Telecom
Alcatel-Lucent Simplifies Service Provisioning with Rapport™ Software
Alcatel-Lucent has launched Rapport™, a software-based, open platform that gives large enterprises and service providers a new, and much more flexible way to deliver communications and collaboration services.
With Rapport, released recently, the communications network becomes a platform for innovation, enabling the creation of new ‘contextual communications’, where fundamental services such as voice, chat, video conferencing and sharing become functions available to any application, website or connected object.
These services can then be accessed by application developers using open application programming interfaces (APIs) and simple software development kits (SDKs).
Rapport goes beyond simple virtualization to fully embrace the cloud with a single software platform that can be deployed on any commercial, off-the-shelf hardware, dramatically driving down the cost and complexity of deploying and managing communications services.
Rapport is based on a fully re-architected version of Alcatel-Lucent’s IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) software, the foundation for the company’s award-winning Voice over LTE (VoLTE) solution.
Distinct configurations have been developed to address the unique requirements of large enterprises and service providers respectively, and were designed based on years of experience addressing these challenges in live networks.
Speaking on the feat, Bhaskar Gorti, president of Alcatel-Lucent’s IP Platforms business, said: “Rapport liberates large enterprises from the communications technology silos and proprietary vendor offerings that IT departments need to contend with. It also removes the barriers for service providers to offer more engaging communications services to their customers, which can be delivered seamlessly using any device and across any network.”
Rapport for the Enterprise: With the growing decentralization and mobility of the workforce, the rapid pace of technology and application evolution, and the shift to a ‘bring your own device’ (BYOD) model, large enterprises need a new approach to support their communications needs.
Rapport helps enterprises cap their investments in legacy PBX and Unified Communications systems.
Rapport accomplishes this by offering a single open, communications framework deployed in a private cloud, into which large enterprises can plug in best-of-breed apps to help meet the needs of employees for the latest services, whether in the office or on the move.
It can also help enterprises better serve their customers by building communications services into applications, websites and products.
With this approach, large enterprises can save up to 50% on their communications infrastructure costs, with the return on investment breaking even in the first year of the transformation.
Rapport for Enterprise is designed to address the specific requirements of large enterprises.
It is architected to run in a private cloud environment leveraging HP’s industry-leading converged infrastructure platform, which is highly optimized for scalable workloads.
Rapport also supports a growing ecosystem of technology providers, including CounterPath, for multi-device softclients and SDKs.
Rapport for the Service Provider: Rapport strengthens the communications business case for service providers by enabling them to support VoLTE/mobile, fixed, and WiFi services with a single, more agile cloud communications platform, significantly simplifying and reducing the cost per subscriber to deliver these services.
Rapport uses a network functions virtualization (NFV) approach, and works with NFV platforms such as Alcatel-Lucent’s CloudBand™ to launch VoLTE and new services rapidly to both consumers and businesses and scale dynamically as subscriber demand dictates.
It delivers communication services that follow people – rather than devices – based on their presence, location, and availability.
Service providers can embed communications into objects, applications and websites, which opens up new retail markets such as wearables, connected homes and telematics.
They can also extend services from their single Rapport network to application providers and web companies to pursue new wholesale markets.
The software comes with an open, vibrant ecosystem of more than 800 developers and partners. This drives innovation by equipping developers with a simpler means of embedding communications into their apps, so that they can focus on developing and delivering their ideas, and not be distracted by the challenges of latency-sensitive, real-time communications.
On the efficacies of the announcement, Rich Costello, Senior Research Analyst, International Data Corporation said: “Alcatel-Lucent’s new communications platform, Rapport, addresses something enterprises have needed – a single, open communications framework in a private cloud. There are real challenges with moving from a legacy PBX-based communications approach to apps and services with communications hosted in the enterprise cloud. Not only do enterprises need a new approach, but they need a new method for getting there. This is a compelling new take on how to address the relationships between communications, applications, and the large enterprise, and this appears to be creating a new category of communications solution.”
Jim Hodges, Senior Analyst, Heavy Reading said: “The quest for service innovation relies on new business models and corresponding technology enablers. Service providers need to prepare for the next service era, by looking beyond simply mobile additions and mobile usage and focusing on user experiences, efficiency, and managing complexity. Virtualized solutions like Alcatel-Lucent’s Rapport for the Service Provider can play an important role in helping service providers most efficiently meet these new requirements. By moving communications into the cloud – to enable new services, user experience, and apps – the service provider is better positioned for long term success.”
Also, Liz Theophille, chief information officer, Alcatel-Lucent said: “Like many large companies, we have multiple platforms in place to support our communications and collaboration needs, from voice services to video conferencing to IM and chat. At the same time, our workforce is increasingly mobile, and relies on a fast-growing universe of applications on smartphones and tablets to manage their personal lives, but which are largely unavailable in their work environments. Rapport provides a single platform to address all of these requirements, in a way that is open and in synch with our increasingly app-driven business culture and will enable us to stop investing in multiple platforms.”
Alcatel-Lucent is the leading IP networking, ultra-broadband access and cloud technology specialist.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said that more than 5,000 fibre-optic cable cuts linked to road construction, excavation and related civil works were recorded in the first six months of 2026.
The commission said that the damage is disrupting telecommunications services, increasing operators’ costs and exposing businesses and essential public services to avoidable interruptions.
Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman, NCC, disclosed the figure at a stakeholders’ workshop on the protection of fibre-optic infrastructure during road construction and rehabilitation.
He said the scale of the incidents showed the need to prevent damage rather than wait to repair networks after they had been cut
Maida said fibre networks support banking, healthcare, education, government services, commerce, security and emergency communications.
He recalled the widespread telecommunications disruption in February 2024, when fibre cuts affected millions of Nigerians and caused congestion on alternative networks as subscribers switched providers.
He said a Standing Committee on the Protection of Fibre Optic Cables had been established by the Federal Ministries of Works and Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy to improve coordination before, during and after road construction.
The committee was later expanded to include the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps because of the critical nature of telecommunications infrastructure.
Raphael Adelador, permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Works, said road construction and telecommunications infrastructure often occupy the same physical space, making coordination essential.
Adelador called for better mapping of fibre routes and improved information sharing so contractors and consultants know where telecommunications infrastructure is located before excavation begins.
He said damage to fibre networks could lead to service disruptions, lost productivity, financial losses and inconvenience to citizens.
Representing Nadungu Gagare, permanent secretary, Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Stanley Musa, director of Telecoms and Postal Services, said the protection of telecommunications infrastructure was a shared national responsibility.
The Permanent Secretary said that the government was working with relevant stakeholders to strengthen compliance with technical standards and right-of-way requirements, improve information sharing and develop clearer procedures for infrastructure protection.
Air Vice Marshal Effiom Ewa, director of Critical National Standards and Infrastructure Protection at the Office of the National Security Adviser, said fibre-optic infrastructure had been designated as critical national information infrastructure and warned that damage caused by negligence, interference or actions that expose the infrastructure to damage could attract legal consequences.
Air Vice Marshal Ewa called for strict compliance with established procedures during construction and maintenance activities.
The two-day workshop brought together representatives of government ministries and agencies, security organisations, telecommunications operators, contractors and other stakeholders to develop practical measures for reducing fibre damage during construction projects.
The stakeholders are expected to strengthen coordination, information sharing and accountability so that road development does not undermine the digital infrastructure supporting Nigeria’s economy.
Telecom
ipNX Joins Calls for Innovation-Friendly Ecosystem and Stronger Local Opportunities at Regenesys AI Summit
ipNX Nigeria has joined stakeholders at the Regenesys AI Summit to call for innovation-friendly regulations and stronger local opportunities. Chief Technology Architect, ipNX Nigeria, Oluwaseun Oluboyo, made the call for a collaborative approach to advancing Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Nigeria, and emphasized the need to foster innovation while developing enabling frameworks that support responsible adoption and sustainable growth.
Speaking during a panel session at the summit themed “The Future of Nigeria in the Age of AI,” Oluboyo encouraged business leaders, policymakers and technology stakeholders to create an environment where innovation can flourish through experimentation, collaboration and continuous learning.
“If you don’t try new things, if you only stick to what is familiar, we are not going to go progress as a society or an ecosystem,” he said. “Innovation requires the confidence to explore new ideas, while ensuring that customers remain protected.”
Reflecting on the rapid evolution of AI technologies, Oluboyo noted that governance frameworks should remain adaptable to accommodate emerging innovations and evolving industry needs.
“As technology continues to evolve, it is important that we focus on the outcomes we want to achieve while creating room for innovation. Organisations naturally build on what works, but continuous improvement is essential to unlocking new possibilities.”
He observed that creating a supportive innovation ecosystem will enable organisations to deploy AI responsibly while accelerating digital transformation across industries.
Oluboyo also highlighted the importance of strengthening Nigeria’s technology ecosystem by creating more opportunities for local talent to innovate, build and thrive within the country.
“We should continue creating the environment that makes Nigeria an attractive destination for innovation and enables our brightest talents to contribute meaningfully to national development.”
He noted that sustained investment in digital infrastructure, skills development and innovation ecosystems will be instrumental in positioning Nigeria to maximise the economic and societal benefits of Artificial Intelligence.
Held recently in Victoria Island, Lagos, the Regenesys AI Summit convened technology leaders, policymakers, entrepreneurs and industry experts to examine how Artificial Intelligence is transforming industries, reshaping business models and redefining leadership priorities.
Other speakers on the panel were Ugo Umeseaka, COO, Redtech Limited; Oladele Adedoyin, Partnership Development Manager, Liquid Intelligent Technologies, and Dr Oluwatomi Kogo, Managing Director, Iwosan Lagoon Hospitals.
The summit, themed “The Future of Nigeria in the Age of AI,” provided a platform for meaningful dialogue, knowledge sharing and practical insights into the opportunities AI presents for economic growth, business innovation and national development.
As AI adoption continues to accelerate across Nigeria, conversations such as these remain essential in fostering collaboration among industry, academia and policymakers to ensure Artificial Intelligence is deployed responsibly, inclusively and for the benefit of society.
Google News Initiative (GNI) has selected six Nigerian independent news creators to participate in its Emerging News Voices Growth Lab for Sub-Saharan Africa.
The selected Nigerian creators are Onlinebanker, Adetunji Films, More Branches TV, Wearegst, Iswellthecapitalist and The Republic.
They are part of a cohort of about 20 emerging news creators from across Sub-Saharan Africa participating in the multi-month virtual programme, which runs through September 2026.
The initiative is designed to strengthen the capacity of creator-led and digital-native newsrooms through practical training in artificial intelligence, video production, audience development, direct reader engagement and sustainable revenue strategies.
The GNI said the programme was developed in response to the changing way Nigerians, particularly younger audiences, discover and consume news through social-first channels and digital platforms.
According to the initiative, while creator-led journalism is expanding rapidly, many independent newsrooms operate with limited resources and do not have the same access to technology, training and revenue expertise available to established media organisations.
Participants in the Growth Lab will work with Google trainers and product experts across four key areas.
The first is AI in the newsroom, where participants will receive hands-on guidance on integrating tools such as Gemini, NotebookLM, Google Trends and SynthID into newsroom workflows for research, transcription, translation and verification.
The programme will also focus on video and audience growth, providing practical strategies for building YouTube channels and using both Shorts and long-form video to reach new audiences.
Another area is direct reader relationships, with participants expected to strengthen their open-web presence and newsletters in order to develop first-party audiences that newsrooms can directly engage.
The fourth area is sustainable revenue, with sessions covering monetisation strategies, product differentiation and audience growth models.
Marianne Erasmus, News Partnerships Lead, Middle East and Africa at Google, said independent news creators and digital-native newsrooms were increasingly shaping how Africans, particularly Nigerians, find and understand news.
“Independent news creators and digital-native newsrooms are shaping how Africans, and Nigerians in particular, find and understand the news,” Erasmus said.
She said the Growth Lab would equip emerging newsrooms with practical AI skills, video and audience strategies, direct relationships with readers and approaches to sustainable revenue.
Erasmus added that strengthening the capabilities and financial independence of emerging news voices would contribute to a more resilient, diverse and sustainable news ecosystem.
Wale Lawal, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Republic, said the programme was providing practical ways for the publication to combine audience insights, product thinking and responsible AI use.
“Google’s Emerging News Voices Growth Lab is giving us practical ways to combine audience insight, product thinking and the responsible use of AI as we build a more sustainable future for The Republic’s journalism,” Lawal said.
Similarly, Nasir Achile Ahmed, Editor-in-Chief and Co-founder of MoreBranches, said the programme had provided practical resources, new tools and opportunities to connect with experts and fellow journalists.
Ahmed said the initiative had also provided information that validated some of the newsroom’s previous observations while equipping its team with knowledge on how to use new tools effectively.
He said the engagement with experts and fellow journalists had created a supportive environment for strengthening storytelling.
The Growth Lab emerged from the Global News Gap Project, a continent-wide mapping initiative conducted with Project Oasis and Code for Africa to identify independent African news creators and areas where emerging newsrooms require additional support.
The programme is part of Google’s broader support for the Nigerian media industry.
Since 2018, Google has supported newsroom transformation projects through the Google News Initiative and provided publishers with opportunities to strengthen their advertising revenue capabilities through the Ad Manager Academy.
Google said that since 2024, it had trained more than 1,500 Nigerian journalists and editors in areas including online safety, advanced Search, digital verification and audience analytics.
It also supports media skills development through its collaboration with the MTN Media Innovation Programme, where fellows receive practical training on AI as a productivity partner and newsroom technologies, including News Consumer Insights and Gemini.
The latest initiative reflects the growing importance of digital-native journalism as news consumption continues to shift towards social media, video platforms and other online channels.
Through the Growth Lab, GNI is seeking to help emerging news creators build stronger digital operations, expand their audiences and develop sustainable business models while responsibly adopting emerging technologies.
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