Author: ITPulse

  By Kester Omu The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), today revealed that the country’s telecoms sector contributed a whopping N1.549 trillion to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the second quarter of 2017. The Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, Prof Umar Garba Danbatta, who revealed this while receiving the Chairperson of Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) Madam Angelique Weeks at the NCC headquarter in Abuja, said the contribution represents a 6.68 percent increase from the first quarter of the year (N1.452 trillion). Danbatta said the figures were derived from recently released Bureau of Statistics (NBS’s) report on the economy, which confirmed…

  By kester Omu The Nigerian government has again stressed the need why it is considering the promotion and subsequent establishment of Information and Communications technology development bank, saying the bank will provide the needed funding for the ICT industry instead of depending on commercial banks which charges high interest rate. The Minister of Communications, Barr. Adebayo Shittu disclosed this yesterday in his Keynote Address during the INDO-AFRICAN ICT EXPO 2017, held at the Eko Hotel-Lagos. In his words: “The Ministry of Communications is thinking of promoting an ICT Development Bank to assist in providing the needed funding for the…

  By Martin Ekpeke Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) are set to benefit from an estimated US$1.8 trillion Internet of Things (IoT) revenue opportunity by 2026 boosted by the early deployment of commercial Low Power Wide Area Networks in licensed spectrum, the GSMA forecast has disclosed. This is even as live Mobile IoT Initiative supporting commercial LPWA network deployments has increased to 15 worldwide. According to new figures in the IoT Forecast Database Research published by analyst house Machina Research, sees a huge growth opportunities for mobile operators delivered through new Mobile IoT applications and services. To date, 12 mobile operators…

  Smart is the adjective of our modern world, a world where applications, solutions, products and even entire industries are making innovative use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to improve the quality of our lives and the efficiency of our services. The potential of smart is enormous. In a smart city, for example, everything from transport to urban planning, electricity supply, local government services and infrastructure management can be improved through the use of ICTs. Smart technologies are essential to create sustainable urbanization, protect the environment and manage living spaces. Smart banking is poised to bring the billions of…

  The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has clarified its position on the possible health hazard or otherwise from the use of mobile phone, saying it never said mobile phone causes cancer as reported by some mass media. Some mass media had quoted the telecom regulator as saying in a presentation it made at a stakeholder forum in Ado Ekiti on type approval processes, with a focus on mobile devices that the use of mobile phone causes cancer. But in a statement it issued in Abuja, the Commission states unequivocally that it never issued any statement or made any presentation to…

  A 2017 report by GSMA Intelligence has disclosed that the total cost of mobile ownership (TCMO) for purchasing a handset and 500 MB of data per month represents on average 10 per cent of monthly income, well above the 5 per cent threshold recommended by the UN Broadband Commission. The report, which covers 27 countries in the region where data is available, noted that high prices have the most adverse impact on those on lower incomes, who are to benefit the most from access to mobile technologies. A further breakdown shows the cost of an equivalent basket as a…

  Nigerians are set to experience enhanced Internet services, as MainOne, West Africa’s leading connectivity and Data Center solutions provider has successfully integrated to the new Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6), on the network of the Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN) and is one of the largest networks in Nigeria to connect to IXPN via IPv6. MainOne disclosed this in a statement signed by the Head of Managed Services and IP, Mr. Chidinma Iwe. According to him, the integration to IPv6 addresses on the network of the  Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN)…

As new technologies and innovations emerge and become ubiquitous and demanding, African communications ministers led by Nigeria’s Communications Minister, Barrister Adebayo Shittu, and his Ghanaian counter, Mrs. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, will file out this September 6 and 7 in Nigeria with their Indian counterpart, Shri Manoj Sinha in a determined effort to fashion the future of Africa’s Information and Communications Technology industry. The occasion is the Indo-Africa ICT Expo & Summit 2017, a two-day forum designed under the auspices of strengthening Indo-African relations essentially to move the African ICT industry to greater heights with the theme ‘Digital Dreams of Developing Nations’.…

  By Martin Ekpeke Despite more than 420 million people, representing 43 per cent of the population in Sub-Saharan Africa subscribing to a mobile service at the end of 2016, a whopping 700 million people in the region still lack access to mobile Internet services. The GSMA Intelligence Report titled ‘Taxing mobile connectivity in Sub-Saharan Africa: A review of mobile sector taxation and its impact on digital inclusion’, disclosed this saying most countries in Sub-Saharan Africa face a significant digital divide. The report attributed affordability and coverage as the main significant barrier militating against mobile Internet connectivity in the region,…

  A while back, I had a post on my social media that drew sharp contrasting views. It was regarding positioning with lowest price as the main competitive differentiator, suggesting that it was a race to zero (or to the bottom). I promised to follow up with a full article on competitive strategy to address the questions raised. I see four clear and distinct models for competitive strategy as follows: Technology Leadership This strategy is mostly adopted by companies who have captured a major leadership advantage on the innovation curve. The leadership position they hold in their niche market is…