Mobile World - issue 48 | 2015

he data explosion

is still on, at least

f r o m a l l

indications. People

generally talk less

on the phone and

send fewer text messages now

because there are so many ways to

communicate over an Internet

connection.

But it's not like carriers are suffering.

I n s te a d, t h e y ' ve s u cce s s f u l l y

adapted to our growing hunger for

mobile data. Carriers are raking in

huge amounts of revenue from

mobile data plans alone — the

regular fees we pay to reach the

Internet.

Worldwide revenue from mobile

data in 2011 amounted to $300

billion, according to a finding.

Revenue for mobile operators

overall totalled $1.5 trillion in 2012

alone, with mobile data accounting

for 28 percent of that, the study

estimates. Profits for carriers have

more than doubled over the last 13

years.

The global mobile industry is the

most vibrant and fastest growing

industry and this shows so well in the

data growth as far as telephony is

concerned.

Smartphones and tablets) operating

on increasingly ubiquitous mobile

broadband networks are allowing

users to adopt an ever growing

r a n g e o f n e w s e r v i c e s a n d

applications, which in turn is driving

an explosion in mobile data traffic.

These transformations and new

services have been made possible

t h a n k s t o t h e s i g n i fi c a n t

investments that mobile operators

have been making to deliver the

sustained growth and ubiquity of

mobile broadband connectivity.

According to GSMA Reports in 2014,

accelerating higher speed network

deployments is also driving data

growth.

The report says that there is an

ongoing technology shift in the

global connection base, driven by

improving coverage of higher speed

n e t w o r k s a n d t h e i n c r e a s e d

affordability of more advanced

handsets and devices. While 2G

remains the dominant technology in

terms of the number of connections,

the proportion has fallen from 90%

of total connections in 2008 to 67%

by the end of 2013. The absolute

number of 2G connections fell for

the first time in 2013, and this

decline is likely to accelerate going

forward. By 2020, 2G connections

will account for only a third of the

total connection base, with 3.2

billion 2G connections by that date

excluding machine-to-machine

(“M2M”)

Affordabil i ty of handsets and

devices is a big plus. For instance, the

new Nokia 215 is cheap but yet

“internet ready “. This $ 29 Microsoft's

new Nokia 215, a Series 30 phone

runs Facebook, Messenger, and

Twitter .That's a smartphone

phone!

In June 2014, Ericsson Mobility

Report cements the obvious trend.

A c c o r d i n g t o t h e c o m p a ny ' s

findings, the number of mobile

subscriptions worldwide grew

approximately 7 percent year-on-

year during Q1 2014. The number of

mobile broadband subscriptions

grew even faster over this period – at

a rate of 35 percent year-on-year,

reaching 2.3 billion. The amount of

data usage per subscription also

continued to grow steadily. Around

65 percent of all mobile phones sold

in Q1 2014 were smartphones.

To g e t h e r, t h e s e f a c to r s h ave

contributed to a 65 percent growth

in mobile/cel lular data traffic

between Q1 2013 and Q1 2014.

We may never stop talking on our

phones, but the data explosion is still

on!

Group Publisher

Akin Naphtal

Ac�ng Group Editor

Kehinde Olesin

Contribu�ng Editors

David Ajao

Terry Washington

Crea�ve Manager

Isaac Agyeman-Duah

Crea�ve Officer

Lawrence Otoo

Associate Editor, Ghana

Carol Opata

IT& Research

Henry Gyedu

IT/Business Reporters IT/Business Reporters

Derrick N.A Tagoe Tope Ajayi

Deborah Arthur

Social Media Execu�ve Business Development Execu�ve

Julius Ofori Boadu Gina Ibeh

GH: 6, Motorway Extension, Dzorwulu, Accra, Ghana Mob: +233 208 910 380, Tel: +233 302432849

NIG 3a, Shomoye TejuoshoClose, off OgunmodedeStreet, Allen, Ikeja, Lagos Tel: +234 1 291 5803, Mob: +234 806 3603521,+234 8161342518

UK Unit 2, Anchor Bay Ind. Estate Manor Road, Erith, Kent, DA8 2QA Tel: +44 777 510 9698 [email protected] www.instinctwave.com

Liability

While every care has been taken in the preparation

of this magazine, the publishers cannot be respon-

sible for the accuracy of information in herein, or

any consequence arising from it.

MobileWorld is a controlled circulation magazine

and not available on newsstand. It is free to quali-

fied readers worldwide.

c Instinct Wave 2014

No part of this publication may be used, copied or

reproduced without prior consent of the publisher.

More Data Less Voice

Akin NaphtalGroup Publisher

T

PUBLISHER’S THOUGHT

w w w . m o b i l e w o r l d m a g . c o m

Contents

26

27

29

MTN Plays a fundamentalRole in Nigeria's Economy Michael IkpokiChief Executive Officer, MTN Nigeria

8

3119

2318 38

7

Ghana to Launch First Satellite in2020

Priority Communications IntroducesM2M Connectivity Enabler

20

Tigo Ghana partners with Ericssonto improve on network quality

6www.mobileworldmag.com

an Koum, CEO of mobile messaging app, WhatsApp, has revealed the app has hit 700 million a c t i ve u s e r s , u p from 600 million it

recorded in August.

I n a F a c e b o o k p o s t , K o u m announced, “I hope you all had a happy and peaceful holiday season. Today, we’re thrilled to share that WhatsApp has more than 700 million

monthly active users. Additionally, every day our users now send over 30 billion messages. ”In August, Whatsapp announced that it had reached 600 million active users, meaning it got over 100 million new users in a span of four months.

Facebook acquired Whatsapp for $19 billion in February and the firm’s said the acquisition was in line with a shared mission of bringing more connectivity and utility to the world by delivering core internet services efficiently and affordably.

Mark Zuckerberg, Founder and CEO of Facebook said WhatsApp will soon connect 1 billion people worldwide. Currently, WhatsApp beats Twitter’s 284 million users and Instagram’s 300 million users and slightly behind Facebook’s 1.3 billion active monthly users.

WhatsApp Hits 700M Monthly Active Users

J

obile operator, Etisalat Nigeria, has partnered leading financial firm FirstBank, to l a u n c h ‘Firstmonie’ on

t h e E t i s a l a t E a s y w a l l e t S I M application solution. This will promote the use of Firstmonieon the Easywallet SIM Tool Kit menu.

Lucas Dada, Director, Business Segment at Etisalat Nigeria, said this partnership will provide added value to all customers and stakeholders in the m o b i l e m o n e y industry.

“Etisalat easywallet is o n e o f t h e m o s t s e c u r e a n d

convenient platforms for mobile money services. With the easywallet, Etisalat subscribers can make financial transactions such as Peer-to-Peer transfers, Bills Payment and Airtime top-up, directly from their mobile device,” he explained.

He added that Small and Medium-Scale Enterprises (SMEs) in Africa collectively contribute a lot to the n a t i o n ’s e c o n o m y a n d t h i s necessitates the need to support this segment of the economy by making financial transactions easier, safer, more efficient and innovative. He described EasyWallet as one of Etisalat’s strategies of facilitating financial integration of the SMEs.

“Etisalat Easywallet is the first to partner with prominent Nigerian banks and independent Mobile Money Operators including First Bank, GTBank, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Zenith Bank and Pagatech. It is convenient and helps our corporate clients (SMEs) to also enjoy benefits o f c o s t re d u c t i o n , i nve n t o r y m a n a g e m e n t , s t r e a m l i n i n g intermediaries, ensuring price transparency and competitiveness,” he added.

Etisalat & FirstBank Partner to Launch ‘Firstmonie’

M


Ericsson Introduces MaritimeICT Cloud Platform

r i c s s o n h a s introduced Maritime ICT Cloud, an end-to-e n d o ffe r i n g t h a t combines a managed cloud platform with industry applications,

service enablement, connectivity management, and consulting and systems integration services.

Ericsson's Maritime ICT Cloud will connect vessels at sea with shore-based operations, maintenance service providers, customer support ce nt re s , fl e e t / t ra n s p o r t at i o n

partners, port operations and authorities.

At the same time, the offering enables services used to manage fleets, monitor engines and fuel consumption, oversee routes and n a v i g a t i o n , a n d e n s u r e t h e wellbeing of the crew. Ericsson will provide everything from satellite connections to application support in one complete package, and manage operation of the Maritime ICT Cloud on behalf of its customers.

Maritime ICT Cloud delivers benefits

in three main categories, namely v o y a g e o p t i m i s a t i o n , c a r g o monitoring and crew welfare. Fuel is the single biggest expense for any ship owner, and also a major source of emissions that are harmful to the e n v i r o n m e n t . U s i n g e n g i n e diagnostics and up-to-the minute information about weather and traffic conditions both at sea and in ports, Maritime ICT Cloud enables ship captains to optimise their voyages to save time, fuel and m o n e y w h i l e a l s o l i m i t i n g environmental damage.

E


Michael IkpokiChief Executive Officer, MTN Nigeria

MTN Plays a fundamentalRole in Nigeria's Economy


hat strikes you �rst when you m e e t M r . Michael Ikpoki t h e C h i e f E x e c u t i v e

Officer of MTN Nigeria is his s implicit y. H is eyes are the second; they peer, look deeply into your very own and connect instantly. His deep knowledge of the telecoms, his readiness to part with his understanding and his c h e e r f u l d i s p o s i t i o n a r e incomparable.He joined MTN in 2001 as a regulatory advisor after a six-year s t i n t w i t h t h e N i g e r i a n Communications Commission. Before the latest appointment as the Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Ikpoki was the chief executive officer of MTN Ghana; a position he was appointed to in April 2011 after successfully running MTN Nigeria's sales and d i s t r i b u t i o n c h a n n e l a s i t s executive from 2006.A seasoned business executive, Michael is well read, with an academic pro�le that includes G e n e r a l M a n a g e m e n t P r o g r a m m e a t t h e H a r v a r d Business School; sales at the INSEAD Business School; �nance a n d a n a l y t i c s a t t h e L a g o s Business School; and a degree in l a w f r o m t h e R i v e r s S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y o f S c i e n c e a n d Technology.In this exclusive interview with MobileWorld, the CEO of the Year at the Ghana Telecom Awards 2012, Mike as he is fondly called shares on MTN's remarkable moments, quality of service, MTN's leadership and many more .Excerpts....With the stiff competition in the Industry, what are the factors that have helped MTN to maintain its leadership position in the sector?Leadership doesn't just happen; it's

something you work at. The first

factor for us is investment; a network

cannot grow without investing in

building its capacity. We have been

very consistent in investing in our

market. In the last 13 years, we have

invested a cumulative of about $15

billion, that's an average of $1.2

billion a year investment. That's the

level of our commitment to the

Nigerian market. I think that in itself

puts us in a position where we are

able to get the value and also attract

the number of customers the

technology and platform can

accommodate.

The second factor is the brand, when

I say brand, I do not mean the

adverts and commercials, it's about

w h o w e a r e , h o w w e h a v e

connected with our customers,

having the right products and

s e r v i c e s , c o n n e c t i n g t o o u r

customers, meeting the needs of

our customers, having the right

operations and distribution to

support our services. Over the years,

we have worked hard on our brand,

distribution and operations. We

have tried to get better and listened

to our customers by getting closer

to the market and adapt as need be.

Lastly, it's about people and culture,

we are very passionate about

p e o p l e , g i v e n t h e k i n d o f

responsibility we have as a business

in this market, we need to create the

right culture for our people to

contribute meaningfully to the

business.

Early this year, MTN partnered with Novo-Lumos to provide mobile electricity services in the rural areas, what's the update on that innovation?The Novo-Lumos partnership is

really about providing a solar

powered platform to enable people

i n o ff - g r i d l o c a t i o n s t o g e t

electricity. We are working with

Novo-Lumos and GSM Association.

It's a pilot we are working on, if we

get it right, we will roll out to other

parts of Nigeria. And if all things go

as expected, we should roll out in

the first quarter of 2015. For us, it's

about our commitment to making

the lives of our customers brighter

by helping to bridge a lot of the

economic gaps in our market.

With the NCC constantly on the back of telcos to improve quality o f s e r v i c e , w h a t a r e t h e challenges standing in the way and how is MTN navigating the terrain?For us, epileptic electricity supply

remains a big issue. For instance, in

our market today, we have only 17

percent of our sites connected to the

national grid. We are hopeful that

the ongoing investment in the

nation's power sector reform will

address this. We have also had a lot

of challenges around fibre cut and

infrastructure. Anytime a fibre is cut,

traffic going to one destination or

the other is affected. This affects the

quality of service. As an industry, we

are working with NCC and the

M i n i s t r y o f C o m m u n i c a t i o n

Technology to put a bill before the

National Assembly to declare our

fibre infrastructure as cr it ical

national infrastructure. That is the

only way we can protect the fibre to

salvage the problem with call

connections and quality of our

service. The issue of multiple taxes

has also been a lot of concern.

Having multiple agencies taxing us

on the same lines raises issues about

cost management. However, we

have signed an MOU with the Lagos

State government for instance, to

give us concessionary rates on Right

of Way, so that we can invest in

i n f r a s t r u c t u r e a n d g r o w t h e

economy. We are discussing with

other states on this same issue with

a v iew of going in the same

direction.

O n o u r p a r t , w e h a v e a l s o

outsourced the management of our

network to two vendors - Ericson

and Huawei since April 2014. We

believe that puts us in a better

position to deliver better quality of

services. We are also working on

better customer feedback, using

customer-centric KPIs and tools so


we can get direct feedback from the

customers, to ensure we are giving

quality service.

What is your view on the Bank-led mobile money model in Nigeria today, which has shut out telecom operators as against what obtains in other African Countries?I will take a more positive look at this.

The issue about the model will

depend on the regulatory regime on

a country by country basis. I would

rather we focus on the objective.

CBN has come up with a cashless

society policy which enables people,

especially the unbanked to be able

to transact businesses and services

and make transfers via their mobile

phones or other devices. I think that

fits in with the objective of mobile

money. In August, we launched a

Diamond Y 'el lo Account with

Diamond Bank. There are other

competitive offerings along the

same l ine, helping people to

transact business via their phones.

So for us, it is about supporting the

objectives of the government in

promoting a cashless economy,

even though it may not be like what

o b t a i n s i n K e n y a a n d o t h e r

countries, I think it is a good start.

What effect will the recent tower outsourcing and the Alcatel Lucent connectivity agreement you signed, have on the bottom line business of MTN?This is in line with our vision of

focusing on our customers and

making their lives a whole lot

brighter. What we are doing is not

unusual. If we can get third parties to

manage our infrastructure better

than ourselves, then that makes

more sense. That will help us focus

on our core business. It's for us to

i m p r o v e o n o u r o p e r a t i o n a l

efficiency. The Alcatel partnership

takes care of the 100 gigabyte fibre

optical technology and this helps us

have a more robust fibre capacity to

enable us manage the fibre cuts a lot

b e t te r, w h i c h a l s o m e a n s a n

improvement in our services. This is

p a r t o f o u r n o r m a l C A P E X

investment. We expect that the first

phase should be done in the first

quarter of 2015, and the next phase

by second quarter of 2016. All this is

to enable us operate a more robust

and effective network so we can

deliver better ser vices to our

customers.

There has been a lot of complaints about MTN's data pricing being on the high side, is this due to the g r o w i n g f u n c t i o n o f v o i c e revenue?I would say our prices are quite

competitive and are in line with best

practice. The truth is that the very

nature of data services is more

network-capacity intensive because

people actually spend more time on

the network to get the service. The

reality of our business is to focus

more on building new capacity to

support data and more customers

coming online and being able to get

efficient services. Rather we have

been more innovative in offering

bespoke data services, take for

example our social media bundles

for our new customers, which we

know are quite relevant to their

lifestyle and needs. So I think our

services are competitive and fair.

Let's not forget that these things

take time, we are still growing the

network, it took us 13 years to cover

95 percent of the population, so we

are sure to get there with regards to

our data services.

Having been in the market for 13 years, what are some of MTN's remarkable moments?Our consistent investment in the

country is a great achievement, $15

billion investment over the years is

no joke, and we are set to increase thour investment. MTN was rated 6 in

the federal government's listing of

top 100 companies in Nigeria. This

s h ows o u r s t a k e i n N i g e r i a ' s

economy. We see ourselves not just

as a telecom operator; we see

ourselves as very intrinsic in the

social economic life of this country.

We are at a point where we want to

open up the digital economy in

Nigeria, unlock value, create wealth,

n e w o p p o r t u n i t i e s , p r o v i d e

infrastructure and services, it's an

exciting phase we are going into.

How are you supporting the growth of E-commerce in Nigeria?We are supporting ecommerce with

our digital services, and creating

opportunities for SMEs.

What should we expect from MTN in 2015?For MTN, we have been very clear

about our vision, which is to lead the

delivery of a bold, new digital world

to our customers. This means

c o n t i n u o u s i n v e s t m e n t i n

technology and infrastructure to

support more customers coming

online, to be able to provide relevant

innovative products and services

that enable them connect with their

desires and aspirations. Taking it

from this context, our focus will be

on CAPEX investments that will

improve coverage in key markets,

coming up with exciting products

and services, identifying customer

needs and coming up with products

that are most useful to them. We look

forward to an exciting future at MTN.

How wil l you describ e your leadership style?I am very result-oriented, and in

trying to achieve this, I try to create

clarity in directions, creating a more

collaborative environment and a

great company culture, this is what

makes i t easy to achieve our

objectives.

Considering your busy schedule, how do you balance family and work? I try my best, I try to spend as much

time as I can with the family if I am

not traveling, especially during

weekends, but during the week, it's

difficult for me.



Etisalat Nigeria Introduces SmartPakto Rev Up Data Offering

igeria’s fastest g r o w i n g telecommunicatio n c o m p a n y , E t i s a l a t , h a s l a u n c h e d t h e

‘Etisalat SmartPak’. According to the telco, it introduces the ser v ice in response to i ts subscribers’ varied preferences in regards to data consumption, simplicity and control.

The Etisalat SmartPak offering is designed to provide subscribers with data for their preferred consumption platforms. The packages are positioned to give subscribers unlimited access to the content they use most in an easy to understand format that suit their lifestyle, enabling them maximize value.

M a t t h e w W i l l s h e r , C h i e f E xe c u t i ve O ffi ce r, E t i s a l a t Nigeria, speaking on the new p r o d u c t s a i d t h e E t i s a l a t SmartPak is different from the all-purpose Easyblaze bundles which charges customers for

size of data they want; rather each pack provides unlimited access to specific services.

He said, “The Etisalat SmartPak fits each consumer’s internet needs by

offering internet services in terms of their desired content; be it social or business content. For example, a customer who prefers chatting and does more chatting can subscribe to ChatPak for access to chat apps such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, WeChat and 2Go, rather than data access in Megabytes and Gigabytes.”

The Etisalat SmartPak consists of the Social Me Pak, Chat Pak, and Video Pak.

The ChatPak offers access to all chat applications like WhatsApp and BBM while the Social Me Pak gives subscriber access to social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, in addition to the chat apps available on ChatPak.

The Video Pak offers 2-hour access to stream for only N400!! With this, subscribers can watch their favourite football match or makeup video without thinking of the costs.N

Orange, Ericsson Complete Live LTE-A FDDTrial in the 3.4-3.6GHz Band

range and Ericsson have successfully used the 3.4 3.6 GHz ( 3 . 5 G H z ) f r e q u e n c i e s f o r t e s t i n g d a t a speeds, coverage

and FDD carrier aggregation. This live LTE Advanced FDD trial, which was authorized by the French regulator ARCEP, was carried out in October November 2014 on Orange's network in B o r d e a u x u s i n g E r i c s s o n ' s p r e commercial equipment.

The first phase of the t r ia l was performed at the Orange Labs in Paris.

In this trial, speeds of 300 Mbps were achieved by using the 3.5 GHz band in aggregation with the 2.6 GHz band, thereby confirming the potential of 3.5 GHz FDD technology to increase mobile broadband capacity. The second phase was carried out on Orange's live mobile network and was based on Ericsson's pre-commercial FDD 3.5 GHz radio base station equipment.

For the trial, new antennas supporting the 3.5 GHz band were installed at the Le Ponant and Meriadeck sites in the city center of Bordeaux. A range of streaming-based services were tested

OEricsson Thomas Noren, Vice President, Head

of Radio Product Management, Ericsson


allowing the team to continuously monitor net wor k per for mance between the base station and the mobile prototype throughout the live trial. The data throughputs acquired during the tests were measured, both before and after carrier aggregation of the two bands. A peak performance of 150 Mbps at a distance of up to 700 meters was achieved in the 3.5 GHz band when used alone, and speeds of 300 Mbps was attained when used in aggregation with the 2.6 GHz band.

3.5 GHz suitable for the deployment of macro-cells in FDD mode in cities

"This live FDD trial demonstrated that the 3.5 GHz band can be successfully u s e d i n u r b a n a n d s u b u r b a n environments in stand-alone mode or in aggregation with another band to

provide advanced mobile broadband services using a FDD access scheme for high peak data rate applications to enhance user experience," said Alain Maloberti, Senior Vice President, Orange Labs Networks.

T h i s p r o j e c t h a s p r o v i d e d a n opportunity to gather essential experience on the ways future multi-f r e q u e n c y n e t w o r k s c o u l d b e optimized from cost and performance perspec tives. One of the most rewarding results of the trial is the confirmation that the exist ing network grid can be reused for a 3.5 GHz macro grid; in Bordeaux, the trials used the same grid as for the 1800 MHz and 2.6 GHz bands.

"This live FDD trial also demonstrated that the macro coverage of 3.5 GHz

spectrum is suitable for providing substantial capacity gains that can satisfy future consumer needs" said Thomas Noren, Vice President, Head of Radio Product Management, Ericsson.

The successful trial's results re-confirm that the FDD access scheme is a promising solution for the 3.5GHz band to provide mobile operators additional capacity for advanced services and applications in Europe.

ricsson has signed a f r a m e w o r k agreement on 2G /3G m o b i l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n e q u i p m e n t a n d related services such

as design, planning, deployment, tuning, and

optimization with Ethio Telecom.The newly s igned f ramewor k agreement will allow Ethio Telecom to further improve the capacity and

performance of its 2G/3G network. This w i l l consequently e n s u r e i m p r o v e d q u a l i t y o f n e t w o r k c o v e r a g e , r i c h e r a n d m o r e i n n o v a t i v e m o b i l e communication services to subscribers in s o u t h e r n Ethiopia.

The agreement with Ericsson will be used for the procurement of Ericsson products and services and aims to transform the current network and add additional capacity to meet the country's need to bring connectivity to more than 60 million subscribers nationwide.

"Ethio Telecom sees this agreement with Ericsson as an important step towards fulfilling the country's need for communication under the

Telecom Expansion Plan. We believe in a long-term partnership with Ericsson," said Andualem Admassie, CEO, Ethio Telecom.

On his part, Rafiah Ibrahim, Head of Region Middle East and North East Africa at Ericsson said, “Ethiopia's 3G market is rapidly growing, driven by E t h i o p i a n ' s h i g h d e m a n d o n connectivity. Ericsson is devoted to s u p p o r t t h e d e ve l o p m e n t o f E t h i o p i a ' s t e l e c o m i n d u s t r y, leveraging our global expertise and technology leadership. Today's signing of the framework agreement will further solidify our partnership with Ethio Telecom as we will work together to ensure rewarding new user experience for Ethiopian consumers in the new connectivity era and we are fully confident that we wil l together achieve this objective."

The signing ceremony was hosted by H.E Dr Debretsion, Minister of Telecommunications in Ethiopia, a n d w a s a t t e n d e d b y k e y representatives from Ethio Telecom, Ericsson, and local media.

Ethio Telecom Partners Ericsson toTransform its Network in Ethiopia

E


The Future of Communications:Internet of Things

he Internet of Things has created a buzz in the technological world. As we look around for ways to increase connectivity and make it more

efficient, the Internet of Things is expected to play a huge role in linking devices. It is bound to create a revolution, and completely change the face of the communications industry.

J u s t s o m e t i m e b a c k , B o s c h

established an Internet of Things

community, showing the world that

this concept has now become

mainstream. Indeed, the Internet of

Things is talked about so much

everywhere: it is all over the news,

t h e w e b , a n d t e c h n o l o g i c a l

discussions. But the truth is that the

technology, though attractive, is still

l i m i t e d a n d h a s n e v e r b e e n

experienced by most of us.

Understanding the Internet of

Things

The Internet of Things, also referred

to as IoT, Man to Machine, Machine

to Machine and Machine to Mobile,

is a technology which aims to

connect every day objects to the

internet, giving each of them an

i d e n t i t y o f t h e i r o w n . T h e

communication methods are similar

to that of RFID, but other wireless

concepts, sensor technologies or QR

codes may also be incorporated. If

all objects can actually be connected

t h i s w a y, t h e y c a n e a s i l y b e

represented digitally and can be

related to you, the surroundings and

other nearby objects. Thus, the

object becomes more intelligent,

and a network of such connected

objects, is referred to as ambient

intelligence.

At a deeper level

Let's make things a bit simpler now

in an attempt to understand better.

In the past, internet was about data.

In the future, it will be about objects.

Our computers will be able to

identify and recognize all of these

objects and will know everything

that there is to know about them.

Such a technology can help us keep

a track of every single thing and

contribute to common goals of

T


reducing waste, costs and loss. The

technology is expected to be so

powerful that it will notify us when

an object has to be repaired or

repacked.

Right now, we limit connectivity to

computers , smar tphones and

tablets. The Internet of Things takes

this to the next well and assumes

that every single object can be

connected to a huge network, which

is the internet itself. Plus, all these

objects can communicated with one

another, allowing the world to

emerge as a huge information

system.

From a technological point

Did you get everything up till here?

N o w l e t ' s d e l v e i n t o t h e

technological aspects. Once all the

objects are connected, how will we

control them? Smartphones. They

are equipped with sensors and can

connect to other objects, which will

also feature wireless sensors and

chips. In the past, IoT was expensive,

but with the advent of efficient chips

that can be linked to the web, the

c o s t s c a n b e b o u g h t d o w n .

Enterprises like GE and Samsungs are

working on intelligent products like

l i g h t i n g s y s t e m s a n d s m a r t

thermostats which are based on the

Internet of Things.

Are there any challenges?

If the Internet of Things can truly be

implemented to its core essence,

data will be generated in huge

quantities and will have to be stored,

processed and retrieved. Experts

expect to achieve this with cloud

computing, but there are sti l l

challenges involved.

We have already talked about

sensors and embedded chips. IoT

devices will also contain actuators.

The wireless sensors will play the

most significant role, having the

c a p a b i l i t i e s o f f u n c t i o n i n g

autonomously if deployed in a

suitable environment. The current

sensors in the market are based on

protocols such as Zigbee, Bluetooth

Low Energy and Radio Frequency

Identification.

Sensors which can be used for IoT

must have more power so that that

more messages can be sent and

received. Many companies are trying

to come up with sensors that use

natural power sources such as

thermal energy and photovoltaic

energy so that they can work for an

i n d e fi n i t e p e r i o d o f t i m e .

Complexities are present, and no

solution can be deemed reliable for

right now.

Companies are also trying to develop

wireless sensors, which will be based

on the RFID technology. These

sensors can be installed in concrete,

pillars, walls, piping systems and

many other environments. But they

can work effectively only when there

is an RFID close toe the RF power

source.

Applications

The Internet of Things has many

applications and can be perceived in

different ways. Every single company

seems to have its own vision about

the concept. Cisco refers it as the

Internet of Everything, whereas GE

has termed it as the Industrial

Internet. Like we said, the Internet of

Things can be a complex concept,

but companies want this to be as


simple as possible for the consumers. Right now, they are focused on

making their existing devoices smarter to give users a familiarity with

wireless sensors and chips.

Monitoring of Everything

IoT has been visioned as something which links all the devices to the

internet. With all these connections, we will be able to know

everything that we want to know, and everything can be monitored

as well.

Environmental Monitoring

An environmental monitoring system provides data about pollution,

land, plant growth, and so on. Such systems can also monitor traffic,

identify chemical hazards, and detect earthquakes and floods.

Weather forecasting is another application. With the IoT, all these

applications can be realized through a low cost and reliable

framework.


icrosoft today u n v e i l e d a c h e a p , i n t e r n e t -e n a b l e d Nokia phone that it hopes

will help it increase its market share in Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

The phone costs $29 (£19) and comes with the Opera M ini Browser and Facebook Messenger built in, and can run Twitter and other apps. Despite that, it is mostly a low-spec phone — with a 320 x 240 pixel display, a 0.3 megapixel camera, a radio and a torch as its headline features.

But that is likely to help it pick up buyers in the budget market, especially in developing countries. And the lack of hi-tech features mean that it is a robust phone, built to be durable and with a battery that Microsoft says can last up to 29 days on standby.

The software is also built for more difficult terrains, and the built-in apps can work without a 3G connection.

And the torch might sound like a minor addition, but Microsoft points out that it will be useful in the markets that it hopes the phone will be shipping into — such as the 20% of the world that don’t have regular access to electricity.

Microsoft announced the phone as its “most affordable internet-ready entry-level phone yet”, saying that it would be “perfectly suited for first-time mobile phone buyers or as a secondary phone for just about anyone”.

The phone will be released in Europe as well as the Middle East, Africa and Asia in the first quarter of 2015. It is available in a normal version as well as a dual SIM one.

Nokia 215: Microsoft unveils its cheapest ever internet phone with 29-day battery life and $29 price tag

M


n a bold move to demonstrate how every Nigerian can use the power of the i n t e r n e t t o d o extraordinary things that make for a be�er

l ife in 2015, Nigeria's leading Informa�on and Communica�ons Technology (ICT) company, MTN has launched its Be�erMe campaign with t h e u n v e i l i n g o f t h e My2015Be�erMe app and three 2015 Be�erMe Bundle offerings for customers across all strata.Speaking at the colourful launch ceremony, Genera l Manager, Corporate Affairs, Ms. Funmi Onajide highlighted the current trend in the telecoms industry as evidenced in the movement from predominantly voice services to data and digital services. “In the past, the focus was on voice – that is the ability to connect people so that they could make phone calls. This industry has achieved that with w e l l o ve r 1 0 0 m i l l i o n a c � ve subscribers in Nigeria of which MTN has 60 million subscribers as at the end of 2014; that dispensa�on was known as Telco 1.5. Now we are moving to Telco 2.0 which is characterized by full scale focus on

data and digital services leveraging the power of the internet,” said Onajide.

She added that the Be�er Me campaign would bui ld on the innova�ve drive among the youth and expose Nigerians from all walks of life to how they can see the posi�ve value in the internet while using it to create experiences that are r e l e v a n t t o t h e i r p e c u l i a r circumstances and enjoying the way various digital and data products and services make their lives be�er.In a similar vein, MTN Nigeria's Chief Marke�ng Officer, Bayo Adekanmbi s a i d t h at t h e n e w c a m p a i g n demonstrates MTN's commitment to enabling Nigerians become be�er in all spheres of endeavour. He added that the app will introduce Nigerians to internet content that they may not be aware of including local content websites like pidgin-based websites; local language news, sports and home grown produc�vity tools.

“The My2015Be�erMe app aims to enhance peoples' lives with the power of the internet. It provides easy access to a variety of digital content and offers subscribers a single pla�orm to access, view and

share New Year resolu�ons & must-do, 2015 prophesies & events, news, daily deals, gossips, fashion, healthy l iv ing and lifestyle �ps. It is our desire that the app revolu�onizes the industry in the same way that M T N C a l l e r t u n e z s e r v i c e revolu�onised the music industry by reducing piracy and ensuring that ar�stes get adequate remunera�on for their talent,” said Adekanmbi.MTN's CMO expressed op�mism that the app would allow bloggers and internet users get more value for their �me, talent and energy spent using the internet for life enriching purposes such as s h o p p i n g , e d u c a � o n , entertainment, fashion, skill acquis i�on/learning a new l a n g u a g e , s p i r i t u a l a n d

mo�va�onal content as well as tracking new year resolu�ons.

Explaining how to get the app, Adekanmbi said customers can download the app free by sending the keyword, 2015 to 131 via SMS. An SMS containing the link for download is then sent, which the customer clicks to download the app and takes the customer to the homepage where an area of interest is selected.

These bundles are: Be�erMe Daily

Bundle which consists of 20

Na�onal mins + 15MB + 35 Na�onal

SMS cos�ng N250 only; Be�erMe

Monthly Bundle which consists of

100 Na�onal mins + 100 Na�onal

SMS +

These bundles are: BetterMe

Daily Bundle which consists of 20

National mins + 15MB + 35

National SMS costing N250 only;

BetterMe Monthly Bundle which

consists of 100 National mins +

100 National SMS + 300MB

c o s t i n g N 2 , 0 1 5 o n l y a n d

BetterMe Monthly Data Bundle

which consists of 2015MB and

costs N2,015 only.

MTN Nigeria Moves Closer to Digital Journey 2.0with BetterMe App

I


elecommunications services provider, Phase3 Telecom, infrastructure has a n n o u n c e d i t w o u l d c o n n e c t more cities to its

n e t wo r k t h i s ye a r w h i l e re -affirming its key focus to ensure that West Africa enjoys full access to re l i a b l e , h i g h - s p e e d a n d a ff o r d a b l e b r o a d b a n d connectivity.

Last year, the company recorded major successes including the addition of over a 1000km to its 6000k m coverage area with footprint expansion of its MPLS network and fixed broadband services; making it possible for people and businesses to access the superior performance of its aerial fiber optic connectivity which has the full potential of internet usage at “superfast” speed on its enterprise-wide networks.

According to Chief Executive Stanley Jegede, it is a great professional boost for Phase3

family to k ick- off 2015 with renewed vigor to connect more cities.

He stated that, “It reinstates the team’s dr ive to offer strong, t r u s t w o r t h y a n d s e a m l e s s communications solutions to clients all over West Africa. It is a clear attestation to Phase3’s u n fl i n c h i n g c o m m i t m e n t t o enabling new, advanced and h i g h l y d i ff e r e n t i a t e d telecommunications ser vices across Nigeria and throughout the African continent in order to del iver the most innovat ive solutions.

“It is an incomparable high point for us that people and businesses operat ing in the region can effectively connect with each other and the rest of the world as they ride on our network and strong international partnerships”.

J e g e d e m a i n t a i n e d t h a t connecting these cities also means businesses in these locations get to enjoy network access to over 400

cities worldwide especially with r e c e n t n e t w o r k e x p a n s i o n projects, upgrades and global partnership with PCCW Global, the H o n g K o n g - h e a d q u a r t e r e d international operating division of HKT, Hong Kong's premier telecom service provider.

He also noted that, “Phase3’s relentless effort to get more cities connected belies the company’s c e n t r a l v i s i o n t o r u n a n infrastructure that is the largest in s i z e a n d m o s t v e r s a t i l e i n connectivity. Our brand promise is to remain the choice network; that provides high level services to meet the unique needs of our numerous broadband customers and that continuously improves network performance and value creation to satisfy the changing needs of our enterprise customers”.

“We will keep operating efficiently, innovatively and reliably, with a focus on the successful redefinition o f t h e m a r k e t t o w a r d s convergence. This wi l l make telecommunications not only more coherent but intelligent as it will actively prepare clients for the r a p i d l y e v o l v i n g f u t u r e o f broadband capabilities. Thus; launching active users into a new world of naturally smart, vastly sustainable, swiftly adaptive, completely reliable and very simple intelligent networks that is yet a rising phenomenon in this region,” Jegede added.

By this development, Phase3 in its 11th year of operations continues to show its capabil it ies as a foremost indigenous ser vice provider championing the drive to r e - d e fi n e N i g e r i a ’ s telecommunications landscape with an unwavering dedication and eagerness to deliver to all West Africans services they need for a susta inable soc io - economic progress.

Phase 3 Telecom Set to ConnectMore Cities

TChief-Executive-Officer-of-Phase3-Telecom-Mr.-Stanley-Jegede1

Michael KendeSOC’s Chief Economist and co-author of the report

Local Internet Hosting Opportunities Keyto Internet Development in Africa


Local Internet hosting is key to the

d e v e l o p m e n t o f t h e I n t e r n e t

ecosystem in emerging countries,

according to a report released by the

Internet Society

The development of locally relevant

Internet content that is attractive to

users has been shown to have a

positive impact on Internet adoption.

As the infrastructure necessary for

Internet access is becoming more

available in developing countries and

emerging regions, efforts to increase

Internet adoption rates are now

focused on the development of such

content. However, the impact of such

efforts on Internet adoption rates will

be limited if the infrastructure and

enabling environment for local

hosting and content delivery is

overlooked.

In many developing countries and

emerging regions, the vast majority of

content accessed by local users is

hosted abroad. As the content must

t r a v e r s e o f t e n e x p e n s i v e a n d

s o m e t i m e s u n d e r - p ro v i s i o n e d

international links, this can have a

significant impact on the economics

o f a c c e s s a s w e l l a s t h e u s e r

experience.

“The lack of locally hosted content can

have significant impacts on the entire

Internet ecosystem in a country,”

writes Michael Kende, ISOC's Chief

Economist and co-author of the

report. “First, accessing any type of

content abroad can be very costly for

ISPs, and therefore, international links

are often under-provisioned, resulting

in slow access times that limit usage.

Second, these increased costs for

accessing international content are

passed on to users, with high prices

limiting usage. Finally, these limits on

demand will, in turn, restrict the

creation of further Internet content,

k e e p i n g t h e e nt i re e co s ys te m

underdeveloped.”

The report, “Promoting Local Content

Hosting to Develop the Internet

Ecosystem,” co-authored by Mr.

Kende and K aren Rose, Senior

Director, Internet Society's Office of

Strategy and Research, uses Rwanda

as a case study in exploring those

d y n a m i c s , w o r k i n g i n c l o s e

partnership with the Ministry of Youth

and ICT (MyICT) in Rwanda and the

R w a n d a I n f o r m a t i o n a n d

C o m m u n i c a t i o n Te c h n o l o g y

Association (RICTA). While focused on

R wanda, the s ituat ion there is

c o m m o n i n m a n y d e v e l o p i n g

countries.

“ S t r e n g t h e n i n g t h e e n a b l i n g

environment for the hosting of local

content can have positive cascading

impacts on stakeholders and the local

Internet economy, including its end

users,” said Ms. Rose. “Global hosting

options have clearly been valuable for

content developers, however, the

local hosting environment is yet to

mature in many developing countries,

limiting the practical options available

for content developers to host locally.

The cost and latency involved in

accessing content abroad from

emerging economies can depress

usage, with the result that the full

potential and benefits of the Internet

are not rea l ized. Addit ional ly,

depressed usage impacts content

developers directly, as less user

engagement with content translates

to a lower potential for content and

service providers to earn revenue

from advertising and sales.”

CostAlmost all of the commercial websites

in Rwanda are hosted abroad. A small

savings for the content providers in

h o s t i n g i t a b r o a d r e s u l t s i n

significantly higher costs for the ISPs

to access the content. For one of the

larger Rwandan websites that was

examined, the content developer

saved USD$111 per year by hosting

overseas, while it cost the Rwandan

ISPs approximately USD$13,500 in

transit costs to deliver the content

from abroad to local users. This

impact is limited, however, because

the websites hosted abroad suffer

from high latency, which reduces

usage.

LatencyThe delay experienced by users in

Rwanda to download a webpage can

frequently be five seconds or more,

and this can increase for webpages

composed of multiple elements. The

cumulative effect can make the overall

I n t e r n e t e x p e r i e n c e s l o w a n d

frustrating, with a corresponding

negative impact on usage. This can

also limit the viability of interactive

and data-intensive services such as

gaming or video streaming, which

depend on low latency.

The report provides several examples

of the positive impact on usage when

Google and Akamai made content

available locally in Rwanda. For

instance, Akamai recently turned on a

cluster in Rwanda that increased

throughput dramatically, and within

two months usage increased by 80%.

The report then recommends several

steps to bolster the local hosting

environment in Rwanda, in order that

local content providers have the

option to experience the benefits of

local hosting.

According to the Minister of Youth and

ICT in Rwanda, the Hon. Jean Philbert

Nsengimana, “The Rwandan Internet

environment has seen impressive

growth in recent years due to the

commitment and involvement of a

range of stakeholders, including an

enterprising population and business

community, dedicated technical

communit y, and strong pol ic y

l e a d e r s h i p t h r o u g h o u t t h e

Government of Rwanda.” Minister

Nsengimana added, “This project has

demonstrated how the Internet

ecosystem in Rwanda, and other

countries in a similar position, can

w o r k t o g e t h e r t o b o l s t e r t h e

environment for local content

hosting.”

While local content hosting is a key

element for creating a vibrant local

Internet economy, the report notes

that the focus for policymakers,

c o m p a n i e s , a n d c o n t e n t

entrepreneurs, should be on creating

a positive enabling environment that

will incentivize local hosting and

service development and thereby

offer content providers a local choice,

rather than imposing measures that

artificially require local hosting


new report from The Cloud has r e v e a l e d t h e UK's mobile web usage habits , with the wi-fi p r o v i d e r ' s

analysis revealing a huge increase in the amount of t ime spent on browsing the internet.

The data, pulled from The Cloud's network of more than 22,000 public hotspots, showed a 78% increase in the time logged on to public WiFi when compared with 2013, with over 28 billion minutes being spent online.

According to the data, smartphones remained the most common way to connect, accounting for 89% of usage. Android saw the largest user

growth year-on-year at 49%, whilst tablets continued to show an increase in use at 21%.

Overall, 2014 saw an increase of 34% in user base for The Cloud, resulting in an active user increase from 9 million to over 12million.

"In business, the digital sector is now w o r t h £ 7 1 b i l l i o n t o t h e U K economy. That means we spend a vast amount of our lives online and it is shown clearly in our new figures," said Roger Matthews, Commercial Director, The Cloud.

T h e g r o w t h o f c o n s u m e r s connecting to The Cloud is one that Matthews expects to continue with reliability being key to success:

"As rich media content becomes

more popular, we expect 2015 to bring an increased demand for reliable, high-speed connectivity. Because of this, we believe tech s a v v y u s e r s w i l l s t a r t a u t o -connecting to The Cloud network to save on data."

"We are an increasingly digital generation and the larger screens that tablets offer are well-suited to content-obsessed consumers who devour everything from movies to gaming," explained Matthews.

“2015 will bring more rich media, more streaming and more WiFi minutes than ever before. This is an exciting era in digital and the UK public are undoubtedly embracing it."

UK Moves Towards Becoming 'Digital Nation',Records 28BN Minutes Online In 2014

A



he Ghana Space S c i e n c e a n d T e c h n o l o g y Institute (GSSTI) a n d G h a n a Atomic Energy C o m m i s s i o n ( G A E C ) h a v e

outlined a road map towards the launch of Ghana’s first satellite, Ghanasat 1.

The project would be a joint venture between the State, GSSTI, GAEC and Menasat Gulf Group Public Limited Company, a UK-based producer of very high resolution (1m) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) used for aerial imaging.

The project will begin with the establishment of a data centre in 2015, for receiving, processing and analysis of radar images from the C O S M O - S k y M e d s a t e l l i t e

constellation of the Italian Space Agency.

P h a s e t w o w o u l d s e e t h e establishment of a ground direct receiving station and the final phase would be the satellite launch in 2020 and a facility for integration of the high resolution ear th observation satellite constellation.

When complete, this endeavour would enable Ghana to obtain s a t e l l i t e i m a g e s a n d o t h e r information of tropical regions. The information will be of significant use in areas such as security, risk m a n a g e m e n t , m a r i t i m e management, environmental m o n i to r i n g, ro a d t ra n s p o r t , defence and intelligence.

Dr Nana Ama Browne Klutse, Manager of remote sensing at GSSTI and a research scientist at

GAEC, said the data centre would reduce the cost on satellite image procurement and also boost the National Spatial Development Framework.

Professor Riccardo Maggiora, Chief Technology Officer of Menasat, said a low inclination orbit at a low altitude would enable a very short revisit time of 6 hours, which means that images could be taken off any particular place, four times a day.

H e a l s o d e m o n s t r a t e d t o stakeholders, the remarkable abilities of Menasat’s SARs.

Aside providing images through smoke, steam and clouds, they could measure tec tonic and structure displacement rates which is useful for predicting landslides and building disasters.

Ghana to Launch FirstSatellite in 2020T


r i o r i t y

Communications

L i m i t e d , a

leading player in

t h e

telecommunicati

ons industry, has

introduced Machine to Machine

(M2M) connectivity that enables

automated wired or wireless

c o m m u n i c a t i o n b e t w e e n

mechanical or electronic devices.

M r s . M a b e S h a i b u, b u s i n e s s

development manager for Priority

Communications Limited, while

speaking to journalist during a

recent Forum organized by the

Company said that, with presence

in over 26 states of the federation,

Priority came up with the M2M to

e n a b l e c l i e n t s ' n e t w o r k e d

machines to exchange information

and perform actions without the

manual assistance of humans.

She explained that Priority's M2M

connectivity has the following key

components: Radio frequency

identification (RFID), sensors,

computing programmed software

used for interpreting data and

making decisions and cellular

communications or WIFI.

She further stated that “because of

the level of complexity needed for

machines to communicate with

each other, Machine to Machine

requires deep integration between

s y s t e m s a n d a t h o r o u g h

u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f m e t a d at a ,

p r o d u c t d a t a a n d b u s i n e s s

p r o c e s s e s , a s w e l l a s a n

understanding of IT and financial

impacts of the data that it provides

and this”, according to her, “is what

Priority Communications has fully

packaged to deliver to her clients

nationwide”.

In addition, she emphasized that

Priority's M2M nationwide services

for Offsite, ATM, cash centers and

branches is well optimized for

locations that require reliable,

consistent uptime, and stable band

width.

S h e a d d e d t h a t i t h a s b e e n

deployed from locations outside

Lagos to network with operation

centers in Lagos with up to 99%

uptime.

When asked what distinguishes this

service from the others, she stated

that its combination of microwave

radio & fiber helps to deliver

unbeatable throughput giving our

clients high speed connectivity

with a very fast response time.

Priority Communications IntroducesM2M Connectivity Enabler

P


iger ian online p a y m e n t p l a t f o r m , SimplePay, has a n n o u n c e d a partnership with e T r a n z a c t I n t e r n a t i o n a l

PLC, Africa's leading provider of mobile banking and payments services, which will allow its users send money to any PocketMoni account instantly by logging into their SimplePay.

“We are excited to work with an international financial institution like eTranzact to expand SimplePay's product offering. This service is just the first of many exciting projects we are doing with eTranzact,” said S i m e o n O n o n o b i , S i m p l e Pa y Founder.

eTranzact's PocketMoni is a mobile money solution designed to allow users conduct financial transactions anytime, anywhere, from their phone. With PocketMoni, your phone is now your bank and your m o b i l e p h o n e n u m b e r y o u r account.

From the convenience of your desktop to the palm of your hand, SimplePay has simplified the lives of thousands of connected Nigerians by eliminating physical cash from financial transactions.

With this synergy, both platforms are positioned to serve the customer better which is the main goal of the collaboration.

On his part, Ike Eze, Executive

Director, Strategy and Corporate D e v e l o p m e n t a t e T r a n z a c t International PLC and Head of PocketMoni said, “We are happy to finally bring this collaboration to the marketplace. Our key goal with payments and mobile money is to leverage on technology to make p a y m e n t s e a s i e r , a n d o u r collaboration with SimplePay will enable us do this.”

SimplePay and PocketMoni users can immediately start enjoying the benefits of this service.

SimplePay, eTranzact CompleteMobile Money Integration

N


obile Network Operator, Tigo has entered i n t o a par tnership with wor ld-c l a s s

Communications technology and services provider, Ericsson, to help manage and improve its network quality and service delivery.

The strategic deal will enable Tigo

extend its footprint nationwide and

ensure customer satisfaction by

delivering superior network quality

using Ericsson's state-of-the-art

technology and experience.

In a recent interview with the CEO of

Tigo Ghana about its overhead fibre

project in Bogoso in the Western

region, Roshi Motman, touted

Ericsson's capability and capacity

saying: “Ericsson is recognized

world-wide for their extensive

e x p e r i e n c e i n a d v i s i n g a n d

supporting telecom operators to

s e c u r e n e t w o r k q u a l i t y a n d

improved efficiency. Tigo Ghana is

going to leverage on their expertise

to offer our customers a reliable and

seamless network experience”.

She explained that although like

other telecom companies the

network is core to their operations,

companies like Ericsson are market

l e a d e r s a n d r e n o w n e d f o r

telecommunications services.

She believes the partnership will

give Tigo Ghana the opportunity to

f o c u s o n d e l i v e r i n g q u a l i t y

experience for its customers and

managing the network.

“It will also guarantee network

quality and optimisation which is

crucial for customer experience”

Roshi emphasised. Ericsson will

manage a l l maintenance and

operations of Tigo Ghana's active

network among others.

Tigo Ghana partners with Ericssonto improve on network quality

M


Pan African bank,

United Bank for

Africa Plc (UBA) has

i n t r o d u c e d

transaction alerts

a n d d i r e c t

messages for its

customers via its twitter handle. The

service is available in all 18 African

countries, where the bank is present.

The service is an innovative first from

the pan-African bank and remains

the only bank in Africa to offer such a

package.

Speaking on the service, UBA's

Director, Information Technology,

Rasheed Adegoke, said “What we

have done is take social media

banking to a new level. Twitter is

increasingly becoming a popular

means of communication especially

among the young adults.”

“As a highly innovative bank, we are

giving the Millennials, who are

increasingly banking with us an

option to get transaction alerts on

their preferred platform,” he added.

Ad e g o k e a l s o i n d i c a te d t h a t

previously, customers can only

receive transaction alerts as text

messages to their mobile phones

and as e-mails.

Accordingly, the UBA Twitter

Notification Service will not replace

the current SMS alerts system in

place for all of the bank's customers,

but will complement it for added

convenience for all those who

subscribe to the service.

UBA customers seeking to receive

twitter powered transaction alerts

to their twitter account should visit

the UBA Group website or the UBA

twitter page to register.

O n t h e U B A G r o u p w e b s i t e ,

customers will be requested to click

on the Twitter notification service

page, and enter their account

number then click on submit. Follow

the displayed instructions to log into

their personal account and enable

a c c e s s . O n c e t h i s p r o c e s s i s

completed, the customer will start

receiving transaction alerts securely.

The alerts will only be seen by the

receiver, since it goes into his or her

direct message box, just like an SMS

message going to a phone.

The introduction of this service

reinforces UBA's growing presence

and engagement with its numerous

customers on social media. UBA has

been acknowledged as one of

Nigeria's leading banks in the social

media space.

In February 2014, a social media

report by Alder Consulting ranked

the bank among the top three, in

effective use of social media in

Nigeria. UBA is active on Twitter,

Facebook, Youtube, Instagram and

Google plus and runs a corporate

blog.

UBA Launches Twitter Alert Service n 18 African Countries

P


Showcasing Nigeria's ICTSector at ITU Telecom World


Omobola Johnson, Minister of Communication Technology,Nigeria at the ITU Telecom

ate last year's ITU Telecom World 2014 (7th-10th December) w i t h t h e t h e m e “Future in Focus” held in Doha might have come and gone but

potential investors, participants and delegates will not forget in a hurry the impact of Nigeria's ICT sector growth and success stories that reverberated at the four day event.

The Minister of Communication Technology, Dr Omobola Johnson who led the Nigerian delegation to the forum seized every opportunity to outline, highlight and showcase N iger ia's IC T sec tor 's growth trajectory and great investment potentials to discerning investors looking for where to invest. Present at the event where investors and p a r t n e r s – s u c h a s t e l e c o m s operators like MTN, Etisalat, and Airtel. Indigenous companies that are expanding both within the country and into regional markets - such as MainOne and Zinox and Government agencies like-the N i g e r i a C o m m u n i c a t i o n s Commission (NCC), the Universal

Service Provision Fund (USPF), the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), and t h e N i g e r i a B r o a d c a s t i n g Commission (NBC) on hand to provide exper t guidance and support to investors desirous of investing in Nigeria.

Nigeria, she stressed, presents a large and diverse market for discerning operators to come in to invest. She urged investors that are already cognisant of Nigeria's ICT sector's potentials to continue to invest and called on others standing outside looking in and yet to invest because they consider Nigeria to be chaotic, unstable and uncertain to come in and invest. Dr Johnson unveiled Nigeria to the global community as the most populous country and biggest economy in Africa- currently taking concrete steps to diversify her e c o n o m y w i t h c l e a r r e s u l t s becoming noticeable in key non-oil sectors such as Agriculture, Power, Manufacturing and IC Ts. The Minister added that with the clear growth path of Nigeria, it comes as no surprise that Nigeria remains one of the top three destinations for

foreign direct investments (FDI) in Africa. In fact, Nigeria has attracted the most FDI capital and the second most FDI projects in Sub-Saharan Africa.

She reiterated that the increasingly diversified nature of Nigeria's e c o n o m y i s r e fl e c t e d i n t h e increasingly diversified nature of investments coming into the country. Within 2007 till 2013, Nigeria recorded more than 50% FDI c a p i t a l i nve s te d i n to c a p i t a l intensive resource sectors, while 50% of FDI projects are service o r i e n t e d – w i t h t h e t e l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n s s e c t o r e x p e r i e n c i n g s t r o n g g r o w t h attracting 24% of FDI projects.

The newly elected Secretary General of the ITU, Mr Houlin Zhao who was o n h a n d to s u p p o r t N i g e r i a , commended Nigeria's ICT sector growth. Zhao eulogised Nigeria on its Broadband policy initiatives and successes recorded in the ICT sector. He particularly singled out Nigeria deploying 4G for commercial services- a feat that he stressed had

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Dr. Eugene Juwah,Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigeria Telecommunications Commission (NCC)

put the country ahead of much of Europe and China.The EVC of NCC, Dr Eugene Juwah also highlighted Nigeria's IC T growth reiterating that Nigeria has witnessed phenomenal growth in subscriber numbers- achieving almost 100% teledensity ratio with a c t i v e s u b s c r i b e r n u m b e r s e x c e e d i n g 1 3 4 m i l l i o n . H e e m p h a s i s e d t h a t P r e s i d e n t , Goodluck Jonathan has approved a n i n c l u s i v e n a t i o n a l implementation plan to enable nationwide pervasive broadband deployment. He added that the Open Access Model that is being a d o p t e d b y t h e N i g e r i a n Government allows for inclusive, fair and transparent licensing processes as well as incentives for investors in the ICT industry.

An Investment Forum was also held at the ITU to showcase Nigeria's ICT growth and success stories of investors that are already investing in Nigeria. Dr Johnson updated participants at the ITU Telecom Wo r l d w i t h t h e p o l i c i e s a n d initiatives that have been unveiled by the Ministr y to accelerate Nigeria's transformation into a digital economy leveraging ICTs. O n e o f s u c h i s t h e N a t i o n a l Broadband Plan which is currently being implemented with the goal of increasing broadband penetration rate from 6% to 30% by 2018. Immediate opportunities that exist at both the Federal and State levels with respect to the roll-out of broadband infrastructure at the metro-level and last-mile were also highlighted. Other opportunities in the service sectors that rely and/or are influenced by communications infrastructure – such as financial services, consumer products and eCommerce, tourism and business services was presented at the investors forum.

Dr Johnson stressed that the Policy Focus and Priority of the Nigerian Government in increasing adoption of ICT tools by the population and increasing local participation in relevant sub-sectors of the ICT i n d u s t r y i s e n a b l i n g t h e development of other key sectors of the Nigerian economy. Shedding light on market Indicators in Nigeria,

Dr Johnson disclosed that consumer spending in 2010 was US$115bn; projected to increase to US$167bn by 2020, PC penetration of 4.5%- with four PC assembly plants currently in the country; producing an average total of 130,000units. She also disclosed that of all PCs sold in N i g e r i a i n 2 0 1 1 , 3 0 % w e r e assembled and manufactured in the country, though all mobile phones used in Nigeria are imported. This scenario she highlighted presents opportunities for entities active in the assembly and manufacturing of personal computers, laptops and mobile devices (tablets, phones etc.) and those operating in the after-sales support category as well as entities operating in the Original Design Manufacturer (ODM) facility setup space.

Painting a great picture of Nigeria's potentials, Dr Johnson informed participants that of all the African markets, investors believe Nigeria offers the best overall prospect for investment returns over the next 3 years- She added that FDI projects in West Africa grew at a CAGR of 27.7% bet ween 2007 and 2013, the strongest growth on the continent and Nigeria in addition is the gateway to regional West African market (ECOWAS) with 15 West African countries- these 15 member countries of the ECOWAS have a population in excess of 300 million, with Nigeria alone accounting for more than half at 60%. Nigeria also accounts for about 71 % of ECOWAS GDP and over 50% of the region's manufacturing capacity. B a c k a t t h e h o m e f ro n t , s h e disclosed that Nigeria's ICT Sectorial contribution to GDP in 2013 was 10.44 % and currently 9.58% in real terms for Q3, 2014. These indicators are clear testimonies that should attract investors into the country's ICT sector.

In a Presentation titled '' Spotlight on Nigeria's Investment Opportunities and Success Stories”, at the Investors Forum, Dr Johnson shared success stories of companies like - IHS Towers- a Nigerian and African Telecoms success story and one of the most attractive asset backed infrastructure business in the telecom sector. IHS is accelerating a

mobile enabled economy-through mobile infrastructure. The company founded in 2001 in Lagos, Nigeria; is now operating in five markets: Nigeria, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Rwanda and Zambia. IHS manages over 21,000 towers with 14,500 in Nigeria. Through its recent 9,151 mobile tower deal with MTN in Nigeria, IHS is now No1 in Africa, No1 in EMEA and Top 10 in the World. IHS i n 2 0 1 4 , s u c c e s s f u l l y r a i s e d US$2.6bn in debt and equity bringing the total capital raised by IHS since 2012 to US$4.5bn.

IHS employs 1000 people currently with 80% of them engineers and over 2/3rds from Africa. Its recent expansion has led to the creation of up to 40,000 jobs through sub-contracting and the establishment of new related entities. IHS is a bold, profitable and innovative business committed to the highest quality service – uptimes in excess of 99% are market leading. Over 350,000 towers needed to meet demand across Africa- thus seeking the best energy efficient technologies. The company plans to add additional 2,000 Towers yearly to further Nigerian National Broadband Plan 2013 – 2018 targets. Its Capex investments in New Gen DCDGs, Solar energy, Hybrid solutions have brought in a 25% reduction of diesel consumption along with reduced carbon emission.

A n o t h e r g r e a t s u c c e s s s t o r y highlighted by Dr Johnson is Konga-launched in July 2012 with eight (8) staff members. Konga received over $ 1 5 m i l l i o n i n f u n d i n g f r o m investors including Naspers and Kinnivik and by the fourth quarter of 2013, moved into a 11,000 sq. meter warehouse and fulfilment centre. In less than 3 years, the company has built an operation that leads the market in customer satisfaction, m e r c h a n d i s e s h i p p e d a n d innovation.Today Konga has offices in Lagos, hubs in South Africa and China; with warehouses and d ist r ibut ion centres all over Nigeria. In the fourth quarter of 2014, Konga opened a software engineering centre with 1 0 0 e n g i n e e r s f o c u s e d o n developing software services and applications that will be used in-


house.Konga is growing extremely quickly, 11X in its first year of operations and 4.5X in the second year.

Konga.com now employs over 700 individuals and delivers orders across the whole of Nigeria – to every state. It opened Seller HQ - Konga's Marketplace Platform – in April 2014. It allows business owners to display and sell their items on Konga.com. Seller HQ's growth has been rapid with "marketplace" derived orders now accounting for over 50% of sales. Tens of thousands of sellers are registered and trading on the site today. Konga recorded spectacular figures for 2014's “Black Friday” sales and a 1440% year-on-year revenue increase. It processed N50 Million ($ 272,000) worth of orders every HOUR and grossed about N600 Million ($ 3.5 Million) in revenues over a two day sale period. 100,000 items processed; 500 % more items sold in two days than in all of 2012.

Soon after the Investors Forum, Dr Johnson was in a panel session titled ''A Regulators Nightmare'' where she emphasised the commitment of the Federal Government to providing an enabling environment that will transform Nigeria into a digital economy.

She informed other panellists and participants that there were four

things that keep her team awake at night. One is the need to balance intervention with market forces, second-is trying to build a digital economy in a scenario where the t e l c o s a r e c u r r e n t l y o n l y concentrating in the big cities and third- is achieving balance within all aspects of the spectrum, while the fourth – is deciding who is best placed to regulate mobile money / digital currency.

Dr Johnson emphasised that in a d d r e s s i n g t h e ' R e g u l a t o r s nightmare,' Regulators need to participate in the entire ecosystem of the telecommunications industry, in order to keep up. This is crucial, e s p e c i a l l y i n a t e l e c o m s environment where according to the I T U - m a r k e t i n n o v a t i o n i s s ignificantly outpacing policy creation- no doubt a recipe for the regulators Nightmare'.

The panellists in their different submissions agreed with Dr Johnson that the solution to addressing the Regulators Nightmare is for there to be a balance between intervention and market forces.

Balance and collaboration were key words that Dr Johnson kept bringing up as effective keys to tackle the regulators nightmare. According to Johnson “str ik ing the balance b e t we e n ove r re g u l a t i o n a n d flexibility, is crucial for the ecosystem

to live and develop.”

Other panellists like Dr. Ali Jazairy, H e a d o f I n n o v a t i o n a n d Technology Transfer Section at the Wo r l d I nte l l e c t u a l Pro p e r t y Organization (WIPO), Mr. Christian Salbaing, Deputy Chairman of Hutchison Whampoa Europe L imited, M r. Er ic Loeb, Vice President of International External Affairs at AT&T and in their different submissions agreed with Dr Johnson that strong collaborations within the entire ICT ecosystem was crucial to addressing 'The R e g u l a t o r s N i g h t m a r e ' T h e moderator of the session, Mr. Andy H a i r e , P r i n c i p a l a t A J H Communications, effectively steered the panel discussions to bring out solutions from the panellists that going forward will address the nightmare faced by

regulators.

The panel session ended with all the p a n e l l i s t s a g r e e i n g t h a t 'collaboration, balance, stakeholder engagements across government ministries, embracing innovation and new skill sets and flexibility across the entire ecosystem was crucial to addressing the regulators nightmare.

The ITU Telecom World 2014 after d a y s o f i n t e n s i v e d e b a t e s , d i s c u s s i o n s a n d n e t w o r k i n g presented Nigeria with a veritable platform to highlight it's strength despite its challenges as well as the phenomenal growth being recorded in the ICT sector. This growth was validated by the New Secretary Gen and no doubt investors present at the Forum were struck by the consistent growth recorded in the sector and would surely scale up their investments i f they are currently investing or decide to invest if they were undecided before. The FDI which currently stands at $32b will no doubt increase as the policies and enabling environment created by the Nigerian Government is sustained and as ICTs continue to faci l i tate the socio economic d e v e l o p m e n t o f t h e N i g e r i a Government.

Tony Ojobo, Director Public Affairs, Ms Josephine Amuwa, Director, Policy Competition & Economic Analysis,Dr. Eugene Juwah, Executive Vice Chairman, all of NCC, Mike Ikpoki, CEO, MTN Nigeria

and Iyabo Solake, Director of Finance at NCC



Omobola Johnson, Minister of Communication Technology,Nigeria present a gift to Dr Hamadoun I. Touré,out-going Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union

In the middle is Mr.Tony Ojobo, Director Public Affairs,Nigerian Communications Commission

36www.mobileworldmag.com 35www.mobileworldmag.com

Mrs. Nnena Ukoha,Head, International Affairs, Nigerian CommunicationsCommission

Nigerian Ambassador to Qatar, Ambassador Shuaibu Ahmed, Dr.TunjiOlaopa, Permanent Secretary, Omobola Johnson, Minister of

Communication Technology, Dr. Eugene Juwah,Executive ViceChairman, NCC and Stanley Jegede, CEO of Phase3Telecom

Mr. Yusuf Kazaure, MDCEO, Galaxy Backbone Houlin Zhao,Secretary-General, ITU


Osondu Nwokoro,Director of Regulatory Affairs and SpecialProjects, Airtel Nigeria and Nigerian Ambassador to Qatar,

Ambassador Shuaibu Ahmed

Omobola Johnson, Minister of Communication Technology,Nigeriapresent a talking drum to current Houlin Zhao,Secretary-General of

the ITU

Head, Public Relations, Chineze Amanfo and Ibrahim Dikko, Director, Regulatory Affairs, Etisalat Nigeria

Mr.Tony Ojobo, Director Public Affairs, Mrs. Iyabo Solanke,Director of Finance , Mrs Maryam Bayi, Director, Consumer Protection

Bureau all of NCC

Dr Hamadoun I. Touré, out-going Secretary-General of theInternational Telecommunication Union (ITU)

Ms Josephine Amuwa, Director, Policy Competition & EconomicAnalysis,NCC


he Ghana Chamber o f Telecommunications (GCT) has welcomed the government's d i r e c t i v e t h a t

contractors should regularly engage t e l e c o m c o m p a n i e s b e f o r e embarking on any road work in the country. The novelty directive, which was recently issued by the Minister of Roads and Highways, Alhaji Inusah Fuseini, aims to put an end to the incessant fibre cuts, a setback that is costing local mobile network operators millions of Cedis. In furtherance to this, the ministry, he said planned to establish a standing technical committee (STC) to deal with the incidents of fibre cuts in the West African country.

The proposed STC, Alhaji Fuseini noted, would serve as an advisory body to guide and identify cable and fi b re m a r k i n g s b e fo re a c t u a l construction begins. Commenting on the development, the Research

a n d C o m m u n i c a t i o n s Manager at the Ghana C h a m b e r o f Te l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n s , Derek Barnabas Laryea stated that, "The chamber h a s n o t s t u d i e d t h e directive, but in general, b u i l d i n g r o a d s i n consultation with telcos is a fantastic idea.”

He indicated that if the directive was adhered to r e l i g i o u s l y b y t h e stakeholders i t would reduce fibre cuts in the country drastically.

On his part, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, Minister of Communications said, "Fiber cuts cut people in communities and cities off the telecommunications super highway depriving them of vital services.

"This is why following an inter-ministerial meeting, including the National Security, government enhanced cooperation among s t a k e h o l d e r s f o r t h e implementation of the Right of way policy".

He added that, "Telcos have also been urged to report all cases of fiber cuts to the nearest police station. The fibre does not contain copper, as the criminals think. Copper cable technology is not popular now.”

The minister also assured telecom service providers in the country that the government would continue to intensify the fight against fiber cuts and urged telcos to invest in technologies that allow for minimal interference.

The telecoms chamber revealed that 1,370 fibre cuts were recorded nationwide within the six-month

period beginning January, 2014, which appeared to overtake the incidents recorded in the past three years.

There were at least 2,302 fibre optic cable cuts experienced by the telecom service providers in 2013, a rise from 1,605 and 480 cuts in 2012 and 2011 respectively.

According to Laryea, repairing the cuts was costly, saying "It costs an average of GHc17,253 to repair a cut". He, therefore, explained that millions of cedis which would have gone to networks expansion or upgrading was rather spent on fibre optic cable repairs.

MTN, Vodafone, Glo and Expresso have their own fibre optic back bones, while Airtel and Tigo use privately owned fibre owned by MainOne. A number of these cuts h a v e b e e n t r a c e d t o r o a d construction, excavation by utility c o m p a n i e s , o u t d o o r s i g n companies, theft and the National P e t r o l e u m A u t h o r i t y ( N PA ) approved activities.

Fibre cables are cables containing one or more optical fibres that are used to carry light. The optical fibre elements are typically individually coated with plastic layers and contained in a protective tube suitable for the environment where the cable will be deployed.

Different types of cable are used for different applications, for example long distance telecom, or providing a high-speed data connection b e t we e n d i ffe re n t p a r t s o f a building. Thousands of channels can be multiplexed together over one strand of fibre. The fibre optic n e t w o r k h a s f o r m e d a v e r y important part of the transmission n e t w o r k o f e v e r y m o d e r n t e l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n s e r v i c e provider.

Telcos in Ghana Welcome New Directiveto Minimise Fibre Cuts

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Mobile World - issue 48 | 2015

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