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WTL Tasks NCC on Use of Excess Spectrum for Rural Coverage

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World Telecom Labs (WTL), a global telecommunication equipment vendor has urged the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to enforce the use of excess spectrum by telecom networks in rural areas to increase connectivity.

 

WTL urged the NCC to incentivise operators to use their unused spectrum for new shared networks in rural Nigeria where there is little or no coverage at the moment.

 

These networks would be built by a neutral service provider and used by existing operators.

 

With more than 12 years’ experience working with operators of all sizes across Nigeria, World Telecom Labs has helped to build Nigeria’s telecoms infrastructure.

 

However, it said it was disappointed to read the GSM Association (GSMA) estimates of mobile penetration in Nigeria of 49 per cent rising to 55 per cent by 2025, whilst only four per cent have 4G mobile broadband growing to 17 per cent by 2025.

 

According to the GSMA, the total amount of spectrum assigned to mobile in Nigeria is 470MHz, far in excess of the sub Saharan Africa (SSA) average of 268 MHz.

 

“Some inefficiencies may exist in the utilisation of spectrum, as around a quarter of the spectrum assigned to mobile is being used by a few service providers that jointly account for less than two per cent of the mobile market,” said GSMA.

 

Leigh Smith, managing director of WTL, said, “Plenty of spectrum has been allocated but unfortunately a lot of it is being wasted because it is lying fallow in the hands of small and inactive license holders. I would encourage the NCC to adopt a “use it or lose it” approach. Our vision enables neutral third party networks to be deployed where mobile network operators (MNOs) refuse to go, this would increase the overall footprint.”

 

WTL said allocating the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) money to the capital expenditure (CAPEX) cost of such networks would reduce the risk. National roaming and infrastructure sharing would enable people to use the network of other service providers in Nigeria where their own service provider does not have a network or has limited network coverage.

 

In effect, operators share their infrastructure thus eliminating the need to lay duplicate infrastructures in areas where this is not commercially feasible.  WTL said it was already working with wholesale operators in five countries in Africa to build rural networks and, with infrastructure sharing being widely considered across the continent.

 

The company firmly believes that the removal of the Capex cost of building a rural network would encourage previously reluctant operators to start offering services in these areas.  It also believes that infrastructure sharing would be of great benefit to Nigerians with increased coverage, improved service levels and competition driving down costs.


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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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