Telecom
Zoom Mobile, Starcomms, Others Were Programmed to Fail

Nigeria mobile code-division multiple application (CDMA) mobile sectors is going through tough times and there appears no end in sight soon since government is not forthcoming with either a bail-out plan nor working out any mergers/acquisition scheme for the ailing firms.
Collins Onuegbu, a systems analysts and managing director of Signal Alliance Ltd, a full IT services company in Lagos told Nigeria CommunicationsWeek that the CDMA sector was programmed to fail when the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) initially adopted regional licensing for the CDMA operators; while opening up the market of universal licensing for the GSM mobile operators.
“The CDMAs are failing because their business model was flawed from the beginning. From the very beginning when the NCC decided to give them regional licences and the GSM operators were offered universal licence, it was evident the CDMAs will fail.”
“Nigerians are very mobile people and the very essence of the mobile phone is for you to connect wherever you go and there is no way you’d buy a phone that guarantees you connection only in Lagos and whenever you’ re out of town, you needed another system. So why not buy the one that connects you continually and leave the other one out of budget? So you see, the CDMAs cannot compete with that model of business in an environment like ours,” said Onuegbu.
He stated that elsewhere where copper (cables) are used to connected fixed lines, the model for regional licensing could work, but not in Nigeria where all the cables have either been dug up through road constructions or stolen by vandals.
Onuigbo noted that since the GSM operators had a heads-start, it opened windows of financing for them too which the CDMAs were shut out from.
“The CDMAs because of their regional operating licence couldn’t access bank financing or further investment for expansion and the resultant effect is that they’re dying one after the other.”
Starcomms PLC, the only telecom operator on the floor of the Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE), is also not spared the meltdown as they struggle to remain afloat.
A recent attempt to merge with three other operators to form a medium size CDMA operator appear also to have hit a brick wall.
“I think Starcomms went to the stock market rather too early. They hadn’t spent enough time in the market to authenticate their real value. They needed to have been tested and trusted by investors. So that affected their market value and capitalization drive,” Onuegbu enthused.
Signal Alliance also has strategic affiliation with Microsoft, SAP, Cisco, CA Technologies and was recently rated the 27th fastest growing (non-listed) company in Nigeria by Michael Porter’s All World Network Nigeria Fast Growth 50 list.
Telecom
SHELT Named in Prestigious 2025 MSSP 250 List for Cybersecurity Excellence

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
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.
Telecom
Meta Names Ex-Trump Adviser Dina Powell McCormick as President

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.

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
Telecom
X Suspends Twitter Account for Rules Violation

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.

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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