Telecom
Nokia 3310 is Back, Unveils 3 Other Android Smartphones

HMD Global, the home of Nokia phones, on Sunday unveiled a new generation of Nokia smartphones, setting a new standard in design, quality and user experience throughout the range.
The highly anticipated global portfolio features three new smartphones – the new Nokia 6, delivering performance and immersive entertainment in a premium and extremely robust design; Nokia 5, an elegant smartphone that fits perfectly in your hand; and Nokia 3, which delivers an unprecedented quality at an affordable price point.
The new range of Nokia smartphones all run Android™ Nougat and offer a pure, secure and up to date experience and will all feature Google Assistant. The event also saw the return of a modern classic – the iconic Nokia 3310, reborn with a modern twist on design.
The family of products announced demonstrates a belief that every consumer should have access to premium quality, not just those with high end flagship devices. Combined with a thoughtful design philosophy that focuses on improving the smartphone experience at every level, each technical component has been carefully considered and integrated into the phone design to have the biggest benefit on consumers’ daily lives.
Drawing on the hallmarks of the Nokia phone heritage of quality, simplicity and reliability, the range is designed for a new generation of fans.
With a commitment to deliver pure Android, users can expect a simple, clean and clutter free experience. Featuring the latest Google services, as well as monthly security updates, Nokia smartphones are safe, secure and up-to-date.
The new Nokia smartphones feature Google’s most recent innovation, the Google Assistant, building further on a great Android experience. Our teams have worked together to ensure the Google Assistant is integrated, allowing for conversations with the Google Assistant to take place easily on Nokia smartphones.
It was also announced that the world-renowned game Snake will be snaking its way back into people’s hearts with a new version available to play on Messenger, part of Facebook’s Instant Games cross platform experience.
The new free Snake game is designed to be played with groups of friends making it even more playable than the first time around.
The new Nokia range of Android smartphones unveiled today ahead of Mobile World Congress includes:
Nokia 6
The device is going global–combining superior craftsmanship and distinctive design with immersive audio and an impressive bright and colourful 5.5” full HD screen, the Nokia 6 delivers a truly premium smartphone experience.
The unibody of the Nokia 6 is crafted from a single block of 6000 series aluminium. The smart audio amplifier with dual speakers allows consumers to experience a deeper bass and unmatched clarity, whilst Dolby Atmos®sound delivers a powerfully moving entertainment experience.
Available in four colours– MatteBlack, Silver, Tempered Blue and Copper–theNokia 6will retail at an average global retail price of €229.
Nokia 6 Arte Black Limited Edition
Celebrating the worldwide Nokia 6 portfolio is the Nokia 6Arte Black Limited Edition. With 64GB storage and 4GB RAM, this special edition combines the best features of the Nokia 6 family in a stunning black high gloss package and will retail at an average global retail price of €299.
Nokia 5
A sleek and compact smartphone that nestles in user’s hand. The Nokia 5 has been precision engineered out of a single block of 6000 series aluminium to create a perfect pillowed body that flows seamlessly into the sculpted Corning® Gorilla® Glass laminated 5.2” IPS HD display.
Powered by the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 430 mobile platform and the Qualcomm® Adreno™ 505 graphics processor, the Nokia 5 brings robust structural integrity, attention to detail and the quality of a high-end flagship to everyone. Available in four colours– MatteBlack, Silver, Tempered Blue and Copper – the Nokia5 will retail at an average global retail price of €189.
Nokia 3
A stunning new smartphone designed to deliver an outstanding experience with unprecedented value. With a precision machined aluminium frame forged out of a single piece of aluminium, a sculpted Corning® Gorilla® Glass laminated 5” display and seamlessly integrated 8MP wide aperture cameras (front and back), the Nokia 3 packs a truly premium quality smartphone experience into its compact and elegant form. Available in four distinctive colours– SilverWhite, Matte Black,Tempered Blue and Copper White– the Nokia 3 will retail at an average global retail price of €139.
Also announced were:
Nokia 3310–amodern classic reborn: Thin, light and incredibly durable, the Nokia 3310 is a head turning modern twist on one of the best-selling feature phones of all time. Boasting an incredible 22-hour talk-time and month long stand-by, the Nokia 3310’s fresh, colourful, modern design brings it bang up to date.
The Nokia 3310 is available in four distinctive colours– WarmRed and Yellow, both with a gloss finish, and Dark Blue and Grey both with a matte finish. The Nokia 3310 will retail at an average global retail price of €49.
Accessories–alsointroduced was a portfolio of Nokia accessories that follows iconic design philosophy. As perfect companions to these smartphones, the full Nokia accessories portfolio includes a range of headsets, portable and Bluetooth speakers, in-car chargers, cases and screen protectors.
Arto Nummela, CEO of HMD Global, said: “Nokia has been one of the most iconic and recognisable phone brands globally for decades. In the short time since HMD was launched into the market, the positive reception we’ve had has been overwhelming; it seems everyone shares our excitement for this next chapter. Today’s consumers are more discerning and demanding than ever before and for us they will always come first. Our efforts in bringing together world class manufacturers, operating systems and technology partners sees us proudly unveiling our first global portfolio of smartphones with a Nokia soul, delivering the very best experience to everyone.”
Florian Seiche, President of HMD Global, said: “Strategic and meaningful partnerships are essential to our success, both for the products and manufacturing. Equally we are committed to building the right kind of partnerships at a market level so we can reach and service all of our fans.
“The encouragement, support and excitement we have felt from the operators and retailers we’ve met globally so far has been humbling. The excitement and anticipation for our first global family of smartphones has been tremendous, and we’re delighted to offer fansthe ability to registertheir interest for the new rangeat nokia.com/phones.”
Juho Sarvikas, Chief Product Officer of HMD Global, said: “Nokia phones stir real emotions; people know them for their beautiful design and craftsmanship, together with a built-to-last quality that you can rely on. Our new portfolio combinesthese classic Nokia hallmarks with a best-in-class Android performance and a new level of craftsmanship. For the Nokia 3310 we just couldn’t resist. We wanted to reward loyal Nokia phone fans and make a statement that rich heritage, innovation and modern design can go hand-in-hand. Fundamentally, it is about making sure that right across our portfolio we are delivering this pure Nokia experience.”
“We also believe that everyone deserves access to the premium quality and attention to detail that is usually reserved only for flagship devices. With our new range of Nokia smartphones, we aim to democratize technology and bring this experience to everyone.”
Brad Rodrigues, interim President of Nokia Technologies, said: “What HMD has created is remarkable. We’re excited to see the launch of a new family of smartphones, built to the standards that Nokia is known for. We believe that their strong design and quality will appeal to Nokia fans around the world, and the return of the Nokia 3310 has us smiling too!”
Enrico Salvatori, SVP and President, Qualcomm EMEA said: We are pleased to have collaborated with HMD on the Nokia 6 and Nokia 5 and look forward to working closely with them on future devices. The Nokia brand has a rich heritage in advancing mobile technology and to see new Nokia smartphones on sale is a welcome sight. Both devices are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 mobile platform which offers a rich feature set for smartphones: integrated X6 LTE, cutting-edge camera technology with dual-Image signal processors, next-generation Qualcomm Adreno 505 GPU all means Snapdragon 430 supports fast downloads and uploads, stunning graphics and photos with battery life to spare.”
The new portfolio of Nokia smartphones and feature phones is on display at Mobile World Congress. Local availability will be announced in markets in Q2, 2017. To get hands-on with the full range of Nokia phones, visit HMD at the Nokia stand (Hall 3, stand 3A).
Telecom
NCC, CBN Unveil Refund Framework for Failed Airtime, Data Transactions

Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) have finalized a consumer protection framework to swiftly resolve complaints from failed airtime and data purchases caused by network outages, system errors, or user mistakes.

NCC, CBN
Developed after months of consultations with Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), Value Added Service (VAS) providers, Deposit Money Banks (DMBs), and other stakeholders, the framework responds to surging reports of debits without service delivery and prolonged resolution delays.
It unites telecom and financial sectors by pinpointing root causes—like debits without service credits—and enforces a Service Level Agreement (SLA) defining roles for all parties in transactions and refunds.
Key provisions include refunds within 30 seconds for debited but undelivered airtime or data (extendable to 24 hours for pending cases), mandatory SMS notifications on transaction status, and remedies for errors such as recharges to ported numbers, wrong purchases, or misdirected transactions.
NCC Consumer Affairs Director, Mrs. Freda Bruce-Bennett, highlighted a new Central Monitoring Dashboard, co-hosted by NCC and CBN, for real-time tracking of failures, culprits, refunds, and SLA violations.
“Failed top-ups are among the top three consumer complaints. True to our mandate, we prioritized a rapid solution,” she stated.
Bruce-Bennett thanked stakeholders, especially CBN leadership, noting that MNOs and banks have already refunded over N10 billion pending formal approval.
Implementation begins March 1, 2026, following regulator approvals and technical integrations by MNOs, VAS providers, and DMBs.
Telecom
NASENI Launches Inter-Agency Innovation Competition for MDAs

National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has announced the launch of an Inter-Agency Innovation Competition and Awards to stimulate creativity and technological advancement among Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government.

NASENI
In a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja, NASENI said the initiative was designed to harness innovative ideas from public servants that can drive indigenous industrialization, job creation and national progress.
According to the agency, the competition will provide a platform for MDAs to propose solutions in critical sectors such as health, agriculture, education and infrastructure, leveraging science and technology to improve public service delivery and enhance the quality of life for Nigerians.
“The competition seeks to promote collaboration and creativity among MDAs while addressing pressing national challenges through innovation,” the statement said.
NASENI urged interested MDAs to submit their entries through its innovation portal at naseni.gov.ng/innovation.
The agency reiterated its statutory mission “to develop and maintain a dynamic infrastructure to drive Nigeria’s indigenous industrialization, job creation and national progress,” adding that the competition would further strengthen efforts to unlock the nation’s potential through science and technology.
Telecom
Mandatory Biometric Verification for Starlink Users in Nigeria Begins

Users of satellite internet service provider Starlink in Nigeria are being required to complete a biometric Know Your Customer (KYC) process as a precondition to continue enjoying their services, according to .biometricupdate.

According to local reports, more than 66,000 Starlink subscribers in the country had a December 31 ultimatum from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to complete the biometric verification or have their connection discontinued.
The process essentially entails linking a Starlkink account with the subscriber’s national digital ID.
The NCC, which is Nigeria’s telecoms industry regulator, is said to have first issued the directive in August last year, setting a three-month deadline which was to elapse on November 19, TechCabal reports.
The body however later extended it to December 31 after consultations with industry stakeholders. The internet account-NIN linkage, the NCC said, is to enhance identity verification and strengthen security within the country’s telecoms space.
Just a few days to the December 31 deadline, Starlink’s Nigeria office sent an email to its subscribers reminding them of the KYC requirement, and warned that all those who fail to comply would be disconnected.
And that once disconnected, reconnection would depend on network capacity in the concerned area.
The service provider said in its email that the process takes less than two minutes and users can complete it by logging in to their account via an app.
One user, quoted by TechCabal, said one needs to upload their selfie biometrics, provide their national identification number (NIN) and then give their consent for the account to be linked to their ID information.
Starlink’s internet service is present in about 155 countries with nine million users, as of 2025. Its growth in Nigeria is said to be rapid, making it the second largest internet service provider in the country, according to The Traffic.
Biometric identification for Starlink subscribers could become a continent-wide trend given that some countries have expressed reservations in opening up their internet space to the company over security concerns.
There’ve been fears that jihadists in countries like Mali and Nigeria may have exploited Starlink terminals to coordinate terror operations, and cybersecurity experts have also warned of risks related to weak regulation, digital sovereignty and data breaches.
The requirement for Starlink internet users to have their accounts linked with the NIN is similar to the SIM-NIN linkage policy which the Nigerian government battled to implement for many years, with many deadline extensions.
In October last year, the NCC, which is was at the forefront of the policy implementation, announced that all active SIM cards across all network providers had complied with the directive which was issued in 2020.
The idea, the federal government argued, was to strengthen security and curb criminality such as kidnappings which are aided and abetted by improperly identified mobile phone numbers.
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