Telecom
Starcomms Rings in Jos, Bauchi
Starcomms Plc, Nigeria leading triple-play operator during the yuletide extended its network coverage to Jos and Bauchi providing the cities with the company’s same unrivaled mobile, fixed wireless voice, wireless broadband services .
The addition of the two neighboring capitals of Plateau and Bauchi states to the network of Starcomms is in fulfillment of its commitment to extending its services to more cities in the country before the close this year.
Starcomms subscribers in these two cities and their surrounding towns and villages are now enjoying the various services offered by Starcomms like Mobile lines, fixed lines and 1x CDMA data services. As part of the launch offer, Starcomms is also treating them to a rare package of two naira N2 on-net tariff for the next three months for subscribers on the fixed lines TalkEASY tariff plan. Therefore both new and existing subscribers on this plan in the two cities will enjoy the special tariff. The promo tariff is for limited period and after the promo is over the subscribers would move back to regular Starcomms.
This promo offer of N2/min to call any Starcomms lines would also be available for fixed line subscribers in Katsina & Ilorin.
Bauchi and Jos subscribers of Starcomms also have access to value-added services like the missed call notification and the call waiting service, a unique facility which allows a subscriber to make two concurrent conversations with two people at intervals without dropping the line.
Starcomms Afritalk service is another new offering of Starcomms to help Starcomms subscribers in the cities to foster relationships among other Starcomms phone users whose personal traits align with theirs. The service will enable customers to relate by voice with people who are not on their phone lists and so extend their span of influence.
The Starcomms Social Networking service, a platform for Starcomms subscribers to connect to networking sites, Facebook and Twitter, is also available in the two cities. This is in addition to faith-based Starcomms services of Listen to the Bible and Listen-to-Quran, which are first of their kind in Nigeria. The Starcomms Listen-to-the-Bible and Listen-to-Quran services enables subscribers to make use of their Starcomms phones for spiritual lifting without having to carry the holy books around.
Starcomms introduction to Jos is also accompanied by the Smart Centre, an innovative concept that has changed the face of pay phone business in Nigeria by empowering operators. It provides more profit and more opportunity for them.
Speaking about the launch of the network in the two cities, the CEO of Starcomms, Maher Qubain said that the move is a fresh step toward the overall objective of the company to enhance livelihoods; build capacity and enable economic growth for all Nigerians in all the areas of its coverage.
“We are committed to bringing innovative and affordable telecommunication solutions to all the cities under our network. Our subscribers in the Jos and bauch will get value for their money, through quality signals and good customer relations that will meet all their communication needs,” he said
Also, Tushar Maheshwari, the Chief Commercial Officer of Starcomms, said: “To drive our services in Jos and Bauchi, Starcomms is making available devices of world class quality & brands, which our subscribers have been enjoying in other Nigerian cities for both their voice and data subscription. The goal of Starcomms is to ensure that our subscribers in the Jos and Bauchi area get the best from Starcomms network for their business and pleasure”
Nigeria has exactly 156,662 active fixed wired internet subscriptions as of mid-2026.
This is a tiny fraction compared to mobile GSM networks, which dominate the market with over 154 million subscribers.
The fixed wired market primarily consists of homes and offices using direct physical cables like fiber optics.
Fixed wired services use physical cables, like glass fiber or copper wire, to bring internet directly into a building.
It is like a dedicated, private water pipe for your home. It provides very fast speeds, unlimited data, and is reliable.
In contrast, mobile GSM uses radio waves transmitted from tall towers to phones, acting more like a sprinkler that sprays a signal across an entire neighborhood.
Because laying physical cables across cities is expensive and hard to do, these subscriptions are very rare.
However, the market has seen recent growth, driven largely by Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) services.
The top players are: MTN FibreX with 110,564 subscribers, which is roughly 88.7 per cent of the entire market.
SWIFTNG accounts for about 13,945 connections.
The others are ipNX and 21st Century Technologies which make up the number.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says it is intensifying efforts to implement Nigeria’s planned 112 national emergency number following its approval by the National Economic Council (NEC).
NCC
The commission disclosed this during a meeting between Vice President Kashim Shettima and an NCC delegation led by the Chairman of its Governing Board, Chief Idris Ibikunle Olorunnimbe, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Briefing the Vice President, Olorunnimbe said the NCC had already established about 35 Emergency Communications Centres (ECCs) across the country to support a unified national emergency response system.
He said the next phase of implementation would focus on closer collaboration with state governments and emergency response agencies to ensure the effective rollout of the initiative.
The development follows the recent approval by the NEC, chaired by the Vice President, for the adoption of 112 as Nigeria’s single national emergency number across all tiers of government and emergency response agencies.
The council also approved the establishment of a multi-agency implementation committee to be jointly coordinated by the Office of the Vice President and the NCC.
Olorunnimbe stressed that the success of the initiative would depend on the commitment of state governments to support and maintain emergency communications infrastructure, as well as the readiness of response agencies to promptly attend to distress calls.
“We need commitment at every level of all response agencies—from top to bottom—including the Nigeria Police Force, ambulance services across the states and, at the national level, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA),” he said.
Responding, Shettima directed the NCC to develop a comprehensive roadmap for the nationwide implementation of the single emergency number in line with international best practices.
He also urged the commission to work closely with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), citing the agency’s experience in disaster management, relief and rehabilitation.
The Vice President assured the commission of the Federal Government’s commitment to sustaining the initiative, saying funding would be mobilised through the National Economic Council and partnerships with the private sector.
He also called for greater dedication from all emergency response agencies to ensure the success of the programme.
The adoption of 112 is expected to harmonise emergency communications across Nigeria by providing a single number through which citizens can quickly access police, fire, ambulance and other emergency services.
The initiative is also expected to replace multiple emergency contact numbers currently in use and improve coordination and response during emergencies.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said that it was strengthening collaboration with state governments and industry players to develop a transparent, cost-based pricing framework for sharing telecom ducts as part of efforts to speed up broadband expansion across Nigeria.
Ayuba Shuaibu, director of Policy, Competition and Economic Analysis, NCC, disclosed this at the Stakeholders’ Forum in Abuja.
Shuaibu said the initiative was designed to build consensus among all parties.
“The primary purpose of this forum is to ensure seamless synergy between the Commission and all stakeholders,” he said.
The director said the consultation was prompted by longstanding complaints over permits, levies and other charges imposed by different levels of government.
He said bringing together state commissioners, telecom operators, tower companies and representatives of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum had helped improve understanding of the issues.
“This engagement is a work in progress. We expect more input from stakeholders before presenting the outcome to the Nigeria Governors’ Forum,” he added.
Dr Helen Adeneye, commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology, Kogi State. welcomed the consultation, saying Nigeria needs a harmonised policy that clearly defines the responsibilities of both the federal and state governments.
“We need a harmonised policy that allows states to collaborate better with telecom operators and creates a more business-friendly environment,” she said.
Dr Adeneye added that adopting the Dig-Once policy would establish a uniform pricing system and help resolve disputes over charges for telecom infrastructure deployment.
Chidi Ajuzie, chief executive officer, WTES Projects Limited, whose firm is conducting the consultancy study, said the proposed framework would introduce a common cost structure for duct sharing to support broadband investment and economic growth.
“The study is designed to create a uniform pricing model that will drive broadband growth, economic development and wider adoption across the country,” he said.
Ajuzie explained that the consultants had developed preliminary floor and ceiling prices to guide operators while allowing flexibility within the approved range.
He added that the recommendations remain open to industry input before the NCC finalises the framework.
The Dig-Once Policy is designed to reduce the cost and disruption of deploying broadband infrastructure by requiring fibre ducts to be installed whenever roads are constructed or rehabilitated.
The NCC is developing a cost-based pricing framework for sharing these ducts to promote fair pricing, reduce duplication of infrastructure and encourage investment.
The proposed model is expected to support the Federal Government’s broadband expansion targets while improving collaboration between telecom operators and state governments.
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