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Tag: NCC

  • NCC’s priority is to ensure consumer protection, satisfaction — Danbatta

    NCC’s priority is to ensure consumer protection, satisfaction — Danbatta

    Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says consumer protection
    and satisfaction are its major priorities.

    The Executive Vice Chairman of the commission, Prof. Umar Danbatta, said this when the President of Kaduna Chamber of Commerce,
    Industry, Mines and Agriculture (KADCCIMA) led other officials of the chamber on a visit to the commission in Abuja on Monday.

    Represented by Alhaji Ismail Adedigba, the NCC Deputy Director, Consumer Affairs, Danbatta said “the
    commission places emphasis on consumer rights.

    “NCC places more emphasis on issues of consumers as a section of the telecom act 2000 is dedicated to consumer protection.

    “Because of that, we have series of programmes by which we make sure that consumers are protected.

    “NCC’s priority is to ensure that consumers get value for their money and feel satisfied with services rendered to them.”

    The NCC boss said that the organisation disseminate information to educate customers so as to protect them
    from being cheated by service providers.

    According to him, trade fair is one of the avenues through which NCC educates consumers.

    He added that “this year is not going to be an exception because we have KADCCIMA’s invitation to participate in this year’s trade fair in Kaduna.

    “We have actually processed the required fees that will enable us to participate at the fair and we plan to go the extra mile to make sure
    that we organise NCC Special Day and the whole essence of that is to express our support for the activities of the chambers.”

    Danbatta said that with respect to the request by the chamber on sponsorship of quiz competitions for secondary schools, there was
    a circular which prohibit the commission from sponsoring such events “but by way of collaboration, we will see how we can help.”

    Earlier, the President of KADCCIMA, Dr Muheeba Dankaka, said that the group was in NCC to seek partnership over
    the forthcoming Kaduna International Trade Fair.

    Dankaka said that the fair, with the theme “Consolidating Interface Between Industry and Agriculture for Nigeria’s Sustainable
    Development”, is scheduled for March 29-April 7, 2019.

    She said that the theme was chosen complement government efforts toward revamping the country’s economy and to
    drive investment in agriculture and manufacturing.

    She added that during the 10-day fair, there would be some flagship events and appealed to
    NCC to sponsor quiz competitions for senior secondary students in the 19 Northern States.

    Dankaka congratulated the NCC boss and the management for “effectively steering the affairs of the commission.”

    Mr Ishaya Idi, a Council Member of KADCCIMA, said that the 2019 trade fair was special because it was the 40th anniversary.

    Idi explained that KADCCIMA was the first chamber of commerce to stage an international trade fair in Nigeria.

    He added that “we are happy that we have attained 40 years, so we will celebrate it in a big way with more exhibitors participating.

    “The chamber will use the opportunity of the fair to honour its founding members and beneficiaries.”

  • Security Printing and Minting seeks to partner with NCC in printing sensitive documents

    The Nigerian Security Printing and Minting PlC on Thursday called for collaboration with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in the printing of sensitive documents.

    The NCC Director of Public Affairs, Mr Nnamadi Nwokike made the call in a statement in Abuja.

    Nwokike quoted Alhaji Abas Masanawa, Managing Director, Nigerian Security Printing and Minting (NSPM), as making the call when he visited the commission’s office in Abuja.

    The NSPM boss was at the headquarters of the commission to seek for partnership, especially in the areas of printing sensitive documents.

    Masanawa, who was accompanied by top management staff of the company, however, said that like NCC, the company is aiming to become a world class organisation, which can attract business from outside the shores of the country.

    Responding, the Executive Vice Chairman, NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta lauded the performance of the regulatory body.

    He said the commission, aimed at beating the record platinum rating it received from a sister agency, Bureau of Public Service Reform (BPSR) two years ago.

    According to the NCC boss, the commission is now globally acclaimed for regulatory excellence and operational efficiency.

    He said this had helped NCC to achieve great success in the key areas of its mandate.

    “The verdict is out there on the performance of the commission as a word class regulatory agency. We didn’t pass this verdict by ourselves.

    “But it took a lot of hard work and commitment by both management and the entire staff of the commission to achieve the enviable position we are today,” he said.

    Danbatta said despite inheriting a world class organisation, he has not left any stone unturned in his efforts to add to the success story.

     

  • NCC donates ICT equipment to Army Institute, Makurdi

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has donated Information Communication and Technology (ICT) equipment to the Nigerian Army Institute of Technology and Environment Studies Markudi to help the institute to carry out its duties.

    The equipment donated on Wednesday in Abuja include laptops, printers and projector.

    The NCC Head of ICT, Mr Abraham Oshademi, said that the equipment would help the army institute to achieve its mandate and improve efficiency in ICT.

    Oshademi explained that the move to donate the equipment started in October 2018 when the institute wrote to the commission, requesting for partnership
    and sponsorship from NCC to provide them with ICT facilities.

    He said that the commission promptly responded by making donation of the laptops and other equipment requested by the institute.

    “The commission no doubt expects that the gesture will go a long way to complement the efforts of the Nigerian Army toward achieving its mandate and to further
    enhance the security of the country.

    “It is hoped that this donation will make a difference on the staff and students of your institute not only by improving their access to ICT tools but to enhance their skills in computing.

    “It is important to recall the saying that “ to whom much is given, much will be expected.”

    He expressed the hope that the equipment would be properly allocated, managed, protected and maintained for the benefit of staff and students.

    The Director of ICT in the institute, Miss Chindima Nwafor, thanked NCC for the gesture, adding that it would go a long way to ease their job.

    Nwafor said that the Commandant of the institute, Brig.-Gen. Aminu Abdul, expressed gratitude for the equipment, promising that the equipment would be put to good use.

     

  • NCC set to eliminate substandard mobile devices in Nigeria

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says it will soon eliminate the use of substandard mobile devices in the country.

    It frowned at the importation and marketing of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) devices, saying approved phone list are on its website.

    NCC’s Director of Public Affairs, Mr Nnamadi Nwokike, said this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

    Nwokike said that the NCC worried by the continuous proliferation of substandard mobile phones and devices in the country, had again advised telecom consumers to eschew patronage and usage of counterfeit handsets and other substandard mobile devices.

    He said that the commission made its position known at a one-day event tagged: “Sensitisation Programme on Hazardous Effect of Non-type Approved Handsets and Impact on Quality of Service and E-waste”, held at Paiko, Niger State, recently.

    According to him, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, while addressing participants at the event said the programme was part of the commission’s deliberate move to educate and create awareness on the hazardous health effects and negative economic implications of the patronage of fake handsets.

    He said the programme was also to educate the participants on the negative effect of also using other Information and Communication Technology (ICT) devices in the country.

    The programme also featured questions and answers between the consumers and the regulator.

    According to Danbatta, who was represented by Director, Zonal Operations Department at NCC, Mrs Amina Shehu, said the programme was designed by the commission to educate and enlighten the masses on the need to use type-approved handsets.

    “And the benefits of using such equipment which includes better quality of service (QoS), network integrity and safety of the end-users.”

    Danbatta who frowned at the proliferation of counterfeit handsets in the country, said the menace of counterfeit and substandard handsets has assumed a global dimension.

    He said the proliferation of counterfeit handsets require a lot of education on the part of the consumers and the collaboration with other government agencies to address it.

    He also enjoined telecoms consumers to check the commission’s official website to find the list of type-approved phones from which they can make choices of handsets to purchase.

    “Cases of influx and patronage of counterfeit handsets are more rampant in developing countries, such as Nigeria where importers bring in substandard phones.

    “Without recourse to regulatory type-approval process aimed at certifying such devices as fit for the market,” she noted.

    He said NCC was empowered by the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003, Section 132, to establish and enforce standards for all telecommunications equipment in operation in the country to ensure that they operate seamlessly and safely within the Nigerian telecommunications environment.

    As such, all equipment manufacturers, vendors and operators, including customer devices such as mobile phones and wireless adapters, must therefore ensure that their equipment conform to the applicable standards as mandated by the commission before bringing them into Nigeria.

    The NCC boss said that the commission was also saddled with the responsibility of ensuring that consumer enjoys his or her stake in the telecommunications industry.

    He further said that the commission, in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and other government agencies, recently inaugurated two committees to design modalities towards curbing the proliferation of substandard handsets in the country.

    According to him, the commission has developed regulations on electronic waste (e-waste) as another regulatory instrument.

    “Which among others, aim at providing regulatory framework for the management and control of e-waste in the telecommunications industry, all in line with Section 132 of the NCA, 2003’’.

    Speaking on behalf of telecoms consumers and participants at the event, the Hakimi of Paiko, Alhaji Mansur Mustapha, commended the commission for bringing such programme to the community.

    He, however, complained of poor network services and unsolicited text messages they receive from telecom operators.

    He said they still get unsolicited messages and urged the commission to provide necessary responses, especially on the need to activate the Do-Not-Disturb (DND) 2442 Short Code to stop unsolicited text messages.

     

  • NCC seeks collaboration to rid Nigeria of e-waste

    Seeking collaboration to rid Nigeria of electronic waste (e-waste), the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on Tuesday opened a public inquiry on regulations for electronic waste and guidelines for disaster recovery.

    TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive (EVC/CEO) of the NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, while declaring the public inquiry open, appealed for the collaboration of stakeholders in the industry.

    Danbatta called on all stakeholders in the telecom and tangential sectors, including operatives of agencies in the security governance sector to collaborate and rid Nigeria of e-waste, which includes irreparable and obsolete devices.

    Citing a recent report by the World Economic Forum (WEF), Danbatta affirms that electronic waste is now the fastest-growing waste stream in the world; and that because the genre of waste is non-biodegradable, like polythene of packaged water, popularly called pure water, it is time stakeholders took concrete implementable actions to arrest the proliferation of electronic wastes.

    The need for coordinated programmes and action to address the rise in tempo and incidents of explosion of e-waste is particularly underscored by the speed of innovations in telecoms industry, defined by the rapid advances in technology which makes it easier and convenient to change malfunctioning gadgets than to repair them.

    The EVC/CEO therefore urged participants to make frank and useful suggestions to deepen the renewed governmental intervention in e-waste management and disaster recovery. He noted that disaster constitute a major disruption with widespread impact on humans, materials and the environment.

    He reminded the audience of NCC’s commitment to collaborating with stakeholders to address challenges associated with the telecom service provisioning and affirmed that it is in keeping with NCC’s participatory rule-making process and renowned regulatory transparency.

    Attendees and participants at the Inquiry include all shades of telecom service providers and representatives of some public sector organisations including National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA).

     

  • Telephone subscribers increase to 174m

    Telephone subscribers increase to 174m

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), says there was 174,012,136 active subscribers on the telecommunication networks in January 2019, as against 172,871,094 recorded in December 2018.

    The telecommunications regulator disclosed this in its Monthly Subscriber and Operator Data made available on its website on Friday.

    According to the data, active subscribers increased by 1,141,042 and 173,625,306 of the 174,012,136 active numbers subscribe to the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network services.

    The GSM operators’ active customers’ figure increased by 1,139,501 in January, after the 172,485,805 subscribers recorded in December 2018.

    The reports stated that out of the GSM operators, MTN had 66,665,378 users in January, showing a decrease of 467,631 from the 67,133,009 it recorded in December 2018.

    Globacom’s figure increased in January by 348,341 with 45,603,638 customers, as against 45,255,297 in December 2018.

    Airtel had 44,970,973 subscribers in the month under review, which showed an increase of 790,489 users, from the 44,180,484 recorded in December 2018.

    9mobile recorded 16,385,317 customers in January, having an increase of 468,302 subscribers, against 15,917,015 in December 2018.

    The Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) operators recorded 124,257 subscribers in the month under review, indicating a decrease of 165, from 124,092 users in December 2018.

    Visafone, which is one of the two surviving CDMA operators had 119,797 customers in January 2019, showing an increase of 165 from the 119,632 recorded in December 2018.

    On the other hand, Multi-Links had 4,460 in the month under review, same with the record of December 2018.

    The monthly subscriber/operator data showed that the Fixed Wireless Network (landline) consumers remained at 26,865 in January 2019.

    One of the two landline networks, Visafone had 26,437 subscribers, while Multi-Links maintained its record of 428 customers in the month under review.

    It also revealed that the Fixed Wired operators (landline) subscriber base decreased by 5,677; reducing to 107,949 users in January, as against 113,626 recorded in December 2018.

    In the Fixed Wired arena, MTN Fixed moved from 5,450 users in December 2018 to 5,480 users in January 2019, thereby increasing by 30 customers.

    Glo Fixed had 2,896 users in January, increasing by 17 customers from the December 2018 record of 2,879.

    IpNX network moved from 2,281 subscriber base in December 2018 to 2,248 in January 2019, hence, its customers decreased by 33.

    It said that 21st Century Network had 97,325 customers in January, recording a decrease of 5,691 users from its December 2018 record of 103,016 subscribers.

    The report also showed that the two Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) networks had 127,759 active users in January, as their customers increased by 7,053, from their December 2018 subscriber base of 120,706.

    Of the VOIP networks, Smile Communication had 121,261 customers, giving an increase of 8,060 users to its December result of 113,201.

    Ntel had 6,498 consumers subscribing to its products and services in January, showing a decrease of 1,007 users to the December 2018 record of 7,505.

    The regulatory body said that Section 89, Subsection 3(c) of the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003 mandated it to monitor and report the state of the telecommunications industry.

    “The commission is mandated to provide statistical analyses and identify industry trends with regard to: services, tariffs, operators, technology, subscribers, issues of competition and dominance.

    “This is to identify areas where regulatory intervention will be needed.

    “The commission regularly conducts studies, surveys and produces reports on the telecommunications industry.

    “Therefore, telecommunications operators are obligated, under the terms of their licenses, to provide NCC with such data on a regular basis for analytical review and publishing,” NCC said.

     

  • Internet users hit 113.8m in January – NCC

    Internet users in Nigeria increased marginally to more than 113.8 million
    in January 2018, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) said.

    The NCC made this known on Friday in its Monthly Internet Subscribers Data for January 2019 posted on its website.

    The data showed that overall internet users increased to 113,875,204 in January 2019 from the 111,632,516 recorded in December 2018, showing an increase of 2,242,688 new subscribers.

    According to the data, Airtel and MTN gained more internet subscribers during the month under review, while 9mobile and Globacom were the big losers.

    The breakdown revealed that MTN gained more with 2,031, 214 new internet users in January 2019, increasing its subscription to
    45,931,171 as against 43,899,957 in December 2018.

    It further showed that Airtel was second, gaining new users in the month under review, increasing its subscription to 30,460,528 in January 2019 as against 29,757,791 in December 2018.

    It said that Globacom lost 454,409 internet users, decreasing its subscription in January 2019 to 27,600,539 from 28,054,948
    recorded in December 2018.

    The NCC data further showed that 9Mobile also lost 36,854 internet users in January 2019 with 9,882,966 as against
    9,919,820 recorded in December 2018.

     

  • Samsung 5G phone: A long way to go in Nigeria

    Samsung on Wednesday launched its first ever 5G phone, the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G, but the phone has a long way to go in Nigeria as 5G network is not available as of yet.

    TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports Samsung announced rollout of Galaxy S10 5G particularly for markets where 5G is being rolled out.

    With Galaxy S10 5G, consumers on a 5G network can download a full season of a TV show in minutes, play graphics-rich cloud games with virtually no lag, enjoy enhanced VR and AR experiences and stay in touch with friends and family via real-time 4K video calls.

    To take full advantage of 5G connectivity, Galaxy S10 5G features the largest-ever Galaxy S series display, the 6.7-inch Infinity-O Display; Samsung’s 3D Depth Camera for 3D-image capturing to power Video Live focus and Quick Measure; powered by 4,500mAh with Super Fast Charging at 25W.

    Galaxy S10 5G users will be able to experience the full power of true 5G connectivity, but the network is not available in the country yet.

    Except Nigerians want to buy the 5G phone for other purposes when it is finally available, the Galaxy S10 5G is certainly not for Nigeria yet.

    Nigeria would be ready to roll out 5G networks with the 26GHz, 38GHz and 42GHz spectrum bands by 2020, according to Prof. Umar Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman and CEO of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

    NCC is hoping to spread the network to at least 5% of the population upon deployment in the country.

    According to the NCC boss, trial testing of the rollout plan had commenced in the country beginning with the Eko Atlantic Project, where broadband data will drive connectivity and allow humans to interact with connected devices to check their health status and remotely control home appliances without physical contact.

    “NCC is already working on the three key factors that will drive 5G deployments, which include infrastructure, spectrum and regulation ahead of the 2020 rollout date.

    “We will rely on existing policies and regulation and still come up with additional policies and regulation that will address any hiccups,” Danbatta said at a collaborative meeting with GSMA for 5G rollout in Nigeria.

    Samsung Galaxy S10 5G will be available in 2019’s second quarter for markets where 5G is being rolled out, beating Apple, which is not expected to have a 5G iPhone until the final quarter of 2020.

    However, Samsung did announced other devices along the Galaxy S10 line that will take the Nigerian smartphone market by storm soon.

    Samsung Electronics West Africa says it is leveraging a decade of industry leadership to usher in a new era of smartphone technology with the launch of the Galaxy S10 line.

    Mr David Suh, the company Managing Director, on Thursday night in Lagos, during launch of the new products, said the Galaxy S10 line, with three unique devices, was engineered to meet the distinct needs of today’s smartphone market.

    He said that the Galaxy S10 line was engineered to meet the distinct needs of today’s smartphone market, to enable consumers to do more of what they love.

    Suh said that each device delivers a next-generation experience in the categories which consumers care about most, that is, ground-breaking innovations in display, camera and performance.

    “As testament to a decade of innovations, Galaxy S10 is designed for those who want a premium smartphone with powerful performance and sets the stage for the next generation of mobile experiences.

    “For consumers looking for a supercharged device, Galaxy S10+ takes every spec – from display, to camera, to performance – to the next level.

    “Galaxy S10e is built for those who want all the premium essentials in a compact package on a flat screen.

    “Since its launch 10 years ago, the Galaxy S series has stood for premium innovation, offering consumers an incredible experience, and the ability to find the device that’s right for them.

    “Galaxy S10 builds on that incredible legacy, and delivers breakthrough display, camera, and performance innovations.

    “With three premium devices, each built for a unique consumer in mind,” Suh said.

    He said that Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10+ and Galaxy S10e would be available in Prism White, Prism Black and Prism Green.

     

  • NCC, ONSA go tough on fake mobile devices

    Worried by the recurrent cycle of fraudsters deploying their trade via fake and substandard mobile devices, the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in collaboration with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and other government agencies, yesterday set up committees to combat the situation.

    TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports the two joint committees set up are the Project Steering Committee (PSC), comprising the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), the Federal Ministry of Communications and the NCC; and the Project Delivery Team (PDT) which draws representation from the Federal Ministry of Communications, the ICRC, the Federal Ministry of Finance and the NCC.

    The committees, with specific terms of references, are to work together to ensure the implementation of Mobile Devices Management Systems (DMS), a Public-Private Partnership project, aimed at combatting the proliferation of fake, counterfeit, substandard and cloned mobile communications devices in the telecommunication industry.

    While inaugurating the committees in Abuja, the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, said the move was in line with the mandate of the Commission, as enshrined in the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA), 2003, to type-approve all devices used in the telecommunications industry and to ensure that all devices used in the telecommunications industry are in line with agreed standards and specifications.

    According to him, the principal objective of the proposed DMS project is to “establish a secure and comprehensive single-window solution that will enable the Commission to implement a proven solution in the Nigerian environment that is sustainable and demonstrate value for money in addition helping to address the various concerns that have been raised with the NCC from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in our regular interactions on security matters as it concerns the telecommunications industry”.

    He said the increasing cybercrime, evasion of taxes, terrorism and health and safety concerns raised by the use of stolen, counterfeit and substandard devices in Nigeria is a responsibility which the NCC takes seriously.

    “In 2015, the NCC organised a stakeholder forum aimed at developing recommendations that could influence decision and policy directions, leading to solutions to combat the issue of counterfeit and substandard Information and Communication Technology (ICT) devices in the country.

    “Based on the importance of the project to the NCC, the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) and the ICRC were engaged for a no-objection to advertise for International Competitive Bidding (ICB) process towards the acquisition of an effective DMS solution, and the ICRC subsequently recommended the establishment of the two committees to fast-track the process,” he said.

    Representative of the Minister of Communications, Chief Adebayo Shittu and Permanent Secretary at the ministry, Mrs. Nkechi Ejele, commended the NCC for the initiative, stressing that she was impressed with the comprehensive and clear terms of reference given to the committees.

    “The ministry has no doubt that thorough implementation of the terms of references as reeled out by Prof. Umar Danbatta in his presentation, will ensure effective delivery of the project aimed at sanitizing the economy of fake devices with their attendant challenges,” she said.

    Also, Director, PPP Resource Department of ICRC, Mr. Michael Ohiani, said as the agency in charge of regulatory oversight over all PPP initiatives of government, “The Commission would support the process to ensure transparency of the process and value for money invested on the project.

    “The constitution of the PSC and PDT are to ensure that projects are delivered in a sustainable manner and in the overall interest of the country and we would work with all stakeholders in this project to ensure effective implementation”.

     

  • Bank tellers, Internet banking channels losing significance

    Bank tellers and Internet banking channels might be losing significance as both channels respectively lost 5% of total transfer transactions, according to the 2018 Interbank Instant Payments Annual Report.

    TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports the annual report released by the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) to shed some light on the performance of Inter-bank Instant payments, shows that USSD has made the most gains with regards to channel acceptance.

    While mobile apps still remains most preferred channel with 44% of total transactions, USSD is closely catching up as the channel has grown from 25% usage in 2017 to 35% in 2018, while the use of mobile apps has grown by just 1% when compared to 2017.

    In Summary, 79% of total transfer transactions were carried out using a mobile phone/tablet.

    “At the inception of interbank transfers, Bank Tellers were the most preferred channel for transfers, however, over the past few years, interbank transfers have mostly been carried out via the use of Mobile Apps.

    “With the total number of Mobile Phone user hitting 146 Million as at January 2018, we expect the USSD to overtake the use of Mobile apps in the not too distant future,” a statement by NIBSS read.

    According to the report, the younger demography continues to boost the adoption of the transfers as customers within the age bracket 25-34 years carried out 39% of all interbank transfers in 2018.

    “However, we observed an increase in adoption among customers aged between 15-24 years. 16% of transactions were initiated by this cluster as compared to 12% in 2017.

    “Holistically, 80% of transfer transactions in 2018 were initiated by customers between 15-44 years.

    “It is worth noting that, according to the NCC, 56% of the total population of 186 million aged 16 years and above. With 12.7 million unique customers who initiated a transfer based on BVN, a market of 91.4 million, people are under-served.

    “Lagos remains the hub for Instant payments yet again with 24% of total transactions initiated by its inhabitants.

    “The FCT, Rivers and Ogun State came in joint second with 6% respectively of total transactions,” the statement further read.