Stories Olabisi Olaleye [email protected] 08094000013, 08111813040
In a couple of weeks, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) would auction a 2.6Ghz spectrum to bidders in Abuja during a transparent process. In this write up, the impact of this spectrum on the average Nigerian is examined.
While spectrum frequency may sound outlandish to the average man on the street and how the proposed auction on May 17, 2016 will turn out may not be his immediate concern but how that will impact his life on the long run is of paramount importance.
A spectrum is simply a range of light or radio wave transmission while the auction is a process where government sells licences to transmit signals over specific bands of electromagnetic wave to assign scarce spectrum resources.
Depending on the specific auction format used, a spectrum auction can last from a single day to several months from the opening bid to the final winning bid. With a well-designed auction, resources are allocated efficiently to the parties that value them while government generates revenue in the process.
In Nigeria, the usual complaints are anchored on poor quality of service and very slow internet access. But if the winners finally emerge, Nigerians expect to start experiencing the 4G voice over Long Term Evolution (voLTE) dividend.
According to Ibidapo Nwawulu, “whether a spectrum is auctioned or not, the most important thing for me is the benefit that will come to me but at an affordable price.”
Although if the preferred winners emerge and they are able to roll out their services thereafter, industry critics say there might be a seamless broadband connectivity that would further drop the price of monopoly.
The auction is expected to generate $224 million for the Federal Government through Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). This revenue would be from 14 lots of 2.6Ghz at the rate of $16 million per lot. The generic price of $16 million was arrived at by the Federal Government after due consultation.
While assuring the populace on the workability of the spectrum auction, the commission stated that the sale of the capacity spectrum is critical at this stage because it would provide advanced wireless broadband services to the country as many subscribers are yearning for 4G LTE, which is overdue.
Commenting on the auction, NCC’s Director, Spectrum Administration, Mr. Augustine Nwaulune, during the clarification of the information memorandum (IM) that contained intending auction for 2.6Ghz spectrum, disclosed that the approved date for the spectrum auction in Abuja is May 17, stating that provisional winners would be announced on May 20.
He added that the commission reserves the right to sanction the licensee based on relevant sections of existing regulations except for areas where force is established.
“Win it or lose it is the slogan. Change has come. If any operator is not meeting up despite the roll out, NCC will come after such operator. Industry is in need of services and we will be strict with spectrum roll out enforcement. It is a capacity spectrum, not a coverage that penetrates into every local government because the nature is different from others. It has sufficient capacity for efficiency.
“Operators are expected to go above the minimum to provide services. The whole essence is to make broadband available in all states’ capital.”
He said for any company to be eligible for the bid, applicants must be independent, must transfer an Intention to Bid (IBD) for the amount approved into the designated account in cleared fund, adding that there are 14 lots to be licensed.
However, the Spectrum Administration Director warned operators that the auction is limited to licensed operators and that they must not be indebted to the commission.
Meanwhile, an industry analyst, Ifeyinwa Obienu, noted that NCC should move beyond mere talks and enforce instructions if it wants the service providers to honour its word.
Nwaulune further added that it won’t be business as usual for operators that refuse to roll out after several years of winning the auction, adding that in the event of the winning licensee’s inability to deploy services as specified, the license would be withdrawn.
How to make mega bucks via cloud computing
An expert has disclosed that companies can save a lot of money by investing in cloud computing technologies that can help organisations tackle the burden of acquisition of servers, software and staff that manage them.
The expert, who is the Oracle Country Manager, Adebayo Sanni, said there is digital disruption across the world in the ways businesses are run and that the change is driven by the social media and big data analytical, among others, citing Uber as an example of how taxi business has been redefined. He, however, said the Oracle Cloud platform enables businesses and public sector agencies to increase performance through concentration on core activities devoid of cumbersome data management.
“Oracle Cloud enables users to consolidate and manage databases as cloud services and accelerate analytical performance while achieving new levels of efficiency, security and availability.
“As many are aware that data management is time consuming, this outdated system also leads to data loss in case of fires, earthquakes, power outages and hacking, among others. The Oracle Cloud delivers great customer experience throughout the customer journey and across all interaction channels
Cloud solution designed to rapidly innovate, develop and commercialise profitable products will increase returns and grow business faster.
Bitflux commences service on 2.3Ghz spectrum
Bitflux Communications Ltd, winner of the 2.3GHz spectrum, is set to roll out services that would be beneficial to Nigerians.
In a statement by the company, Lagos State has been adequately populated with PoPs for service provisioning under the scheme. Bitflux has activated 48 PoPs across the major towns and cities nationwide aside from Lagos and PoPs are live and will serve as the backbone for the last mile wholesale wireless service.
In line with laid down procedure for license issuance, in 2014, NCC announced guidelines and conducted the auction of 30MHz in the 2.3GHz spectrum band.
“Pursuant to our participation in the 2.3GHz spectrum auction, Bitflux Communications Limited (Bitflux) won the 30MHz of spectrum on offer and was issued a Wholesale Wireless Access Service License (WWASL), the first and only one of its kind in Nigeria.”
The license empowers Bitflux to construct, maintain, operate and use a network consisting of a Mobile Communication System, a Fixed Wireless Access Telecommunications System or a combination of any of these systems deployed for the purpose of providing point to point or switched/unswitched point to multipoint communications for the conveyance of voice, data, video or any kind of message.
“As a wholesaler, our retail operations will be anchored on a partnership arrangement
Mobile apps to transform Nigeria’s landscape –GIG
The Executive Chairman of God Is Good Motors (GIGM.com), Mr. Chidi Ajaere, has said that mobile applications would further transform the way things are done globally, particularly in the country. He disclosed this during the launch of a new mobile app in Lagos.
According to him, the new GIGM app was part of the company’s strategic investment in building a futuristic and tech-driven institution, saying, “we wanted to make our services better for our costumers. As a road transport company, one of the challenges facing our sector is safety and we wanted to use technology to improve and drive safety, which is one of our passions and also providing the best service for our costumers. For us, this is a process for continuous improvement. This new technology was informed by our desire for better and safer service for our costumers.”
He further maintained that this will increase user experience and create greater functionality while ensuring that all guests have a hub to book trips, see travel schedules, and also ensure interaction with the organisation.
“The GIGM.com app is designed to make traveling a very rewarding experience by ensuring the ease of booking road trips and reducing the time it takes to make travel reservations. It eliminates customer queues at the terminals and users can enjoy amazing discounts and more.
“We are market leaders and to remain number one, we need innovations of the sort we launched today to drive the industry and set the road map for Nigeria’s young entrepreneurs.”
On measures put in place to address downtime, he said, “we have a manual mechanism that helps our processes. Aside that, we always have back up for our internet service. There is still some internet service that we want to introduce but the Nigerian internet infrastructure can’t carry it. We have internet back up in all our terminals.”
Learn Africa signs MOA with samsung
To boost the education sector in Nigeria and West Africa, Learn Africa Plc and Samsung Electronics West Africa have argued a memorandum of Agreement (MoA).
The deal is to achieve a collaboration of efforts towards the integration of education-based e-content from Learn Africa Plc into Samsung mobile devices. These integrated educational solution and products will be promoted to all public and private schools nation-wide. The MoA is to achieve a partnership that will lead to qualitative transformation in education.
Learn Africa Plc (formerly Longman Nigeria Plc) is a learning resource business with a history spanning over 50 years. The company is the largest educational publisher with the widest range of books and educational resources and a very expansive distribution network. Learn Africa Plc also offers teacher training/development programmes, digital content provisioning and educational consultancy services. Samsung Electronics West Africa Limited is one of the subsidiaries of Samsung Electronics, Korea and is involved in the encouragement of customized education solutions for educational institutions in Nigeria using the wide range of products manufactured by Samsung Electronics, Korea.
Both companies are convinced that this is the kind of solution the Nigerian education sector requires to turn around the standard of our educational system. This innovation is one that students of this digital age will easily identify with.