TheNewsGuru

Tag: Telecoms

  • Telecoms industry lost 21 operators in 10 years – ALTON

    Telecoms industry lost 21 operators in 10 years – ALTON

    The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) says 21 telecommunications operators have gone into extinction in the country in the last 10 years.

    ALTON Chairman, Mr Gbenga Adebayo made this known during the ”Broadband Summit 2017”, organized by BusinessDay Media Ltd., on Friday in Lagos.

    Adebayo said that the operators businesses went under due to the economic and operational challenges inherent in the industry.

    He said that as at 2006, ALTON had 35 members, but between 2007 to date, its members had reduced to 14.

    According to him, if care is not taken, more service providers might still close shop before the end of year.

    The ALTON Chairman said that the operators which had exited the Nigerian telecommunications space include Multilinks, Starcomms and O’Net.

    “The economic challenges include poor power generation, multiple taxation, exorbitant Right of Way levies, insecurity and over-regulation among others.

    “The operational issues are anti-competition and lack of fund to roll out,” he said.

    Adebayo said that the cost of getting the Right of Way was over 60 per cent of the total amount to putting up the infrastructure.

    He said that within the last five months, the surviving operators lost over 20,000 batteries to theft and vandals at their base stations.

    The ALTON Chairman said that some of the batteries, according to investigations carried out, were sold to some inverter operators in the country.

    Adebayo called on government at all levels to protect the sector because of its immense contribution to the growth of the economy.

    “Until we are able to classify the telecommunications infrastructure as Critical National Infrastructure, the problems will persist.

    “There should be sanction of long term prison service for vandals of telecommunications infrastructure. If there is severe sanction, it will serve as deterrent,” he said.

     

  • Telecoms sector records 0.80 % growth in 4th quarter of 2016- NBS

    The National Bureau of Statistics, NBS has said there were 154,529,780 subscribers as at December 2016, compare with 153,299,535 in September 2016, which represents a quarterly increase of 0.80 per cent.

    This was revealed in the Nigeria Telecommunications Sector Summary Report for December 2016 as released by the NBS in Abuja on Tuesday.

    The report said that growth had continued unabated since April 2016, before which subscriber numbers had fallen for several months.

    It stated that the yearly increase in total subscriber numbers was 2.33 per cent, which was slightly higher than the yearly increase of 1.75 per cent recorded in the previous quarter.

    “Last quarter’s growth rate has been revised up slightly.

    “It has revised (from 1.73 per cent) following the inclusion of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services, in addition to the four services of (GSM, CDMA, Fixed Wired and Wireless) discussed in previous reports.

    “The four services are Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Core Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Fixed Wired and Wireless.

    “The numbers are small relative to the total, possibly due to the service being newer.’’

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the report further stated that the increase in subscriber numbers was despite a quarterly fall in CDMA subscribers of 21.26 per cent.

    This, the report stated compounded previous quarterly falls leading to year -on -year fall of 89.87 per cent in December, a fall surpassed only by the year- on -year fall of 89.88 per cent in November.

    “The number of fixed wireless subscribers also recorded a large decline, of 12.54 per cent compared to the previous quarter and 55.03 per cent year -on -year.

    “However, by far the most popular technology type is GSM, and therefore this technology type has a much larger effect on movements in the total number of subscribers,’’ it stated.

    Meanwhile, the report stated the total number of subscribers had increased rapidly over the past decade; at the end of 2005 there were 19,519,154 subscribers.

    It stated that it subscribers had increased rapidly but by the end of 2015 there were 151,017,244, which is equivalent to an increase of 13,149,809 every year.

    “However, growth has been declining recently, possibly resulting from high market penetration leaving less room for large expansion,’’ it stated.

    In real terms, the report stated that the telecommunications sector contributed N 1.40 billion to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the third quarter of 2016, or 8.0 per cent, which represents a decrease of 1.8 per cent points relative to the previous quarter.

    However, it stated that due to differing seasonal patterns, telecommunications tends to account for the lowest share of GDP in the third quarter.

    “The share of telecommunications in total real GDP had declined throughout 2010 to 2014, but for the last six quarters growth in telecommunications has been higher, meaning the trend has reversed.

    “Although, growth in the telecommunications sector remained positive, in contrast with the economy as a whole, year- on- year growth nevertheless dropped in real terms from 1.5 per cent in the previous quarter to 0.9 per cent, the lowest rate since third quarter 2011,’’ it stated.

  • Telecoms: NLC to partner with FG to halt out-sourcing of jobs

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) says it will collaborate with the Federal Government to stop out-sourcing of jobs in the telecom sector, among others.

    Mr. Ayuba Wabba, the NLC President, said this in a statement made available to (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.

    “In this New Year, we shall work with the relevant arms and agencies of government to checkmate and halt the practices of multinational corporations especially in the Telecommunication, and Oil and Gas Sectors,

    “who are adding to the economic crisis in the country by their new habit of out-scouring of jobs Nigerians can do to new destinations in Asia, especially Dubai and India,’’ he said.

    He said there were reports that Ericsson Nigeria, local subsidiary of the Global Telecommunication Solution Provider, had disengaged all Nigerian staff in its Network Operating Centres and transferred its operation to India.

    Wabba noted that Ericsson Nigeria had in the last few years managed the MTN Network from among its Nigerian staff.

    “Now, in the name of off-shoring, Indian workers are being brought to understudy their Nigerian counterparts, and thereafter these jobs monitoring MTN and other Telecommunication Networks are then transferred to India.

    “These have huge implications for our national security, in addition to the fact that jobs that Nigerians are competent in are being moved out of the country.

    “As the unfolding cyber controversy between the USA and Russia is unfolding, with the network operating centers moved out of the country.

    “We can be easily shut out from the rest of the world without our being able to do anything about it,’’ Wabba said.

    However, the labour leader said the experience over Boko Haram and the SIM registration controversy with MTN clearly illustrates the inherent danger to Nigerian’s national security interest of the move by these multinationals.

    He said that HUAWEI, a telecommunication giant, was responsible for managing about 75 percent of network operating centers such as Etisalat, Airtel, part of GLO and part of MTN network operating centers in Nigeria.

    “They have also commenced the knowledge transfer from Nigerian engineers to their Indian counterparts preparatory to also moving their operations to India.

    “We will work with the relevant committees of the National Assembly, ministries and agencies to protect our national interest.

    “We will be leading national campaigns against these practices in the Telecom and Oil and Gas sectors in this New Year,’’ he assured.

    Wabba said that the affected multinationals must be made to understand that they would not be allowed uninhibited access to making millions of dollars off Nigeria as a nation without contributing to creating jobs.

    He said that there must be costs to every multinational decision to take the livelihood of Nigerian workers to other shores.

    “We need the understanding, support and cooperation of government and its agencies in this fight to keep these jobs in the country,’’ he said.