E-Business
Spectrum – Oxygen of A Digital World
The internet in such a short time has become the most pervasive communication system in the world. Digital statistics show that whilst it took Radio 38 years and TV 13 years to individually reach 50 million users; it took the Internet only 4 years.
Even though the world is increasingly interconnected through mobile, high-speed communications, two thirds of the world’s population have yet to gain access to the Internet (UN Millennium Goals, 2012 Update Report).
Also not debatable is the economic and social impact of the internet.
A study by the World Bank revealed that a 10% increase in broadband penetration can boost the GDP growth of low- and middle-income developing countries by 1.38% — more than any other telecommunication service.
Over the last 20 years, the Internet and the Web have transformed our lives.
Looking forward, we are seeing even more exciting digital developments that will provide more benefits to more people in more places.
Some of the unprecedented opportunities that broadband connectivity presents include:
Citizen – get information/work done anywhere and anytime, also having newer ways for communicating, contributing, acting, and learning.
Businesses – News ways to serve clients and new competitive advantages, new ways to be more productive.
Innovators – New market segments, geographies, business opportunities, and competitiveness regardless of size.
Government – News ways to serve citizens and businesses, address core societal issues (Education, Healthcare, Environment etcetera), and provide Infrastructure for innovation/research leading to creation of more jobs (SMEs)
The internet has become so central to our existence in this age that the UN, defined access to the Internet as now among one of global citizens’ most basic rights.
The European Commission’s Digital Agenda goes one step further by similarly highlighting broadband access as a basic right.
Invariably connectivity (interchangeably here Spectrum) is essential in the same sense as oxygen: invisible and unnoticed, until you don’t have it (and by then you are dead).
It is therefore sad that today most of the world’s population is unconnected.
The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) estimates that for over 3.9 billion people, around 61% of the world’s population, the price of fixed broadband is unaffordable.
By continent this ranges from 8% of the population of Europe, to 90% of the population of Africa.
Likewise, basic mobile broadband is unaffordable for over 2.6 billion of the world’s population.
On the flip side the need for persistent connectivity is fueling innovation and consequentially proliferation of devices – it is expected that by 2020 there will be more than 100 billion connected intelligent devices globally.
And of course the vast majority of this connection is relying on wireless technologies and the currency of the wireless industry is Spectrum; literally the oxygen of the digital world.
Spectrum describes the range of frequencies, which wireless devices can use to transmit and receive information.
In order to manage access to spectrum, regulators allocate different bands of frequencies for different uses and establish technical rules to minimize the likelihood of harmful interference. Some bands of spectrum are licensed for the exclusive use of certain entities and specified purposes.
These include uses as varied as military and public safety purposes as well as commercial applications such as radio, television and broadband Internet.
Other bands are set aside for shared use on an unlicensed or license-exempt basis. Common uses of unlicensed or license-exempt spectrum today are Wi-Fi networks and Bluetooth devices.
It is relevant to note that historically, spectrum was managed by assigning exclusive rights to use a specific frequency in a specific location.
Initially, these authorizations were granted to governmental and commercial users at no cost. Since last two decades however, long term commercial licenses have generally been assigned through competitive auctions.
Winning bidders typically receive spectrum access in the form of exclusive assignments of frequencies to chosen services (i.e., licenses), ensuring that no other services infringe on that assignment (i.e., no interference).
Obviously limited by technology signal interference were considered a major problem of spectrum which ultimately drove the way spectrum management were therefore conceptualize, create blocks of delineated bands that guarantees exclusive use and protection of licensees’ signals.
The problem however is that this traditional licensing model of spectrum bands has limited the amount of usable spectrum for wireless data communications, particularly as the demand for data, voice, and video traffic continues to explode on Internet enabled mobile devices.
To obtain more spectrum for these applications, regulators around the world are considering proposals to assign more spectrum for exclusive use licensing.
However, nearly all the RF spectrum is allocated for specific applications, making reallocation of exclusive use licenses extremely challenging and time consuming.
In reality, large portions of the allocated spectrum are not actively used in space and time.
To alleviate this disparity in spectrum use, researchers and policy makers have proposed the concept of Dynamic Spectrum Access (DSA), allowing devices to use unoccupied portions of spectrum without interfering with the licensee’s transmissions
Dynamic Spectrum Access (DSA) is an umbrella term used to describe a set of technologies and techniques enabling radio communications devices to opportunistically transmit on available radio spectrum.
These technologies and techniques ensure that consumers and their devices have wireless bandwidth when and where they need it.
We at Microsoft belief that the first globally-harmonized opportunity to use DSA technologies and techniques will be in the TV bands.
Technologies exist today that can use TV band white spaces spectrum for a range of wireless applications, from broadband, to wireless offload, to machine-to-machine.
The term TV White Space spectrum refers to frequencies in the VHF and UHF television broadcast bands that are either unassigned or unused by existing broadcast or other licensees.
Television broadcasts occupy designated channels in the VHF and UHF bands, with the assignment of channels to broadcasts varying by location.
Not all the designated channels are in use for broadcast in any given market, giving rise to “White Spaces” in which a channel that is not used for broadcast may be available for other purposes.
Unlocking the TV band and other unused white spaces spectrum will mean significantly increasing the total amount of bandwidth available for consumers and their devices – and thereby alleviating pressure on other spectrum bands.
Based on the results of trials Microsoft has conducted in the U.S, Europe and Asia, we believe that TVWS technology will be able to deliver similar functionality and high speeds compared to other wireless broadband technologies.
TVWS has couple of distinct advantages highlighted below:
TVWS networks work in much the same way as conventional Wi-Fi, but the signals travel over longer distances than the typical Wi-Fi signal.
Conventional Wi-Fi is relatively weak when it comes to working in typical physical settings – bumping up against concrete obstructions and many types of walls. TVWS can overcome these limits.
Just as your TV signal passes through walls (and many of them), the wireless signal for your Internet connection will as well.
Ability to achieve greater efficiencies
Covering a longer and wider range with approximately the – same power and computing requirements results in systems – that will deliver more bandwidth and more consumer benefits at lower network costs and lower power consumption.
Given these inherent distinct advantages, some specific scenario that TVWS easily lends itself to as a best in class solution include:
Leveraging long range characteristics enables scenarios like Cellular offloading; Rural broadband/backhaul; Wide-coverage hotspots; Sensor network; Wireless surveillance system; etc.
Whilst its obstacle penetration/avoidance characteristics enables Indoor video distribution; M2M –factory floor automation; Device to device network; etc.
For over 5 years, Microsoft has been working with industry and government partners around the world to demonstrate the viability and potential of Dynamic Spectrum and TV White Spaces.
The viability of the technology has been proven in over a dozen trials and commercial deployments around the world – ranging from remote villages of Africa to the dense urban centers of Asia.
As part of efforts to drive thought leadership in this space, Microsoft recently partnered with couple of other stakeholders to form the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance; a global, cross-industry alliance focused on increasing dynamic access to unused radio frequencies.
DSA is advocating for laws and regulations that will lead to more efficient and effective spectrum utilization.
Its membership spans multinationals, small- and medium-sized enterprises, and academic, research, and other organizations from around the world, all working to create innovative solutions that will increase the amount of available spectrum to the benefit of consumers and businesses alike.
Specific goals of DSA includes:
Closing the Digital Divide –supporting technical, regulatory, and business model innovations that can reduce the cost of deploying last-mile wireless networks and help to make wireless broadband access more affordable for people around the world.
Enabling the Internet of Things – supporting spectrum policies that can enable the burgeoning Internet of Things – with potentially billions of interconnected wireless devices operating on our behalf – increasing efficiency and improving quality of life.
Alleviating the “Spectrum Crunch” – The Dynamic Spectrum Alliance supports changing regulatory policies that create artificial spectrum scarcity and replace them with policies that will increase available bandwidth, reduce costs, and increase consumer choice.
In Nigeria we are at the fore-front of advocacy for the use of TVWS to help actualize the goals of the countries recently released well-articulated Broadband Policy Implementation Plan.
Amongst other broad goals, the broadband plans has a target to deliver 80% mobile broadband penetration by 2018 and an open access shared infrastructure environment to support future growth.
Microsoft is keen to with local partners participate in a TV band white spaces regulatory trials to explore large scale pilot that addresses scenarios of Education, eHealth, Rural Digital Inclusion, etc.
In conclusion, TVWS will enable new business models making access more affordable and can improve education, healthcare, e-government, small business empowerment & social inclusion; for this to materialize policymakers should think differently about spectrum allocation and regulation.
We support ongoing efforts to gain a better understanding of the viability and potential impact of TVWS in Nigeria by the Ministry of Communication Technology and the Federal Spectrum Management Council through ongoing discussions around regulatory trials and demonstration in the country.
We further recommend that TVWS ultimately be made available for license-exempt (unlicensed) access on a harmonized basis, facilitated by the use of geo-location databases and other interference protection mechanisms to support the Nations objectives of enabling ubiquitous affordable broadband connectivity and services across Nigeria country to better position the country to compete in the information age.
Olayinka Oni is seasoned IT professional with experience spanning consulting and the banking industry, he is currently the Chief Technology Officer of Microsoft Nigeria and he writes from Lagos.
As digital financial services continue to grow globally, cyber threats are becoming more advanced, more automated, and more financially damaging. In Nigeria, where digital payments are becoming a part of everyday life, these threats pose significant risks to both consumers and financial institutions.
Industry reports continue to show that account takeover remains one of the dominant fraud issues in Nigeria, accounting for a significant share of 43% banking-related losses reported to Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS). Between early 2023 and mid-2025, the financial sector is estimated to have lost hundreds of billions of naira to digital fraud, while 281,500 user accounts have been exposed through breaches and leaks in Q1 alone.
Responding to this kind of threat environment requires more than a single line of defence. It requires a broader security model that combines intelligence, automation, identity verification, and ecosystem collaboration.
PalmPay, leading digital payments platform, has built its cybersecurity framework on a multi-layered security architecture designed to anticipate, detect, and mitigate risks before they escalate. Rather than relying on a single line of defence, PalmPay integrates AI-driven fraud monitoring, continuous risk assessment, behavioural analysis, and multi-layer authentication to strengthen account protection.
One important part of this approach is biometric and facial verification. As account takeover attempts increasingly exploit stolen credentials, identity verification has become one of the most effective tools in combating fraud. By combining facial verification with PIN and OTP authentication, PalmPay introduces multiple layers of protection that help ensure access is tied to the legitimate account owner, significantly reducing the risk of unauthorized access.
Complementing this is PalmPay’s Fraud Case Management System that enhances how potential fraud incidents are detected, analysed, and managed. By centralising fraud intelligence and enabling faster response times, the system helps security teams identify emerging patterns and intervene more proactively.
PalmPay’s Anti-Fraud Manager, Omoruyi Aiyudu, commented: “Fraud prevention today requires a shift from isolated security controls to a connected, intelligence-driven security ecosystem. At PalmPay, we leverage AI-driven fraud detection, behavioural analytics, and multi-layered authentication to identify and mitigate risks in real time. We continue to invest in advanced technologies to strengthen account security and build a safer, more resilient digital financial ecosystem for our users.”
Ecosystem Collaboration
Cybersecurity does not stop at internal controls. Stronger outcomes also depend on collaboration across the wider financial ecosystems.
PalmPay continues to work with regulators, law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders to support stronger cybercrime detection and response capabilities. One example is collaboration with the Nigerian Cybersecurity Unit of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), including support through the provision of advanced equipment designed to enhance fraud detection and investigation capacity.
The company also recently collaborated with the Nigerian Data Protection Commission on a specialized data protection training to enhance internal data governance practices and advance compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA) 2023.
These efforts reflect a broader view of security, one that recognizes that customer protection depends not only on technology, but also on governance, institutional cooperation, and responsible data handling.
PalmPay also believes that effective cybersecurity requires active participation from every stakeholder in the digital ecosystem. This is why user awareness remains an important part of its approach. Technology can reduce risk, but informed behaviour remains one of the strongest protections against fraud.
As cyber threats continue to evolve, the future of cybersecurity will depend on organisations adopting intelligent, adaptive, and collaborative security models. AI-led security solutions are no longer optional; they are becoming essential to staying ahead of increasingly sophisticated threats, strengthening customer trust, and the digital economy.
Galaxy Backbone (GBB) Limited has mapped out strategies to strengthen Nigeria’s digital infrastructure in order to make the country globally competitive in the face of Artificial intelligence, blockchain, cloud computing and other emerging technologies aimed at securing the digital future of the country.
Prof Ibrahim Adeyanju, managing director and CEO of GBB, made this known during a press conference to unveil a flurry of activities to celebrate the 20th anniversary of GBB in Abuja on Monday, stressing that Galaxy Backbone has evolved from a connectivity provider into one of Nigeria’s most strategic digital infrastructure institutions.
Galaxy Backbone is a public enterprise of the Federal Government of Nigeria incorporated in 2006 with the primary mandate of setting up and operating a unified Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure platform that addresses the connectivity, transversal and other technology imperatives for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the federal government and private entities.
He said in the last 20 years, the agency has invested in world-class data centre infrastructure, including uptime certified Tier III and Tier IV facilities that provide secure, resilient and reliable environments for hosting missions critical to systems and applications.
He noted that these facilities strengthen data sovereignty, ensure business continuity and help keep Nigeria’s most critical digital assets secure.
“Through our cloud infrastructure and the 1Government Cloud platform, government institutions can access scalable digital services without the burden of building costly infrastructure independently. This shared-services model improves efficiency, reduces costs and accelerates innovation.
“We have delivered platforms such as GovMail (the homegrown Official government email), collaboration tools, hosting services, connectivity solutions and shared applications that support thousands of public servants and hundreds of institutions every day,” he said.
He emphasized that the true value of Galaxy Backbone is not measured by kilometres of fibre, data centres or technology alone but by impact.
He explained that the GBB fibre infrastructure today spans almost 30 states of the federation, connecting government institutions and creating the foundation for digital government even as he pledged that the remaining states and local areas will all be captured in due course.
On cyber security, the GBB boss noted that the agency has strengthened cybersecurity capabilities and continues to invest in protecting government systems and critical national digital assets, against cyber-attacks.
“We have the digital infrastructure and we are collaborating with partners to use these emerging technologies. We also have a top tier cyber security operation center and they are multilayered such that even when there is a spike in cyber-attacks none of them have been successful so far.
He added that the GBB is collaborating with other government agencies like the National Security Adviser, The Nigeria Police, and Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to ensure that government information is protected.
Ibrahim Sani Mohammed, executive director Finance and Corporate Services of the GBB, while fielding questions noted that the agency has created enormous value and has contributed immensely in the digital ecosystem of Nigeria helping to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
Olusegun Olulade, executive director Customer Centrality and Marketing of the GBB, said that customers have remained the formidable partners in the GBB journey of 20 years, adding that the agency has developed the mechanism to ensure customer satisfaction as it intensifies efforts to build trust.
Nigerian banks are increasingly embracing artificial intelligence (AI) to improve customer service, strengthen fraud detection, and streamline operations.
Pic credit….gdprlocal.com
However, the same technology driving innovation could also expose the country’s financial system to unprecedented cyber risks, according to a recent warning from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The IMF has cautioned that advanced AI tools are rapidly enhancing the capabilities of cybercriminals, making it easier and faster to identify and exploit vulnerabilities in banking systems, payment infrastructure, and digital platforms.
For Nigeria, where digital banking transactions have surged in recent years and financial institutions are becoming more interconnected, the implications could be significant.
The warning comes at a time when Nigerian banks are investing heavily in digital transformation.
From AI-powered customer support systems to automated fraud monitoring tools and digital lending platforms, financial institutions are relying more than ever on technology to drive growth and improve efficiency.
Yet experts warn that this digital expansion is also widening the attack surface for cybercriminals.
The IMF noted that advanced AI models can dramatically reduce the time and expertise required to discover software vulnerabilities.
This means attackers can launch more sophisticated and coordinated cyberattacks against multiple institutions simultaneously.
For Nigeria’s banking sector, which depends on common payment rails, cloud infrastructure, telecommunications networks, and shared service providers, a major cyber incident could quickly spread across the financial ecosystem.
Nigeria’s financial sector has undergone a remarkable digital revolution over the past decade.
Data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) show that electronic payments now account for trillions of naira in monthly transactions, driven by mobile banking, instant payments, fintech innovation, and the growing adoption of digital channels.
The success of platforms such as the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) Instant Payments network has made banking more accessible and efficient.
However, it has also increased dependence on interconnected digital infrastructure.
According to the IMF, this interconnectedness creates systemic vulnerabilities.
A cyberattack targeting a critical service provider, cloud platform, telecommunications network, or payment gateway could disrupt services across multiple banks at the same time.
Unlike traditional bank robberies or isolated cyber incidents, AI-enabled attacks have the potential to trigger widespread operational disruptions, affecting payment processing, customer access to funds, and confidence in the banking system.
The IMF warns that extreme cyber incidents could evolve from operational challenges into broader financial stability concerns.
If multiple banks are simultaneously affected by a cyberattack, customers may experience service outages, delayed transactions, or restricted access to deposits.
Such disruptions could undermine public confidence and create liquidity pressures, especially if panic withdrawals or transaction bottlenecks occur.
The concern is not merely theoretical.
Over the past few years, Nigerian financial institutions have experienced increasing levels of cyber fraud, phishing attacks, identity theft, and ransomware threats.
Although regulators and banks have improved cybersecurity frameworks, AI-driven attacks could significantly raise the sophistication and scale of these threats.
The IMF believes that the growing concentration of technology services could further amplify the risks.
Many Nigerian banks rely on a relatively small number of software vendors, cloud providers, telecommunications operators, and payment infrastructure providers. A successful attack on one critical provider could have cascading effects across the entire banking system.
This concentration risk is becoming more pronounced as financial institutions increasingly adopt AI solutions from a limited number of global technology companies.
Despite the risks, AI is also emerging as one of the most powerful tools available to banks in defending against cyber threats.
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