Telecom
ICT SMEs Are Vital for Socioeconomic Growth- ITU
ICT-enabled entrepreneurs and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have a particularly relevant role in ensuring economic growth in a sustainable and inclusive manner, Houlin Zhao, ITU secretary-general said in a blog post.
They are involved in the development of innovative ICT-enabled solutions with a unique potential to make a long-lasting impact in global, regional and national economies.
In recognition of this, the theme for World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) 2016 was ‘ICT entrepreneurship for social impact’.
In his keynote address, Michael Moeller, director general, United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG), highlighted that “Entrepreneurship can change and shape the future by maximizing the social impact of ICTs.”
The event in Geneva brought together company founders, social innovators and members of the international community to explore recommendations for private and public actors to better inform their interventions to support small business development.
The dynamic panel included: Katherine Milligan, Director, Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship; Candace Johnson, President, EBAN; Whurley, Co-Founder and CEO, Honest Dollar; Marcos Vaena, Chief of Enterprises and Competitiveness, ITC, and Houlin Zhao, Secretary-General, ITU.
Social Impact
The panel noted that technology is an equalizer and enabler of opportunities, especially when building a sustainable business in developing markets.
For example, Africa’s e-commerce market is projected to reach USD52 billion by 2018, up from USD8 billion in 2013.
This growth will not happen on its own: entrepreneurs need to have access to the right tools and information to fully leverage the growing international e-commerce market.
As Marcus Vaena noted: It’s really access to information, to knowledge, to understand not only what is on the front end of an e commerce operation, but what lies behind. A lot of it is business as usual, but there are some specific issues related to electronic commerce that people still have to become familiar with, and it is the UN’s role to educate the public on how to better leverage these opportunities.
Katherine Milligan added that what is generally underappreciated is that the ICT industry has created a fabulous infrastructure to deliver social goods, more cost effectively and efficiently.
Finding the right regulatory balance isn’t easy. Over regulation can stifle innovation, while too little can have drastic implications for domestic markets and local economies.
The panel noted that while entrepreneurs often criticize regulation as being a barrier to innovation, they do not effectively engage with the policy-makers when given the opportunity, and they tend to shy away from this community instead of actively participating in discussions which could lead to regulatory reform or modifications.
From an entrepreneur’s perspective, government regulation is just another set of requirements that they have to take into account when developing their products and services, however we should encourage regulatory frameworks that enable innovation, rather than discourage it.
This was outlined by Whurley who stated that, just as he would take requirements from a customer who wants to be able to use their mobile to do X, Y, Z, then it is necessary to look at the regulations and understand that it needs to be done within a certain context. For Whurley the regulatory system is more about context, and regulations need to involve entrepreneurs who can help shape and modify policies to ensure that the bottom line – the user experience – is better.
This was echoed by Candace Johnson who acknowledged that governments alone can set policies. Governments can deregulate, but Governments do not exist to do business. Entrepreneurs on the other hand have a social contract with Governments who are depending on them to bring about social change. She emphasized that Governments need to put forth a framework that can allow entrepreneurs to be able to fulfill their mission, to thrive and do business effectively.
Taking Advantage of these Opportunities
According to ITU, the future of SMEs is very important for the ICT industry, to drive development of the sector, especially in creating demand for ICT services. We are seeing a lot of support for small businesses at the local and national levels, but they often don’t have good enough access to regional and global markets.
As highlighted by Katherine Milligan, there is hope but we also have to be realistic. The majority of people in developing countries are making $2, $3 or $5 a day.
These are incredibly risk averse customers. It is very difficult to market to them to get them to change their behaviour. It’s not on a three to five-year time frame that you are going to penetrate these markets in a big way. It requires patience and vision.
Viral rumors about a “Tesla Pi Phone” a new phone, being developed by Elon Musk, CEO and largest shareholder of Tesla and SpaceX, are entirely fake.
AI Generated Tesla Pi Phone and Elon Musk
Instead, the tech giant said on Monday it has filed an application with the US Federal Communications Commission for permission to deploy the constellation by 2028.
It said the system would provide voice, messaging, data and emergency services.
A quick fact-check revealed that Tesla Inc. has never manufactured, developed, or released a smartphone.
Videos and articles claiming a release (often priced between $150 and $800 with solar charging or satellite-only connections) rely on AI-generated concept art and recycled internet hoaxes dating back to 2021.
Musk has only mentioned a phone in hypothetical remarks, stating Tesla would build one only if major app stores completely blocked or censored essential apps like X (formerly Twitter).
On Monday however, his company said that “Amazon looks forward to delivering on the promise of D2D [direct-to-device] connectivity, including to the millions of people living, travelling and working in places beyond the reach of existing networks today,”
The filing is the first step from Amazon into satellite mobile connections, which has until now been dominated by SpaceX’s Starlink service.
Musk’s group has signed partnerships with existing operators such as T-Mobile US and the UK’s Virgin Media O2 to provide phone services for customers where their conventional networks do not reach.
Starlink operates across more than 150 countries, offering high-speed internet connections through its constellation of satellites.
Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has attributed rising mobile data consumption to increased use of smartphone applications, cloud services and emerging digital technologies.
Mr Gbenga Adebayo, chairman, ALTON
Mr Gbenga Adebayo, chairman, ALTON, disclosed this on Tuesday at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) conference in Lagos.
Adebayo said smartphones had transformed access to digital services, with many applications consuming data continuously, even when users were not actively browsing the internet.
He explained that automatic software updates, cloud backups, application synchronisation, video streaming, social media autoplay and location services significantly increased data consumption.
According to him, internet usage had changed considerably from a decade ago when consumers mainly relied on direct browsing with fewer digital applications running simultaneously.
He said growing adoption of artificial intelligence, cloud computing and other emerging technologies would further increase demand for reliable connectivity and greater network capacity.
“The evolution of smartphones has fundamentally changed how consumers access digital services, with many applications now consuming data continuously,” Adebayo said.
He stressed that digital literacy had become increasingly important because consumers needed to understand how their devices and applications consumed mobile data.
He advised subscribers to monitor application activity, adjust device settings and use built-in data management tools to better control their data consumption.
Adebayo said greater understanding of digital tools would help dispel misconceptions about data usage and strengthen public confidence in Nigeria’s telecommunications industry.
Responding to allegations that operators deliberately depleted customers’ data, Adebayo dismissed the claims, insisting telecommunications companies had no commercial incentive to engage in such practices.
He said every megabyte consumed on telecom networks was recorded through internationally standardised billing systems supplied by recognised technology vendors and regulated by authorities.
“Such a practice would be unlawful, unethical, commercially self-defeating and subject to stringent regulatory oversight by the Nigerian Communications Commission,” he said.
Adebayo explained that operators’ billing systems were designed to guarantee accuracy, transparency and verification, while genuine consumer complaints were investigated through established protection channels.
He added that the Nigerian Communications Commission’s complaint resolution mechanisms and technical audits provided consumers with credible avenues for seeking redress over billing concerns.
According to him, trust remains essential to expanding Nigeria’s digital economy because telecommunications infrastructure supported banking, healthcare, education, commerce and government services.
He said the telecommunications sector had evolved beyond basic communication services into a critical driver of productivity, investment, innovation and national economic growth.
Adebayo noted that emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, financial technology, smart manufacturing and digital agriculture, depended on resilient telecommunications infrastructure.
He said Nigeria could only maximise these opportunities through sustained collaboration among government, regulators, telecommunications operators and consumers.
Adebayo reaffirmed operators’ commitment to improving customer experience, strengthening network resilience and promoting transparency in telecommunications service delivery.
He urged stakeholders to encourage evidence-based discussions on digital services, stressing that public trust remained indispensable for the sustained growth of Nigeria’s digital economy.
(NAN)
Telecom
Galaxy Backbone Soft Launches Government Service Portal to Simplify Access to Public Services
Galaxy Backbone (GBB), in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy (FMCIDE) and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), officially conducted the soft launch of the Government Service Portal (GSP), a groundbreaking digital platform designed to transform how citizens, businesses and government institutions interact.
The event, held at the Galaxy Backbone National Shared Services Centre (NSSC) Headquarters in Abuja, brought together senior government officials, development partners, technology stakeholders and members of the media to unveil services.gov.ng—Nigeria’s new one-stop digital gateway for accessing government services.
The Government Service Portal is designed to provide a single, trusted platform through which Nigerians can easily discover, access and interact with digital services offered by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). By consolidating government services into one unified portal, the initiative aims to improve accessibility, enhance service delivery and create a more seamless citizen experience.
Speaking at the event, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Galaxy Backbone. Professor Ibrahim Adeyanju, stated that the launch represents another significant milestone in Nigeria’s digital transformation journey and reflects the Federal Government’s commitment to building a more connected, efficient, transparent and citizen-centred public service.
He emphasized that the Portal is more than a website; it is the foundation of a unified digital gateway that places the needs of citizens and businesses at the centre of government service delivery.
He further noted that while the event marks the beginning of the Portal’s journey, the soft launch provides an opportunity to onboard pioneer MDAs, gather user feedback, strengthen system integrations and continuously improve the platform ahead of a wider national rollout.
Representing key stakeholder institutions at the launch were the Deputy Director of KOICA Nigeria, Mr. Ki Yun Baik; the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy, represented by Mr. Joseph Bareiye, Director of e-Government; the Permanent Secretary, State House, represented by Mr. Oguntuyi Olusegun, Head of ICT; and the Executive Director, Digital Exploration and Technical Services, Galaxy Backbone, Olumbe Akinkugbe.
The Government Service Portal aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and supports Nigeria’s broader Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) agenda by creating a citizen-facing gateway that complements existing investments in digital identity, secure infrastructure, cloud services, cybersecurity and digital government platforms. It can be accessed using the link: services.gov.ng . The initiative is expected to strengthen public service delivery, increase transparency, improve operational efficiency and foster greater trust between government and citizens.
Galaxy Backbone reaffirmed its commitment to supporting all Ministries, Departments and Agencies in integrating their digital services into the Portal, noting that collaboration across government will be critical to building an inclusive, interoperable and efficient digital ecosystem that benefits every Nigerian.
The Government Service Portal is expected to evolve into Nigeria’s central digital gateway for public services, making government services simpler, faster and more accessible for citizens and businesses alike.
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