TheNewsGuru

Tag: Umar Danbatta

  • Delta Govt. partners NIGCOMSAT on broadband connectivity for schools

    The Delta State Government has commenced negotiations with the Nigerian Communications Satellite (NIGCOMSAT) company for possible partnership in the area of broadband connectivity for schools and hospitals across the state.

    TheNewsGuru reports NIGCOMSAT Executive Director of Marketing and Business Development, Mr. Samson Osagie, with some members of his team on Monday met with, Mr. Bright Edejewhro the State Commissioner for Science and Technology in Asaba to fine-tune the details of the partnership.

    The state government is hoping to partner with NIGCOMSAT for the deployment of technologies to enhance teaching and learning in schools across the state.

    In order to deepen broadband penetration in Nigeria, the board of the Nigerian Commissions Commission (NCC) recently approved two additional Infrastructure Company (Infraco) licences for the South Eastern and for the North Eastern regions of the country.

    Also recently, the NCC said it will very soon license more Infracos and also auction additional spectrums in the bid to achieve its broadband penetration target for the country.

    Professor Umar Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC said Nigeria is left with just 8 per cent to attain the 30 per cent broadband target set by the Federal Government by the end of this year.

    “At the moment, Nigeria has moved from 10 per cent to 22 per cent broadband penetration in the pursuit of the 30 per cent target set for December 2018.

    “Effort is ongoing to deepen the penetration as part of this administration’s eight-point agenda.

    “Plans are also ongoing to license Infrastructure Companies, Infracos, auction some frequency licences, while some are being initiated and some being reframed to achieve the broadband penetration target.

    “In broadband, we have moved from 10 per cent to 22 per cent broadband penetration at the moment. All these are going on simultaneously,” Danbatta said.

     

  • Danbatta calls for renewed thinking in policy framework for telecom industry

    Danbatta calls for renewed thinking in policy framework for telecom industry

    Prof. Umar Danbatta, the Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has called for renewed thinking by global policymakers and regulatory framework in the telecommunication industry.

    Danbatta was quoted as making the call during a panel discussion at the just concluded 2018 World Mobile Congress in Barcelona, Spain, in a statement issued on NCC’s website on Wednesday.

    Danbatta said global policymakers in the telecom industry should ensure not only renewed thinking in the development of policy frameworks but also promote innovation and investment in the sector.

    He said the regulators should promote innovation, investment and better quality of service as well as putting in place mechanisms that would limit unfair pricing and exploitation of consumers.

    “In Nigeria, we are trying to digitally transform and the process is ongoing as I am talking to you.

    “Hence, we have been paying attention to five interdependent elements of the digital transformation processes which include enabling policies and institutions, human capital, applied ICT industry, communications infrastructure, ICT applications and institutional change.”

    Danbatta said the strategic vision plan he unveiled two years ago in form of eight-point agenda had so far made significant impact on the growth of telecommunication’s sector in Nigeria.

    He said broadband penetration in the country merely stood at about eight per cent when he took over the mantle of the leadership in the commission.

    “But it is now 22 per cent, according to the ITU-UNESCO Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development.

    “We also decided to look at how we can improve Quality of Service (QoS) consistent with key performances indicators that characterise the quality of service.

    “The information we are getting from the consumers as well what we source from network operators is that QoS has improved.

    “The experiences by consumers through their accounts also indicate significant improvement.”

    Danbatta told the gathering about the successful auctioning of the spectrum 2.6 GHZ band, which had already been assigned and contributed to broadband penetration in Nigeria.

    The NCC boss said to empower the consumers of the industry’s product in Nigeria, the year 2017 was dedicated as the year of the consumer.

    He said when NCC started the campaign; the commission was flooded with a lot of complaints, especially on unsolicited text messages sent to consumers.

    “Consumers in many cases are surcharged, NCC has put behind this menace in Nigeria through the campaign.

    “As I am talking to you, we have a Do- Not- Disturb facility, which is very easy to use by consumers as more than nine million users have activated this facility.

    “Again, close to that number have gained access to our 622 toll-free line, which is provided to consumers to lodge their complaints on the quality of service provided by the telecommunication firms.”

    NCC listed other notable industry giants who participated in the panel discussion to include Ajit Pai, the Chief Regulator of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.

    Other participants are Ram Sharma, the Chief Regulator of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India; and German Pimienta of Communications Regulatory, Colombia.

     

  • Amaechi wants social media quelled, NCC says platform won’t be stifled

    Nigeria’s Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi has raised alarm saying if care is not taken, social media will destroy his country.

    He was speaking at the maiden annual lecture of CKN News that held in Lagos when he made the comment in defense of allegations published of him acquiring property worth millions of naira.

    “When it was published that I own a property worth N50 million, I just waved it aside that the news won’t go anywhere,” the transport Minister said.

    Amaechi said the first time he was attacked, he came out with documents, which were not verified by social media publishers. He said people claiming that he owned the controversial $43 million Ikoyi fund were peddlers of false information.

    “When they said that I owned $43 million Ikoyi money, I made just a one-page reply,” the Minister said, adding: “I don’t even own a house in Lagos”.

    “The social media misinform the public, they don’t verify their information, they have no rules and they can publish anything. It is a tool that politicians use to damage the reputation of another politician.

    “Social media can destroy this country… Just look at Biafra; and that’s why Nnamdi Kanu can say all he is saying and still get a forum,” he further stated.

     

    Meanwhile, at the event, the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) had in the keynote address stated that social media is a platform for the exchange of information and for participation in political and socio-economic discourse.

    The NCC EVC, Prof. Umar Danbatta said that the Commission adopts technology-neutrality regime in its role, and that the regulatory body will not regulate social media use.

    “We nevertheless use our moral authority to request that Nigerians take advantage of the social media platforms to exchange information and participate in the political, social and economic processes of our country in ways that promote peace and enable us to build a more united and prosperous nation,” the NCC boss besought.

    However, Amaechi concurred that “feedback the social media platform provides helps to check the inefficiency of the government”.

    He believes the social media will play an important role in the 2019 general elections.

    NCC Director of Public Affairs, Tony Ojobo, who represented the EVC at the event, however, restated that the Cybercrimes Act 2015 defines offences for frivolous and inhuman posts on social media, and stressed it also stipulates punishments for breaches.

    The CKN News 2017 lecture was themed: “The Role of the Social Media in Socio-Economic and Political Development of Nigeria”.

     

    Also read: Be mindful of the law, Danbatta urges Social Media users

     

  • Our objective is to empower the consumer – Danbatta

    Our objective is to empower the consumer – Danbatta

    Professor Umar Danbatta, the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says Management of the Commission declared 2017 as Year of the Nigerian Telecom Consumer to deepen stakeholder engagement in order to enhance the quality of consumer experience, and to empower the consumer through information and education.

    “It is consistent with our recognition of the importance of the Consumer in the telecom industry,” Danbatta emphasized yesterday in Niger state as Suleja hosts NCC Consumer Conversation.

    The Consumer Conversation is a programme in the framework of the Year of the Nigerian Telecom Consumer campaigns essentially implemented by the Commission’s Department of Zonal Operations.

    The Campaigns’ strategic initiatives focus on consumer activation of the Do-Not-Disturb Code 2442 to stop unsolicited SMS from operators.

    In this instance, Danbatta explained that “a telecom consumer who does not wish to receive unsolicited messages from his service provider should simply text STOP to the short code 2442”.

    He advised that “Where a consumer wishes to receive promotional messages on specific issues, the Consumer should send HELP to 2442 to choose his preference(s) from the options available”.

    Other initiatives include consumers’ utilization of the NCC Toll Free Line 622 to report complaints relating to any unresolved issues which they had earlier reported to their service providers.

    The EVC explained that the Commission also designed the Campaigns to create conversations around its activities, particularly its efforts to continually improve the Quality of Service (QoS); and to educate consumers and all stakeholders about Electromagnetic Fields (EMF) radiation.

    “The Nigerian Communications Commission has repeatedly stated the position of studies on EMF, including those conducted under the auspices of the World Health Organization (WHO).

    “None of the studies has clearly established a correlation between the type and levels of radiation in telecoms operation (especially telecom masts) and human health,” the NCC boss stated.

    He expressed NCC’s gratitude to the consumers and other participants for their presence and resourceful contributions to the success of the Conversation.

    Danbatta was represented by NCC’s Head of Zonal Operations, Helen Obi at the event.

     

  • Data price hike: Senate meets NCC, Telcos

    Data price hike: Senate meets NCC, Telcos

    Following the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) u-turn on data tariff increase, the Nigerian Senate committee on communications on Tuesday met with the telecommunications regulatory body and major telecommunications company in Nigeria to determine the correct pricing for data.

    It could be recalled that telecom operators announced intention signalled by the NCC to increase data price effective December 1, which was halted by the Nigerian Senate with a mandate on the Senate committee on communications to investigate the proposed hike in data tariff.

    While the NCC had since made the u-turn without implementing the increase, and the Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, has said the Federal Government (FG) of Nigeria never authorized NCC to hike data tariffs, indications from the investigative meeting held yesterday, both the NCC and the telecoms operators are bent-on on hiking data price.

    Speaking at the meeting, the Vice Chairman of the Committee, Senator Solomon Adeola, relayed the Senate’s concern over the proposed data price increase. Senator Adeola said that Nigerians were united in their opposition that the proposed increase in the price of data should be stopped. According to the senator, the hike in data price was ill-advised especially with the biting economic situation in the country.

    The Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Mr Umar Danbatta, while addressing the committee, said that the intervention of the NCC was not designed to rip-off the consumers. Danbatta explained that if cheap prices were introduced, they may end up undermining the telecom service operators.

    According to Danbatta, the need to avert crisis in the telecom industry informed the introduction of the interim price floor for data services – ₦0.90k per megabyte.

    “We wanted to protect the Nigerian consumer from unhealthy price war in what may lead to a monopoly that may lead us to the days of NITEL,” Danbatta said.

    “We did not increase any price but merely provided a regulatory standard to protect small telecom operators,” he added.

    In the defence of the NCC, Danbatta said that there were some telecom operators that lacked the capacity to compete with the big operators in the field. Therefore, the ₦0.90k price floor for data was a benchmark below which no operator could sell.

    The Communications Minister at the meeting said that in reality the telecom service providers were operating under unfriendly business environment including lack of electricity and increasing security challenges.

    “This is one area that I believe that we all must face the reality. The government in its wisdom, and I am happy the National Assembly, promulgated the National Communications Act which required that there be established an NCC.

    “If you look at the NCC law, it is positioned to reflect experiences, expertise and all of that and I want to believe that there must not be too many interventions in the activities of the NCC,” Shittu said.

    Adebayo Shittu while reflecting on the data hike pointed out that the NCC was deficient at properly communicating the new price floor to the public. He, however, appealed to the Senate to assist in the area of holding the balance between the interest of the operators and the interest of the Nigerian masses.

    The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Etisalat, Matthew Willsher, while speaking to the Senate Committee said that the absence of a price floor is a major problem, adding that the absence of a data price floor led to the dramatic decline in data pricing.

    Ferdinand Moolman, CEO of MTN, who was also in attendance spoke about the impact of inflation on the sector. Mr Moolman asked that the NCC does a proper cost and price analysis which will factor in the current inflation in the country.

    Moolman said, “All of us aware that inflation is going up to 17 to 18 per cent, we have experienced price increase in all other sectors yet we have seen price drop in the telecoms sector in the last two or three years and you have heard this said by a number of speakers”.

    Addressing the committee’s concerns on the data price hike, Danbatta explained that the NCC does not set prices but provide regulatory safe guides.

    Danbatta made it clear to the Senate Committee that the NCC would conduct an extensive scientific research to determine the correct pricing for data that would be acceptable to Nigerians.