Telecom
Phase3 Telecom Marks 11 Years of Service Excellence
Phase3 Telecom, West Africa’s largest independent fibre optic infrastructure and telecommunications services provider said it is very proud of the tremendous achievements the company keeps recording in its commitment to ensuring the sustainable development of Africa.
The company is exactly 11 years old today (October 29) having pioneered optic fiber services using power lines , began operations in October 2003 and has since been at the heart of providing backbone and broadband services that drive Nigeria’s telecommunication revolution.
A few years after it commenced service, Phase 3 Telecom extended its reach beyond Nigeria when it executed a partnership agreement with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to facilitate the development of telecom infrastructure across members’ countries whereby telecom infrastructure on power line is currently being deployed across the region.
Mr. Stanley Jegede, chief executive officer stated that the Phase3 family is very proud of the tremendous achievements the company keeps recording in its commitment to ensuring the sustainable development of Africa through the provision of the most reliable IP and telecommunications services to deliver the most remarkable level of service excellence in the telecoms industry within 11 years of its establishment; modest efforts which have resulted in overwhelming local and international recognitions for the company year on year and 2014 is not an exception in this regard.
He said that “not without its challenges, Phase3’s key focus has always been to ensure that West Africa enjoy high capacity access to the global knowledge grid via reliable, high-speed and affordable broadband connectivity which is evident in the company’s just concluded network upgrade to offer seamless communications solutions that allows its clients all over West Africa, to interconnect their operations in multiple locations over a dedicated link”. He added that the team is very grateful to clients, whose continued trust in the Phase3 brand as the choice service provider to deliver their connectivity needs, has resulted in consistent successes every year.
Jegede concluded by stating that 11 years of operations has been a lesson in positivity for Phase3 and it reaffirms the team’s dedication to the task in hand, greater innovation and eagerness to deliver to all West Africans the tools they need for further and sustainable economic progress.
Phase3 is undeniably one of the foremost indigenous telecom service providers championing the drive to re-define Nigeria’s telecommunications landscape and have assisted in bringing the nation to its current position as a clear leader in Africa’s telecommunications sector.
It will be recalled that since its roll out, Phase3Telecom has become the network of choice for operators and other firms in the communications industry on account of its reliability and customer support.
The company has also been at the centre of major government infrastructure development projects and national broadband initiatives. Phase3 Telecom also introduced and partnered many leading local and international firms in delivering and promoting a unique Open Access Model for improved broadband delivery in West Africa.
Telecom
FG Plans EO to Criminalise Fiber Cable Damage Costing Telcos Billions
Nigeria will criminalize the destruction of broadband fiber cables following repeated complaints by MTN Nigeria Communications Plc and other telecommunications companies that they are losing billions of naira, according to people familiar with the matter.
Federal ministry of works, which supervises federal road constructors, is finalizing the regulation that will be signed as an executive order by President Bola Tinubu, said the people, asking not to be identified as they weren’t authorized to comment.
While there are presently laws against vandalism, the authorities are aiming to regulate construction firms more closely.
The order will enforce stiff penalties on offenders, said the people, declining to provide more details or say when it will be signed.
“Telecom assets are critical backbone that supports the economy across sectors,” said Temitope Ajayi, a senior presidential aide, who noted that the Association of Telecommunications Companies (ATCON) has been demanding the classification for years.
New rules will provide “further assurance that the Nigerian government will protect their investments against vandals and criminal elements.”
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) estimates that the sector will make up more than a fifth of the country’s gross domestic product by the end of 2027, up from 13.5% in the third quarter of last year.
The move will help alleviate pressure on the telecoms sector, which is facing increased operating costs and sales pressures from a sharp depreciation in the currency and a threefold increase in energy prices.
Repairs and revenue losses from damaged cables is estimated to have cost the sector almost 27 billion naira ($23 million) last year alone, documents seen by Bloomberg show.
MTN Nigeria, the biggest wireless operator in Africa’s most-populous nation, and Airtel Africa Plc bore the brunt of the costs, the documents show.
MTN suffered more than 6,000 cuts on its fiber cable last year, the documents show. On Feb. 28, a cut on its network in three different locations by a road construction firm, an oil serving company and someone burning rubbish in a manhole meant customers faced more than five hours of data and voice outages.
The operator relocated 2,500 kilometers (1,553 miles) of vulnerable fiber cables between 2022 and 2023, at a cost of more than 11 billion naira – enough to build 870 kilometers of new fiber lines to areas without coverage.
A presidential order on the matter would be welcomed, said Tony Izuagbe Emoekpere, president, Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria.
“When it comes to communication infrastructure, they are destroyed at will, so we are eagerly awaiting the president’s order,” he said. “It would be a great boost to the industry, and it will also encourage investment.”
Telecom
Telegram Eyes 1Bn Users amidst Political Pressures
Telegram, the messaging giant founded by Pavel Durov and headquartered in Dubai, anticipates hitting a remarkable milestone of one billion active monthly users within the next year.
Durov’s departure from Russia in 2014, prompted by governmental pressures to stifle opposition communities on his VK social media platform, underscores Telegram’s commitment to neutrality despite geopolitical challenges.
With 900 million active users currently, Telegram stands as a beacon of free speech in the digital realm, particularly influential in former Soviet Union republics and pivotal during conflicts like the Russia-Ukraine standoff.
Durov’s staunch advocacy for freedom of expression and opposition to censorship by tech giants like Apple and Google reinforces Telegram’s status as a neutral platform.
Opting for the UAE as its base, Durov cites its neutrality and openness as conducive to Telegram’s ethos, serving both opposition groups and governments alike while maintaining impartiality.
In Durov’s vision, the pursuit of freedom eclipses material gain, shaping Telegram’s trajectory as a bastion of digital liberation.
Telecom
NITDA, NIMC Announce Collaboration To Strengthen Digital Economy
To further strengthen Nigeria’s digital economy in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) have announced a collaboration on National Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) to enhance and create synergy between digital identity, payment ecosystem, and secure & seemless data exchange capabilities for Nigeria.
During the meeting between the Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, and Director General of NIMC, Engr. Bisoye Coker-Odusote, with some management staff of both organisations, they discussed various initiatives, which include building DPI stacks for a secured and seamless data exchange and forming partnerships to transform the national identity system.
This collaboration also aims to harness the potential of the innovative ecosystem and emphasise the use of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) to drive digital transformation in Nigeria.
To ensure a smooth implementation, a 12-man committee was set up. This committee will play a crucial role in kickstarting and harmonising the initiatives. It is expected to deliver a comprehensive implementation report within the next 4 weeks
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