Telecom
GSMA to Expand Remit of Humanitarian Connectivity Charter
Mats Granryd, GSMA director general has outlined the GSMA’s commitment to expanding the footprint of its Humanitarian Connectivity Charter.
In his remarks at World Humanitarian Summit, Granryd highlighted that the GSMA will offer expertise in mobile money and disaster preparedness and response to help address the opportunities and challenges of mobile cash disbursements in disaster-prone countries.
“The humanitarian crises facing our global community today are unprecedented and the unique scale and reach of mobile networks can help meet the challenges faced by humanitarian responders,” said Granryd.
“The GSMA is committed to building on the momentum of the Humanitarian Connectivity Charter, now covering over 50 countries, and through this we will help to address the opportunities and challenges of mobile cash disbursements in disaster-prone countries.”
The Humanitarian Connectivity Charter, an initiative launched by the GSMA at Mobile World Congress 2015, unites the industry under a set of principles that aim to harness the power of mobile technology to support people affected by humanitarian emergencies.
The Charter is also supported by the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance, the Emergency Telecommunications Cluster, the International Federation of the Red Cross and most recently by the International Committee of the Red Cross.
The principles of the Charter focus on enhanced coordination, standardised preparedness and response activities and strengthened partnerships between industry, government and humanitarian organisations.
Also at the summit, Turkcell, the largest operator in Turkey, became the latest mobile operator to commit to the Charter principles, in a joint signing ceremony attended by Turkcell CEO Kaan Terzioğlu and Lawrence Yanovitch, President of the GSMA Foundation. Turkcell’s commitment to the Charter builds on their leadership in supporting refugees and developing comprehensive disaster management plans. Turkcell joins recent signatories to the Charter including Millicom, Telefónica and Zain with the full signatory group now comprising over 60 operators.
Granryd added, “We are delighted that Turkcell has signed the Humanitarian Connectivity Charter, committing to implement common principles that will improve access to communication and information during times of crisis. The challenge before us is enormous and we must work in close collaboration, leveraging technology and building sustainable partnerships to reduce suffering and preserving the dignity of those affected by crisis.”
In emergencies, communication is critical; access to mobile networks can be a matter of life and death. The collective work of the Humanitarian Connectivity Charter signatories is focused on enabling better-prepared and more resilient networks and facilitating more effective coordination with government and humanitarian response agencies.
Granryd concluded, “Our work with mobile operators supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to build resilient infrastructure and make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. When the mobile network is restored, the human network is restored.”
Telecom
NCC Advises Subscribers to Opt for Strong Passwords to Beat Hackers
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has advised telecommunications subscribers to opt for strong passwords to prevent unauthorized access to their mobile devices.
In a recent update on its official Facebook page, the NCC focused on how cyber-attacks could be prevented, emphasizing the importance of creating strong passwords to safeguard online accounts
The Commission urged subscribers to ensure that they have a password to log in securely.
The NCC wrote on its official Facebook page, “Protect your online accounts (such as banks and digital media) by using strong and complex passwords.”
It believes that by opting for strong passwords, individuals could defend themselves against cyber attacks.
Telecom
Starlink Users in SA to be Cut Off April 30
Starlink users in South Africa are facing a major setback as the satellite internet service provider has issued a warning that their services will be terminated by the end of the month.
In an email sent to many South African users, Starlink stated that their internet access will cease on April 30 due to violation of its terms and conditions.
The email emphasized that using Starlink kits outside of designated areas, as indicated on the Starlink Availability Map, is against their terms. Consequently, users will only be able to access their Starlink account for updates after the termination.
Starlink, a company owned by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, operates a fleet of low earth orbit satellites that offer high-speed internet globally. Despite its potential to revolutionize connectivity, Starlink has been unable to obtain a license to operate in South Africa from the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa).
Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) requirements mandate that any applicant must have 30% ownership from historically disadvantaged groups to be considered for a license.
However, many in South Africa resorted to creative methods to access Starlink services, including purchasing roaming packages from countries where Starlink is licensed.
However, ICASA. clarified in a government gazette last November that using Starlink in this manner is illegal.
Additionally, Starlink itself stated in the recent email to users that the ‘Mobile – Regional’ plans are meant for temporary travel and transit, not permanent use in a location. Continuous use of these plans outside the country where service was ordered will result in service restriction.
Starlink advised those interested in making its services available in their region to contact local authorities.
Telecom
9mobile Clinches 2 Trophies at the Prestigious SABRE Awards 2024
Organizers of the SABRE awards have adjudged 9mobile winner in two distinct categories – The SABRE Award for Superior Achievement in Reputation Management and Special Event/Sponsorship based on the telco’s innovative and transformative campaign titled The Hack, Expand Your Hustle.
The SABRE Awards, organized by PRovoke Media, is the world’s most prestigious Public Relations awards programme dedicated to benchmarking the best PR works across the globe.
It recognizes exceptional campaigns, by brands, and agencies that exhibit the highest levels of strategic planning, creativity, integrity, effectiveness, and business results across Europe, North America, Asia and Africa.
9mobile carted home these awards based on its recognition of the importance of SMEs in driving the economic growth of Nigeria, thus positioning itself as an SME-friendly company to support their development and success to thrive and scale their businesses.
This drive to see SMEs succeed led the telco to launch a novel entrepreneurship programme – The Hack, an Enterprise Business Growth Series designed to empower entrepreneurs by giving them the knowledge, technology, and access to the market required to help them grow, with imprints in various Nigerian cities and university campuses.
With the Hack, 9mobile showed the endless opportunities in the SME sector while addressing challenges that business owners confront, assisting them in expanding their enterprises and overcoming obstacles, taking them through the hacks the SMEs need for business growth.
Expressing her delight at this global recognition, Saidat Lawal Mohammed, Director, Marketing Communications said: “It gives us great joy to see our work recognized by such a prestigious and globally respected organization such as PRovoke Media, organizers of the SABRE Awards.
“We know that this is a highly sought-after award and based on other projects we beat to clinch these awards, we are super delighted to be recognized on a global stage. What is key for us are the results we achieved and the impact we made which has served as an elevation for this recognition”, she said.
She went on to thank the management of 9mobile for their support of the Hack initiative, and the marketing communications team for the synergy in driving the campaign.
Lawal Mohammed affirmed that through this project, 9mobile burnished its reputation as Nigeria’s SME friendly telecommunications company, adding that “in the end we reached over 23.7 million people online, had over 20,000 knowledge participants, 382 entrepreneurs exhibit and over N10 million in Grants to budding entrepreneurs. The journey of the Hack has been fun and equally impactful”.
The SABRE Awards for Superior Achievement in Reputation Management recognizes public relations work that has played a central role in corporate strategy, positioning and messaging.
In its submissions 9mobile demonstrated that its PR professionals took a lead role in creating and developing a corporate reputation platform and explain how that platform shifted perceptions, built stronger stakeholders’ relationships, and ultimately contributed to corporate performance.
The Special Event/Sponsorship category recognizes the creative spark and execution by brands and agencies in how to bring to life their ideas and strategy and propel their campaigns into the target audience consciousness, raising brand exposure and providing a competitive advantage.
9mobile had previously won Certificates of Excellence under the Corporate Social Responsibility category for its Health Talk Series and Health Workers Appreciation as well as Future CEO Initiative under the Technology category.
The 2024 Awards for Superior Achievement in Branding Reputation and Engagement (SABRE) will be held on May 16 in Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire, on the sidelines of the annual Conference of the African Public Relations Association (APRA).
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