Telecom
Idea Dinner with Top CEOs: Stakeholders Urged to Form Ideas Around AI And Rural Telephony
Nigerians have been urged to form ideas around Artificial Intelligence (AI) and rural telephony as these two areas can turn around the fortune of Nigeria in terms of economy and employment, especially for the youths.
This is one of the several calls made at the ‘Idea Dinner with the Top CEOs’, which was organised by TechLife Media & Communications Limited for major stakeholders drawn from the Nigerian business community, especially those in the Information and Communications Technology industry.
Specifically, Mr. Yemi Oshodi, the Chief Executive Officer of iCSL and Coordinator of 2024 Best Ideas, said what rules the world today is an idea as every noticeable breakthrough in the world came as a result of an idea.
While urging Nigerians with great ideas to share them with government agencies like the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Mr. Yemi believes that Artificial Intelligence is a game changer that is going to do wonders in every sector with an emphasis on agriculture, security and financial services.
“My appeal to every Nigerian is to think and come up with ideas that can move the country. When you have an idea, do not hide it thinking someone may likely use it. The most important thing is it helps to move our country forward,” he said.
Also, in the area of rural telephony, Mr. Yemi believes that it is an untapped area that will massively aid the development of the digital economy that is being championed by the federal government.
According to him, even though the government has started working to get the whole country covered in terms of telephone services, many rural areas remained underserved and unserved. These areas without telephone service remained so after 23 years of liberalisation of mobile services as a result of the lack of ideas.
He argued that if Nigerians can explore the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) domiciled with the NCC by coming up with workable ideas, all 774 local government areas across the country will be covered by telephone services.
This will in turn create direct and indirect jobs, reduce rural-urban migration and ultimately, increase the industry’s gross domestic product (GDP) to the economy.
Other stakeholders who spoke at the event supported by Information Connectivity Solutions Limited, Digital Realty, Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria, TeamNigeria for Change, Inlaks, Coscharis Technologies and a host of others seek ideas to manufacture most equipment needed for the industry to thrive locally.
They noted that such an idea will help solve the forex challenges that Nigeria is presently grappling with.
Meanwhile, in her welcome address, Ms. Ugochi Emmanuel, Convener of the ‘Idea Dinner with the Top CEOs’ said the Idea Dinner focusing on the theme “Critical Thinking to Building a Sustainable Digital Economy” is a call to awakening the minds of Nigerians.
“We are acutely aware of the transformative power of digital technologies and their profound impact on every aspect of our lives. However, with these opportunities also come significant challenges that demand our collective attention and strategic thinking. Thus, it is important to call the meeting involving both the public and private sector players,” she said.
She noted that innovations such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, big data analytics, and the Internet of Things are reshaping business models, disrupting traditional industries, and creating new opportunities. Thus, staying abreast of these developments and harnessing their full potential requires not just technological prowess but also critical thinking and strategic foresight.
“Addressing the challenges of cybersecurity and data privacy demands not only robust technological solutions but also a deep understanding of risk management, ethical considerations and regulatory compliance. This is where we need ideas,” she added.
According to her, the quest for a sustainable digital economy necessitates a concerted effort to bridge the digital divide. Also, overcoming disparities in the industry requires innovative strategies, collaboration across sectors, and a commitment to ensuring that the benefits of the digital revolution are shared equitably.
Telecom
Report Says 71 Percent of Nigerians Don’t Have Access to Regular Internet
A recent report by the Groupe Special Mobile Association (GSMA) revealed that a significant 71% of Nigerians do not have regular access to mobile internet.
“While 29 per cent of Nigerians are regularly using mobile internet, there remains untapped potential; 71 per cent are not accessing these services regularly. An improved policy environment has the potential to help the industry boost coverage and adoption, resulting in 15 million additional internet users by 2028.
However, the sector faces challenges to infrastructure deployment,” the report stated.
The details of the study were disclosed during the report’s launch in Abuja, highlighting a critical gap in digital connectivity amidst ongoing discussions about possible tariff increases by Nigerian telecom operators.
The telecom industry is currently advocating for an increase in tariffs to counter various operational challenges. However, the government is pushing for alternative solutions rather than price hikes.
The GSMA report underscored the challenges hindering the expansion of telecom coverage, which include cumbersome and costly rights-of-way acquisition processes and a complex tax environment. These factors collectively make it difficult for the industry to sustain investment levels.
Despite these hurdles, the report optimistically noted that Nigeria could add 15 million internet users by 2028 with appropriate policy adjustments. It emphasized that achieving universal access to digital connectivity hinges on a wider digital transformation of the Nigerian economy.
The report details the sector’s challenges, stating that “An improved policy environment has the potential to help the industry boost coverage and adoption, resulting in 15 million additional internet users by 2028. However, the sector faces challenges to infrastructure deployment.”
The report also identified key obstacles, such as the rigorous process of securing rights of way and a layered tax regime, which together increase operational costs and stymie sustainable investments. Added financial pressures from rising fuel prices and increased governmental fees further strain telecom operators’ ability to maintain healthy investment flows.
The GSMA report recommended several policy measures to foster a more enabling economic and regulatory environment for the mobile industry.
These include establishing a legal framework to protect critical national infrastructure, simplifying rights-of-way issuance, reducing the tax burden, and cultivating a regulatory climate conducive to robust investment.
“Future policies should be geared towards reducing the cost and complexity of infrastructure rollout to encourage investment and boost the adoption of mobile broadband,” the report advised.
It further highlighted the far-reaching implications of such policy enhancements, noting, “The impact of such actions would go far beyond mobile, driving productivity gains across the economy and creating millions of new jobs in Nigeria.”
Telecom
MTN Group Weighs Down by Nigerian Operations
MTN Group (MTNJ.J), Africa’s biggest telecoms operator, reported on Tuesday an 18.8 per cent fall in first-quarter service revenue, weighed down by the performance of MTN Nigeria
MTN, with 288 million subscribers in 18 markets across Africa, said its reported group service revenue fell to 42.9 billion rand ($2.34 billion) in the quarter ended March 31, from 52.8 billion rand in the same quarter last year.
In constant currency, service revenue, which excludes device and SIM card revenue, rose by 11.1%.
MTN’s service revenue from South Africa surpassed that of Nigeria, its biggest market by revenue, growing marginally by 3% to 10.4 billion rand, while Nigeria tumbled by 52.8% to 10.2 billion rand.
“The macro environment in the first quarter of 2024 remained challenging with ongoing high inflation as well as local currency devaluations in some of our key markets,” Ralph Mupita, group president and CEO said in a statement.
Mupita also cited global geopolitical tensions as a factor impacting the operator’s performance, including the ongoing civil war in Sudan, which severely affected network availability and revenue generation in that business.
MTN was also impacted by subsea cable cuts that resulted in downtime.
Overall reported group earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) fell by 28.7% to 17.2 billion rand and rose by 3.9% in constant currency.
Reported EBITDA margin declined by 5.8 percentage points to 37.9% due to rising costs and currency depreciation mainly in Nigeria.
The group revised down its anticipated capital expenditure (excluding leases) deployment for 2024 to about 28 billion rand to 33 billion rand from a target of 35 billion rand to 39 billion rand, largely due to a reduction in expected spending by MTN Nigeria.
Telecom
Airtel Excites Business Owners with Unlimited Speed Plan
Telecommunications network, Airtel Nigeria has introduced a groundbreaking new service for business owners called the Enterprise Business Broadband (EBB) Speed Based Plans 3.0. This specially designed plan offers unparalleled connectivity and flexibility with unlimited monthly plans.
Tailored to meet the diverse needs of enterprises, the new EBB plans feature unlimited internet connectivity options, providing the opportunity to without data limitations. Customers also get a chance to select from three dynamic options, from as low as N20, 000 to N60, 000.
The N20, 000 monthly subscription delivers internet speeds of up to 20Mbps, the N35, 000 subscription offers up to 40 Mbps, and, with the N50, 000 monthly subscription users can experience ultimate reliability and speeds of up to 60Mbps, which is perfect for large organizations with high bandwidth requirements.
Speaking on the new unlimited plan, Chief Commercial Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Femi Oshinlaja emphasized the transformative impact of the new unlimited plan.
“We have seen the early adopters of the Speed Based Plans 3.0 express their satisfaction after using this service and we are confident to say that the uninterrupted internet service is a game-changer for business owners.
“We are committed to continuously providing innovative solutions that empower businesses to thrive in the digital landscape, ensuring unparalleled connectivity and reliability for our valued customers,” he said.
According to Airtel, customers get a complimentary router upon purchase. The speed plan also allows customers to have the flexibility to set data usage limits and control access to specific websites on the router, promoting responsible internet usage.
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