area of effective regulation that can bring efficiency across sectors.

    Akande is enthusiastic that the telecommunication sector will improve its contribution to the GDP and enhance the status of the security architecture of the country.

    Prof. Akande said: “We want to thank everybody who has been with us since our nomination by the President in the last two months. There is no doubt that NCC has a major role to play in our national life at this time, especially in the area of security. For instance, many people on the street believe that security of lives and property will be bolstered once NCC is able to properly address issues connected to Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) registration, because we would have helped to resolve a critical percentage of our security issue significantly”.

    “I know our Minister is someone, who normally sets high expectations and standards. I have worked with him at NITDA and I know he is somebody who normally expects the best from his team. To this end, I give you the commitment of the Board and management of NCC to work together to meet and exceed expectations,” he said. Akande also thanked all relatives and friends who attended the event.

    Akande, a professor of political science and notable scholar of media and politics, was nominated by President Muhammadu Buhari as Chairman of NCC Board on December 23, 2019. He was subsequently confirmed on February 5, 2020 by the Senate, the upper chamber of Nigeria’s federal bicameral legislature.

    With the swearing-in of Akande and Onwude, NCC now has a fully-constituted Board of Commissioners as stipulated in the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA), 2003, and all the six geopolitical zones are represented on the Board.

    While giving the Vote of Thanks, Prof. Umar Danbatta, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NCC, expressed the Commission’s gratitude to the Minister for his continuous support to the Commission and requested the Minister to kindly convey the Commission’s appreciation to the President for “ensuring that we now have the full complement of the NCC board members.”

  • Viasat to provide Nigerians with cost effective Internet connectivity via satellite

    A strategic boost to Federal Government’s plan to deepen digital culture came on Monday when Viasat, a commercial satellite operator, visited the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to give an update on its readiness to deploy satellite broadband services in Nigeria.

    The Viasat team was received by Engr. Augustine. Nwalunne, Director, Spectrum Administration at NCC, on behalf of Prof. Umar Danbatta, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission.

    According to Nwaulune, the Monday meeting with Viasat team was a sequel to an earlier meeting with the EVC on March 4, 2019, when Viasat came to discuss its plans to get regulatory supports for entry into the commercial satellite communications market in Nigeria.

    At the meeting, Viasat sought the Commission’s encouragement and approval to reserve and use the 28 GHz KA frequency band in the country to provide cost-effective Internet connectivity and high throughput satellite connectivity through its incorporated Nigerian subsidiary, Viasat Nigeria.

    The company also informed the Commission of its plan to conduct a Proof of Concept (PoC) test in Abuja in 2020. Thereafter, Viasat plans to roll out in a community, and subsequently extend the services across a state and then proceed to extend its broadband satellite services nationwide by 2022.

    The Viasat’s GTH satellite services is targeting homes, governments, schools as well as micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), among others.

    The company expressed confidence that its services will be really beneficial to unserved and underserved areas of Nigeria.

    Viasat said it has, over the years, invested over $2.2 billion globally on geostationary satellite services, with footprint in the Nigerian space towards bridging extant digital divide in the country.

    Originally a satellite operator but now a satellite operator and satellite services provider, Viasat declared readiness to effectively provide cost effective Internet connectivity via satellite and to provide high throughput satellite connectivity services in Nigeria.

  • Why you should update your SIM card immediately

    The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Pantami has directed the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to revise the policy on SIM Card registration, and usage.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the directive is contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by Dr Femi Adeluyi, Technical Assistant (Information Technology) to the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy.

    According to Adeluyi, the directive is in line with the powers of the Minister as stated in Section 25(1) of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003- “the Minister shall, in writing, from time to time notify the Commission or and express his views on the general policy direction of the Federal Government in respect of the communications sector.”

    The revision of the policy, according to Adeluyi, is based on the feedback received from security agencies, following the successful revalidation of improperly registered SIM cards in September 2019, and the eventual blocking of those that failed to revalidate their SIM cards.

    The updated policy, TNG learnt, is expected to include the following provisions, amongst others: ensure that the National Identity Number (NIN) becomes a prerequisite for Nigerians registering new SIM cards, while for foreigners, their passports and visas would be required.

    For already registered SIM cards, users are expected to update their SIM cards with their National Identity Number (NIN) on or before 1st of December, 2020.

    According to the statement, NCC will ensure that only fully accredited agents support the SIM card registration process without pre-registering SIM cards themselves, while the eventual registration should be done by the operators.

    When the policy is implemented, there would be a maximum number of SIM cards that can be tied to a single individual, possibly a maximum of 3; and NCC will nsure that no unregistered SIMs are ever allowed on mobile networks.

    The NCC will also ensure that subscribers can easily check the number of SIM cards registered to their name, along with the associated phone numbers and networks; and also ensure that mobile network operators fortify their networks against cyberattacks and ensure that they adhere to the provisions of the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR).

    Also, the NCC will ensure that SIM cards that have been used to perpetrate crimes are permanently deactivated; and provide the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy with progress reports on the implementation of the revised policy.

  • NCC commences nationwide cybersecurity awareness campaign

    NCC commences nationwide cybersecurity awareness campaign

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has, again, demonstrated its commitment to making sure that Nigerian children and youth are protected from cybercriminals and their antics, as it commenced a nationwide cybersecurity awareness campaign at a conference attended by students from 24 private and public secondary schools in Abuja.

    The campaign, which held on Tuesday at the 650-seater conference hall of the NCC Head Office Annex at Mbora District, Abuja, gives concrete expression to the Commission’s effort at strengthening Child Online Protection within the country, as the country deepens its embrace of the digital culture.

    The significance of the event was seen in its attendance by three Ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. They include the Minister of Communications & Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami), represented by his Special Adviser on Technical Matters, Dr. Femi Adeluyi; Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen, represented by her Special Adviser on Technical Matters, Princess Jummai Idonije; and the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, who was also represented by the Director, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the ministry, Abubakar Isah.

    The event was also attended by officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Federal Capital Territory Universal Basic Education Board (FCTUBEB), the Federal Capital Territory Secondary Education Board (FCTSEB) as well as Management and other staff.

    Representatives of the Ministers of Communications and Digital Economy, and Women Affairs applauded the intervention of NCC in not only stimulating accessibility and availability of digital access to Nigerians but also making a priority the sensitization of users, especially the younger generation on the proper use of the Internet and enlightening them on how they can be protected when using the Internet.

    Addressing the students and other participants at the event, Pantami, who commended the NCC leadership for the cybersecurity awareness initiative, stated that as Federal Government is driving digital economy, through the ministry and its agencies, especially the NCC, it also places primacy on proper and continuous education of end-users of telecom services.

    He said together with its various agencies, the ministry is working to implement the eight pillars of its recently-unveiled National Digital Economy Strategy and Policy aimed at unleashing robust digital economy where everything is ICT-driven towards accelerating economic prosperity.

    Earlier in his address, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, said the NCC-sponsored cybersecurity enlightenment programme has a specific interest in online protection of the youth especially the children both in public and private schools.

    “It is an undeniable fact that the Internet has become an indispensable element of everyday life, for that reason, our children and youths are not excluded; they are highly involved in the use of new technology applications, especially since it provides opportunity for research, learning, communication, entertainment, and business for those with entrepreneurial minds,” the EVC said.

    Danbatta explained that the pervasiveness of the Internet and the proliferation of mobile phones make it difficult for parents and guardians to effectively monitor the online activities of their wards in comparison to the old system of connecting to the Internet via desktops and laptops.

    He emphasised that although the Internet provides countless opportunities for children, it also exposes them to potentially harmful content. He cited a United Nation’s report on Nations Populations Estimates and Projections, which looked at Nigeria’s population from 1960-2019, indicating that children and youths constitute a large portion of the country’s population. The report further indicates that the median age of the country is 18.4 years as of 2019.

    Accordingly, and based on other statistics, Danbatta said children and youths are the most active participants online via social media networking sites, making them potential victims of grooming, inappropriate content and exposure to unscrupulous actors in the cyberspace.

    In addressing all of these issues towards protecting the young population against cybercriminals, the EVC said the Commission has instituted various initiatives. One such initiative, he said, is the ongoing awareness campaign to sensitise secondary schools children across the country to cyber-related crimes, such as cyberbullying, Internet fraud, identify theft, online soliciting of minors.

    According to the EVC, this explains NCC’s plan to educate many audiences on the necessary information and knowledge required to safeguard against cyber criminality in line with the Commission’s responsibilities as a regulator that is Irrevocably committed to protecting and empowering consumers of all ages and statuses.

    Other initiatives include collaborating with key cybersecurity stakeholders to foster and engender a robust cybersecurity environment, and the involvement of the Commission in all the collaborative process that culminates in fashioning various cybersecurity policies, strategies and laws.

    It also informed NCC’s involvement in the establishment of a Cyber Security Incidence Response Team (CSIRT) as well as the establishment of the Internet Industry Code of Practice by the Commission. The foregoing according to Danbatta was to ensure that industry-wide standards and obligations of minimum cybersecurity provision are implemented for the protection of child online and securing communication infrastructure.

    While noting that the fight against cybercrimes transcends geographic jurisdictions, Danbatta affirmed that the Commission is working to build strategic partnerships and collaborative alliances with stakeholders, agencies, and organisations to ensure safety of the cyberspace for users in Nigeria.

  • 5G technology to be on trial before approval – NCC

    The Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) on Monday said that the trial of 5G, the fifth generation network technology, would be on trial for three months in the country before actual approval and rollout.

    The Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, said this on the sideline of the Mobile and Disruptive Technology (MoDITECH) Forum 2019 in Lagos.

    The theme of the forum is ‘The Power of Digital Services”.

    Danbatta said that the trial of the 5G technology would enable the commission to see the key attributes it attained before approval.

    The executive vice chairman, represented by Engr Banko Wakil, a Director at NCCHe, said 5G was like a proof of concept to be carried out by operators with the existing frequency and spectrum.

    He said that as usual, the proof of concept would be tested by all NCC major vendors in the country.

    He added that the commission was part and parcel of digital revolution in the country and had taken steps on digital revolution and the major beneficiaries were the financial sector.

    Danbatta said that there were emerging new technologies the commission needed to monitor before their full deployment.

    ”As such, there is need to put in place the right framework for the technology to rise technically.

    ”Very soon there will be the deployment of 4G in every city to make people in rural area have access to reliable internet services,” he said.

     

  • Airtel gets NCC approval to reject calls from Glo subscribers

    Due to the failure of Globacom to settle its interconnect debts to Airtel, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has granted Airtel Networks Limited an approval to partially disconnect Globacom from its network.

    The partial disconnection will make it impossible for Glo subscribers to make calls to Airtel network but the arrangement is set up that can however, receive calls from the network.

    The disconnection is to take effect from Monday, October 28, 2019.

    Airtel would not be the first telecommunication company to accuse Globacom of not fulfilling its end of the bargain as MTN had earlier in the year laid the same claim and threatened to cut off the network but saw an intervention of the industry’s regulator, the NCC.

    Telcos settle interconnect bills through clearing houses approved and licensed by the NCC. The bills are generated from charges for calls from a particular network that terminate on another network.

    In a statement released by the NCC’s through its Director of Public Affairs, Mr Henry Nkemadu, dated October 18, it was disclosed that Glo mobile was notified of the application and was given opportunity to comment and state its case.

    “The Commission having examined the application and circumstances surrounding the indebtedness determined that the affected operator does not have sufficient reason for non-payment of interconnect charges,” the statement read.

    “All subscribers are, therefore, requested to take notice that the Commission has approved the partial disconnection of Glo mobile by Airtel in accordance with Section 100 of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003 and the Guidelines and Procedure for Granting Approval to disconnect Telecommunication Operators,” it added.

    At the expiration of 10 days from the date of the notice, subscribers on the network of Globacom will no longer be able to make calls to Airtel but they will be able to receive calls. The partial disconnection, however, will allow in-bound calls to the Glo mobile network.

  • NCC to end use of pre-registered SIM cards in Nigeria

    NCC to end use of pre-registered SIM cards in Nigeria

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says it is committed to clamping down on the sale and usage of pre-registered SIM cards in the telecommunication industry.

    The Southeast Zonal Controller of the commission, Mrs Emilia Nwokoro, disclosed this on Monday, when she paid a courtesy visit to the zonal office of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu.

    Nwokoro described the usage of such SIM cards as a crime, saying that anyone caught selling pre-registered cards would be arrested and prosecuted.

    She said that the commission had begun to mop up pre-registered SIM cards in the zone and advised subscribers with such cards to ensure that they completed the registration process.

    She appealed to subscribers to always buy and register their SIM cards in controlled environments.

    “The sale and usage of pre-registered SIM cards are illegal and that is why we are mopping up such cards.

    “Our enforcement team is already in the field clamping down on those selling such cards by the roadside,” she said.

    The zonal controller said that as a telecom regulator, the NCC had the responsibility of ensuring that the sector did not aid criminal activities.

    On complaints of poor network service, Nwokoro said that subscribers were at liberty to take advantage of mobile number portability to get better service from any network of their choices.

    “When a subscriber is not satisfied with the telecom operator, he has the right to port and this affords him the opportunity to change to any network of his choice while retaining his original number,” she said.

    She called on subscribers to take advantage of NCC’s toll-free lines to send complaints about poor services in the sector to the commission.

    She said that the commission had occasionally waded into issues relating to data roll-over, unsolicited messages, dropped balance and data depletion, among others.

    Nwokoro said that the essence of the visit was to seek the collaboration of NAN in educating the public on how best to get value for their money.

    Responding, the Southeast Zonal Manager of NAN, Mrs Maureen Atuonwu, said that the agency, being a flagship in the media industry, was willing to collaborate with NCC in line with its mandate.

    Atuonwu said that the agency had the reach and human resources to disseminate the NCC’s programmes to the target audience.

    “We are willing to partner with you and we have the reach to publicise your activities through our various services and products,” she said.

  • Senate receives Buhari’s request on NCC nominee’s confirmation

    Senate receives Buhari’s request on NCC nominee’s confirmation

    The Senate on Thursday received a request from President Muhammadu Buhari for the confirmation of Adeleke Moronfolu Adewolu as Executive Commissioner of the Nigerian Communications Commission.

    The request which was contained in a letter dated 21 August, 2019, was read by the President of the Senate, Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan, on the floor of upper chamber during plenary.

     

    The letter reads: “In accordance with section 8(1) of the Nigerian Communications Commission’s Act, 2003, I hereby present Adeleke Moronfolu Adewolu for confirmation as Executive Commissioner of the Nigerian Communications Commission by the distinguished Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

    “While hoping that this request will receive the usual expeditious consideration of the distinguished Senate, please accept, Mr. Senate President, the assurances of my highest consideration”.

    Adewolu is expected to replace Sunday Dare as the South West Zone’s representative on the board of the NCC.

    Dare is now the Minister of Youth and Sports.

     

  • NCC threatens DSS, MTN, FirstBank, 60 others over illegal use of 5.4GHz Frequency [Full list]

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has accused 63 companies and agencies of government in 11 states of illegal occupation on the 5.4GHz frequency band in the country.

    The commission, which addressed a document to all the unauthorised users, said the 5.4GHz band spanning 5.430-5.725GHz frequency range has been licensed in Nigeria and stated that transmission of signals or use of equipment in any form on the band without a frequency license obtained from the NCC is illegal.

    In the document signed by NCC Director of Public Affairs, Henry Nkemadu, those discovered to be using the band in the designated places are doing it illegally, it said.

    “Companies, government agencies; telecommunications service providers; private companies or any person(s) using this band in the designated places mentioned should note that it is a criminal offence pursuant to section 122 NCA, 2003 to operate in any frequency not duly assigned by the commission,” the industry regulatory agency said.

    According to the commission, these companies are at the risk of sanctions including imprisonment, fine and confiscation of equipment put to use on the band illegally.

    “The consequences of such act may lead to imprisonment, sanction and confiscation of equipment used in operating the illegal services,” the commission stated.

    Out of the 63 entities under scrutiny, three are government agencies; six are banks, and 55 telecoms and technology companies and these companies operate in Akwa-Ibom; Benue; Cross River; Delta; Edo; Enugu; Imo; Kaduna; Kano; Lagos, and Oyo states.

    Some of the companies and agencies include Kaduna State Government House; Lagos Internal Revenue Service; Project E-Delta; DSS; Polaris Bank; First Bank; Access Bank; Union Bank; AB Microfinance Bank; Bet Naija; Orange Drug Limited; Churchgate; IPNX; Cobranet; Hyperia; NETCO; Computer Warehouse; Helios Tower; IHS; MainOne; Priority Communications; K-Kon; VDT, Swift Talk

    Telecommunication service listed are MTN, Globacom, Airtel; 9Mobile; Vodacom; Crust Resoources; Cyberspace; Nova Business Centre; Sky Link; Centre Point; Electronics Connections; E-Stream; Cobranet, among others.

    According to the NCC, those affected by the illegal occupation by states include Akwa Ibom using 5.547GHz; Benue 5.489 to 5.584GHz; Cross River 5.5189 to 5.600GHz; Delta 5.5987 to 5.700GHz; Edo 5.601 to 5.6989GHz; Enugu 5.489 to 5.618GHz; Imo 5,489 to 5.612GHz.

    Others are Kaduna 5.45 to 5.5GHz; Kano 5.6673 to 5.7107GHz; Lagos 5.6756 to 5.6978GHz, and Oyo 5.616 to 5.680GHz.

    The commission has given a 14-day enforcement notice to all the unauthorized operators on the band spanning 5.430 to 5.725GHz to vacate and desist from further transmission of signals or use of equipment in any form on the band without authorization obtained from the NCC.

    The telecoms regulator said it shall without further recourse and upon the deadline commence appropriate enforcement action including, but not limited to prosecution, fine, and confiscation of equipment used in the illegal transmission of services.

  • Drop calls: Senate tasks NCC, CPC, SON, on effective supervision of service providers

    Drop calls: Senate tasks NCC, CPC, SON, on effective supervision of service providers

    The Senate on Thursday advised regulatory agencies in Nigeria to ensure strict supervision of telecoms service providers for effective service delivery.
    This followed the adoption of a motion by Sen. Buhari Abdulfatai (APC-Oyo) and 34 others on increasing rate of drop calls and other unwholesome practices by telecoms operators at plenary in Abuja.
    The senate in its resolution expressed reservation over inefficient service delivery by GSM network providers in the country.
    It urged regulatory agencies to invoke appropriate provisions of the law to protect consumers where necessary and ask for refund them for disrupted calls caused by bad network.
    The Senate also urged them to carry out through investigation on causes of drop calls and come up with innovations that would help improve customers’ experience.
    It also directed its committees on communications and trade, when constituted to further look into issues raised in the motion.
    Speaking on the motion, Abdulfatai said Nigerians are experiencing a disturbing and yet increasing rate of dropped calls.
    He said telecoms customers are encountering in-comprehensive speech and voice quality that is unclear during phone conversations.
    He said subscribers do not have the power to control bundle usage, nor have choice to restrict browsing to the resources which they were allocated resulting in sudden and unexplained expiry of data bundle.
    He said GSM operators in Nigeria had recently been experiencing terrible congestion on their networks, thus denying subscribers benefit of getting value for their resources.
    He said in spite of warnings by Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on the unpleasant activities of drop calls, meant to defraud Nigerians, no serious sanctions had been taken against any operator.
    He said no effort had been made to enhance the experience of telecoms customers.
    He said investigations indicate that four major operators -MTN, Airtel, Etislat and Globacom could not provide the rate of drop calls on their networks.
    This, he said showed that they are not ready to compensate customers for disconnected calls.
    President of the Senate, Dr Ahmad Lawan in his final submission said the 9th senate would do everything to protect Nigerians against exploitation by telecoms service providers.
    He said the senate would not only bark but bite this time around.
    According to him, the senate will conduct a public hearing on the matter where the regulator- NCC and the telecoms operators will be invited.