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Telcos Cry Foul, Oppose Transfer of Visafone License to MTN

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Airtel and 9mobile, mobile network operators in the country, have opposed the transfer of an 800MHz from Visafone Communications to MTN Nigeria.

 

Representatives of the operators said transferring the spectrum to MTN could result in a monopoly.

 

Following the acquisition of 100 per cent equity of Visafone by MTN in 2015, Visafone had applied to the regulatory agency for the transfer of its frequency and licence to MTN.

 

Although the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) had approved the acquisition deal, it has yet to approve the transfer of the frequency and licence to MTN, even as 9mobile had gone to court to challenge the transfer of the frequency to MTN.

 

At a public hearing in Abuja on Monday, Airtel and 9mobile argued that transferring Visafone’s 800 Megahertz spectrum would concentrate 38 per cent spectrum available in the country on MTN and thereby give the company undue advantage to further dominate the Nigerian telecommunications market.

Chidozie Arinze, 9mobile’s head of regulatory affairs, said spectrum is a scarce national resource which cannot be leased to only MTN at the detriment of other operators.

 

On his part, Lucky Ubani, Airtel’s representative, urged the NCC not to allow MTN acquire the spectrum as such step would extend its market dominance beyond voice segment, which he said could spell doom for the industry.

Airtel-Logo.jpg

9Mobile and Airtel argued that allowing MTN to get the spectrum in question will impede competition in the telecommunications market.

 

They also posited that MTN had opposed a similar move by a dominant operator in South Africa and wondered why it should go ahead to practise what it felt was not good for the South African market.

 

Johnson Oyewo, MTN’s senior manager, regulatory affairs and corporate relations, said the network operators made their conclusions based on presumptions and lack of data.

 

He said the desire for the acquisition of the 800MHz spectrum was not driven by selfishness but to help the country achieve its 30% broadband coverage by end of 2018.

 

“We want to help the Rural Telephony Project at large; it is Nigeria that will benefit from it.

 

“We see a greater good. We urge the commission that this assessment should not only be based on competition but also on the interest of the consumer and the economy; what that translate is that there will be a direct impact on the GDP.”

 

Oyewo stated, “The mobile data market, which is the relevant market segment for 800MHz, was found to be effectively competitive by the NCC in its ‘2013 Determination of Dominance in Selected Markets’ with no operator found to be dominant in this market.

 

“Given that the market is effectively competitive, the utilisation of spectrum resources in order to provide the Nigerian telecommunications consumer a better data experience and ensure that the country meets its national broadband targets should be encouraged.

Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, executive vice chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).Umar Danbatta

Speaking at the event, Umar Danbatta, NCC’s executive vice-chairman, said the commission held the inquiry to get comments from stakeholders to enable it to draw beneficial contributions from their wealth of experience.

 

He said the commission is determined to provide qualitative services to subscribers.

 


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SHELT Named in Prestigious 2025 MSSP 250 List for Cybersecurity Excellence

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SHELT, a leading cybersecurity-as-a-service provider, has earned inclusion in the 2025 MSSP 250, the annual ranking of the world’s top 250 Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs) by MSSP Alert, a CyberRisk Alliance publication.

SHELT Named in Prestigious 2025 MSSP 250 List for Cybersecurity Excellence

SHELT

The list evaluates firms on business performance, service breadth, and industry impact, spotlighting those excelling in growth, operational excellence, and advanced managed security amid rising cyber threats. Selection criteria include annual recurring revenue, profitability, workforce expansion, business growth, and the depth of managed security offerings.

SHELT’s recognition underscores its investments in scalable security operations, threat intelligence, and tailored managed services across multiple regions, enabling clients to navigate complex risk landscapes effectively.

“Being recognised in the MSSP 250 is a meaningful milestone for our team,” stated Youssef Abillama, CEO of SHELT. “It validates our focus on building practical, resilient security services that help organisations manage risk and respond effectively to today’s evolving cyber threats.”

The company hailed the honour as testament to its teams’ dedication and expertise worldwide, reaffirming commitment to enhancing capabilities and delivering trusted cybersecurity solutions.


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Meta Names Ex-Trump Adviser Dina Powell McCormick as President

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Meta Platforms, owner of Facebook, has appointed Dina Powell McCormick, a former adviser to President Donald Trump, as its new president and vice chairman, bolstering its leadership amid aggressive AI and infrastructure expansion.

Meta names ex-Trump adviser Dina Powell McCormick as president

Dina Powell McCormick

The announcement, made on Monday, positions Powell McCormick – who recently stepped down from Meta’s board after eight months – to guide overall strategy, including multi-billion-dollar investments in data centres and global partnerships.

A Goldman Sachs veteran with 16 years in senior roles and prior stints as deputy national security adviser under Trump and in the Bush administration, she brings deep finance and international ties to the role.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg hailed her as “uniquely qualified” for the company’s next growth phase, while President Trump praised the move on Truth Social as a “fantastic choice”.

The hire signals Meta’s efforts to strengthen White House relations, following recent dinners with Trump and U.S. investment pledges worth hundreds of billions


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X Suspends Twitter Account for Rules Violation

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X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, has suspended the @Twitter account, replacing its profile with a standard notice citing violation of platform rules.

X Suspends Twitter Account for Rules Violation

Musk

The action, which occurred on Sunday, January 11, left users encountering the handle greeted by a bold “Account Suspended” message on a black screen, with no details provided on the specific rules broken or the duration of the suspension.

The development has sparked widespread confusion and nostalgia among users, given that Elon Musk rebranded Twitter to X in July 2023, approximately six months after acquiring the platform for $44 billion in late 2022.

The @Twitter handle had remained dormant since before Musk’s takeover, serving as a legacy remnant of the platform’s original branding, and its suspension appears to mark the final erasure of the Twitter name amid X’s ongoing efforts to combat spam, impersonation, and rule violations.

X’s official statement on the suspended page simply reads: “X suspends accounts that violate our rules,” without offering an appeal process or further explanation, unlike standard user suspensions.

Public reactions on social media ranged from humorous laments of “RIP Twitter” to speculation that the move resulted from automated moderation or a deliberate cleanup of legacy trademarks.

xAI’s Grok AI described it as a purposeful retirement of outdated elements rather than a genuine infraction, while neither Elon Musk nor X spokespeople issued any comment as of Monday morning.

This incident underscores the evolving identity of the platform under Musk’s ownership, which also saw a domain shift to x.com in 2024, further distancing it from its Twitter roots.

Industry observers note that while the suspension aligns with X’s stricter enforcement policies, the lack of transparency has fueled debates on consistency in applying rules to high-profile legacy accounts.


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