Telecom
Starcomms Rolls Out Rare Value Added Services
Nigeria’s highly innovative telecommunication company, Starcomms plc, has rolled out a lot of value-added services to the pleasure of its subscribers in the last few months. These services tailored to help Starcomms’ 3 million subscribers live their lives in much better ways than they would without their phones.
“At Starcomms, what stand us out are mostly our innovative services. Of course the credit for that goes to the staff. Then we have very high standard and high quality services. We just want subscribers with smiles on their faces,” said Tushar Maheshwari, Starcomms Chief Commercial Officer.
Some of these innovative services have positioned Starcomms as pioneer of a kind in West Africa and in fact the whole of Africa. For instance, Starcomms is Africa’s 1st CDMA operator to introduce location based services which are deployed by most big international telecommunications company to its subscribers.
The service, called StarTrack allows subscribers (Locators) on the Starcomms network to know the whereabouts of their Friends, Family, Team and loved ones via SMS at every point in time. This service will however be enjoyed with the consent of the subscribers being located (Locatees) to allow the locator (registered Starcomms Subscriber) to locate them.
With the aid of StarTrack, subscribers would be able to keep up with their buddies wherever they are – in school, at the club, the cinemas, in the mall or at their office and hook up with them. This service is very useful for families, especially when parents need to know the whereabouts of their wards that may not be far from home. The parents can easily know when they are in their school and ensure their safety and wellbeing without making phone calls or sending SMS to them directly.
Subscribers would be required to register for this unique service by sending an SMS in the following format: REG & name to 33391, and then add buddies by adding them via SMS in the following format: Add & name and Starcomms number and send it to 33392.
To locate loved ones, subscribers can send in the following SMS FIND & name or number to 33392. This service uses the mobile network locations of the cell sites and subscriber’s location would be indicated as the respective cell site location as in the vicinity of the cell site address with time & date of the Starcomms phone radiating last when the query was sent.
Subscribers can also request for the complete list of those that can be tracked by SMS: LIST to 33392 while the list of those that can locate a subscriber can be requested for by SMS WHO to 33393.
Tushar Maheshwari said: “Starcomms StarTrack has been particularly designed to eliminate worries in the lives of people who want to be on top of their circumstances always. We recognize the fact that subscribers cannot be everywhere all the time. But the need to be in close touch without necessarily interfering in each other’s activities makes StarTrack the service of choice”
Also keeping its subscribers abreast of modernity, Starcomms is also offering all its subscribers, regardless of the quality of phones the opportunity to log on to world’s popular networking sites Facebook, Twitter, Hi5 and MySpace. The Starcomms Social Networking Service, the first in the country, creates a platform for users to connect to their web contact without the need for a computer.
Other VAS from Starcomms include Listen-to-the-Bible, and Listen-to-Quran services that enable subscribers to make use of the time they usually spend in traffic, at the bus stops or while commuting on a long trip or even for their nightly Bible and Quran study at their convenience.
To enjoy the facility Starcomms phone users will need to dial a short code *777 for Bible or *786 for Quran on their Starcomms phones to access these services and select any particular verse of Holy Bible or Quran and listen to at a fixed cost of only N25 per call, which may last as long as an hour.
Related to the social networking service is the voice chat service. This is designed to help foster relationships among Starcomms subscribers whose personal traits align. Named Starcomms Afritalk, the service will enable customers to relate by voice with people who are not on their phone lists and so extend their span of influence.
To enjoy this service subscriber can dial *3333 and follow the voice prompt to create their profile in their own rich format and get their identity number which would be their number to reach by anyone after the invitation has been accepted by both the Starcomms Afritalk service subscribers.
Starcomms Afritalk enthusiasts will be able to find friends, based on the criteria they request, who match their profile and their invitation to be able to connect with the new contact on Starcomms network through voice chat. To call their contact on Afritalk, one would need to dial the allocated numeric Afritalk identity from their Starcomms phones and continue talking without revealing the real identity.
Viral rumors about a “Tesla Pi Phone” a new phone, being developed by Elon Musk, CEO and largest shareholder of Tesla and SpaceX, are entirely fake.
AI Generated Tesla Pi Phone and Elon Musk
Instead, the tech giant said on Monday it has filed an application with the US Federal Communications Commission for permission to deploy the constellation by 2028.
It said the system would provide voice, messaging, data and emergency services.
A quick fact-check revealed that Tesla Inc. has never manufactured, developed, or released a smartphone.
Videos and articles claiming a release (often priced between $150 and $800 with solar charging or satellite-only connections) rely on AI-generated concept art and recycled internet hoaxes dating back to 2021.
Musk has only mentioned a phone in hypothetical remarks, stating Tesla would build one only if major app stores completely blocked or censored essential apps like X (formerly Twitter).
On Monday however, his company said that “Amazon looks forward to delivering on the promise of D2D [direct-to-device] connectivity, including to the millions of people living, travelling and working in places beyond the reach of existing networks today,”
The filing is the first step from Amazon into satellite mobile connections, which has until now been dominated by SpaceX’s Starlink service.
Musk’s group has signed partnerships with existing operators such as T-Mobile US and the UK’s Virgin Media O2 to provide phone services for customers where their conventional networks do not reach.
Starlink operates across more than 150 countries, offering high-speed internet connections through its constellation of satellites.
Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has attributed rising mobile data consumption to increased use of smartphone applications, cloud services and emerging digital technologies.
Mr Gbenga Adebayo, chairman, ALTON
Mr Gbenga Adebayo, chairman, ALTON, disclosed this on Tuesday at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) conference in Lagos.
Adebayo said smartphones had transformed access to digital services, with many applications consuming data continuously, even when users were not actively browsing the internet.
He explained that automatic software updates, cloud backups, application synchronisation, video streaming, social media autoplay and location services significantly increased data consumption.
According to him, internet usage had changed considerably from a decade ago when consumers mainly relied on direct browsing with fewer digital applications running simultaneously.
He said growing adoption of artificial intelligence, cloud computing and other emerging technologies would further increase demand for reliable connectivity and greater network capacity.
“The evolution of smartphones has fundamentally changed how consumers access digital services, with many applications now consuming data continuously,” Adebayo said.
He stressed that digital literacy had become increasingly important because consumers needed to understand how their devices and applications consumed mobile data.
He advised subscribers to monitor application activity, adjust device settings and use built-in data management tools to better control their data consumption.
Adebayo said greater understanding of digital tools would help dispel misconceptions about data usage and strengthen public confidence in Nigeria’s telecommunications industry.
Responding to allegations that operators deliberately depleted customers’ data, Adebayo dismissed the claims, insisting telecommunications companies had no commercial incentive to engage in such practices.
He said every megabyte consumed on telecom networks was recorded through internationally standardised billing systems supplied by recognised technology vendors and regulated by authorities.
“Such a practice would be unlawful, unethical, commercially self-defeating and subject to stringent regulatory oversight by the Nigerian Communications Commission,” he said.
Adebayo explained that operators’ billing systems were designed to guarantee accuracy, transparency and verification, while genuine consumer complaints were investigated through established protection channels.
He added that the Nigerian Communications Commission’s complaint resolution mechanisms and technical audits provided consumers with credible avenues for seeking redress over billing concerns.
According to him, trust remains essential to expanding Nigeria’s digital economy because telecommunications infrastructure supported banking, healthcare, education, commerce and government services.
He said the telecommunications sector had evolved beyond basic communication services into a critical driver of productivity, investment, innovation and national economic growth.
Adebayo noted that emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, financial technology, smart manufacturing and digital agriculture, depended on resilient telecommunications infrastructure.
He said Nigeria could only maximise these opportunities through sustained collaboration among government, regulators, telecommunications operators and consumers.
Adebayo reaffirmed operators’ commitment to improving customer experience, strengthening network resilience and promoting transparency in telecommunications service delivery.
He urged stakeholders to encourage evidence-based discussions on digital services, stressing that public trust remained indispensable for the sustained growth of Nigeria’s digital economy.
(NAN)
Telecom
Galaxy Backbone Soft Launches Government Service Portal to Simplify Access to Public Services
Galaxy Backbone (GBB), in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy (FMCIDE) and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), officially conducted the soft launch of the Government Service Portal (GSP), a groundbreaking digital platform designed to transform how citizens, businesses and government institutions interact.
The event, held at the Galaxy Backbone National Shared Services Centre (NSSC) Headquarters in Abuja, brought together senior government officials, development partners, technology stakeholders and members of the media to unveil services.gov.ng—Nigeria’s new one-stop digital gateway for accessing government services.
The Government Service Portal is designed to provide a single, trusted platform through which Nigerians can easily discover, access and interact with digital services offered by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). By consolidating government services into one unified portal, the initiative aims to improve accessibility, enhance service delivery and create a more seamless citizen experience.
Speaking at the event, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Galaxy Backbone. Professor Ibrahim Adeyanju, stated that the launch represents another significant milestone in Nigeria’s digital transformation journey and reflects the Federal Government’s commitment to building a more connected, efficient, transparent and citizen-centred public service.
He emphasized that the Portal is more than a website; it is the foundation of a unified digital gateway that places the needs of citizens and businesses at the centre of government service delivery.
He further noted that while the event marks the beginning of the Portal’s journey, the soft launch provides an opportunity to onboard pioneer MDAs, gather user feedback, strengthen system integrations and continuously improve the platform ahead of a wider national rollout.
Representing key stakeholder institutions at the launch were the Deputy Director of KOICA Nigeria, Mr. Ki Yun Baik; the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy, represented by Mr. Joseph Bareiye, Director of e-Government; the Permanent Secretary, State House, represented by Mr. Oguntuyi Olusegun, Head of ICT; and the Executive Director, Digital Exploration and Technical Services, Galaxy Backbone, Olumbe Akinkugbe.
The Government Service Portal aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and supports Nigeria’s broader Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) agenda by creating a citizen-facing gateway that complements existing investments in digital identity, secure infrastructure, cloud services, cybersecurity and digital government platforms. It can be accessed using the link: services.gov.ng . The initiative is expected to strengthen public service delivery, increase transparency, improve operational efficiency and foster greater trust between government and citizens.
Galaxy Backbone reaffirmed its commitment to supporting all Ministries, Departments and Agencies in integrating their digital services into the Portal, noting that collaboration across government will be critical to building an inclusive, interoperable and efficient digital ecosystem that benefits every Nigerian.
The Government Service Portal is expected to evolve into Nigeria’s central digital gateway for public services, making government services simpler, faster and more accessible for citizens and businesses alike.
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