Nigerians are Low in ICT Adoption,Says Minister

THE rate of adoption of ICTs by Nigerians in their human endeavour is low, the Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson has said.

The minister who made the disclosure during a stakeholders meeting in Lagos noted that ownership and adoption rates exhibit socio-demographic patterns noting that ownership and adoption rates are lower in rural areas than urban and amongst women than men.

She told the stakeholders made largely of experts drawn from the private sector that there is the need for the ownership and adoption rates to be improved.

She called on the stakeholders make access to infrastructure and devices (PCs and handsets) easier, more affordable to increase digital awareness and literacy amongst the population.

Johnson disclosed that the Federal Government has stepped-up efforts in that direction noting that 27 Universities are to be the fully internet connected by July this year.

The minister said that the links are currently being tested stating 12 Medical Colleges, 28 off campus sites and 9 Federal Universities by would be connected by September 2013.

According to her, the State Universities, Polytechnics, Colleges of Education in would follow and be connected between 2014/2015 adding that the government through the Tertiary Institutions Access Project (TIAP) has provided desktop computers, printers, wireless network facilities to tertiary institutions saying that from 2013, TIAP  Universities Inter-Campus Connectivity would be providing fibre connectivity between 17 Nigerian Universities and their corresponding Medical Colleges/Teaching Hospitals

She said that the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan has declared Nigerian students a priority and as such through its School Access Project (SAP) has provided Classmate PCs, with e-learning content and accessories, solar power solutions, high-speed internet connectivity and wireless network deployment to government public schools.

She recalled that the project was implemented in 605 Schools between 2010 – 2012; with additional 218 schools expected to benefit in 2013 adding that government has also commenced the Student Computer Ownership Scheme , which allows students to purchase laptops via low interest rate loan with monthly repayment plan of between N3,500 and N5,800.

During the interaction with the stakeholders, which also formed part of her ministerial scorecard presentation, she said her ministry has contributed to improving security in the country through the establishment of Emergency Communications Centres adding that two pilot sites are currently operational  in Anambra and Niger States.

According to her, the Target is to have one emergency response centre in each State noting that civil works have been completed in 25 States while installation of equipment and connection to telecom operators have been completed in 11 states.

She further said that the efforts of her ministry has contributed to reducing the proportion of adult Nigerians excluded from financial services from 46.3 per cent in 2010 to 20 per cent by 2020 through reform of Nigeria Postal Services and the development of postal outlets to become venues for financial and economic inclusion.

Commenting on the challenges of local content and innovation, she although the Nigerian ICT Industry is dominated by international companies there is the need to create an enabling environment for innovation; lower market-entry barriers and increase the participation of Nigerian companies adding that such would stimulate job creation in the industry.

She added that participation of local companies in the industry is further restricted by the predominance of unspecialised value chains highly, fragmented industry and intense competition in limited, ‘fringe’ sub-sectors.

She said that software imports into Nigeria is estimated at about US$1bn annually saying that the international companies have 70 per cent of the PC market share, 100 per cent of mobile phone market share and 78 per cent of market shares of mobile network operators.

On the growth in base station deployment, the minister said that there are factors higher set-up and operating costs, multiple regulation and un-standardised application and approval processes as well as vulnerability of infrastructure and personnel are impeding/slowing down deployment.

She said that there are situations where operators have to wait for 6 months for approval to deploy 300 base stations adding that about 150 Base Stations were lost in 2012 due to bombings and flooding; twice as many dependent base stations were affected.

According to Johnson, there is the need for more base stations to be deployed across the country to meet the national target of a five-fold increase in broadband saying that the operators have made commitment to spend at least US$6bn on infrastructure this year.

She added that that includes US$3bn syndicate loan facility extended to major operator in the market, the biggest financial deal in sub-Saharan Africa communications sector.

On the plans to extend communications infrastructure to un-served and under-served areas of the country, she said that the Accelerated Mobile Phone Expansion (AMPE-BTS) programme has helped to deploy base stations in rural areas.

She stated that a total of 54 base stations have been installed with 28 more planned for 2013 adding that the Rural Broadband Initiative (RUBI) currently provides wholesale internet bandwidth to ISPs, Cyber cafes, and ICT centres like Community Communication Centres (CCC) in rural communities while of the 18 pilot sites selected, 12 are 95 per cent have been completed and transmission testing is currently on-going in Akure and Osogbo.

The minister acknowledged  that efforts of the private sector on fibre-optic networks was yielding results since when the ministry was established, an additional 5.1 Tb/s of capacity has been added making a total of 10Tb/s saying that this total is expected to increase further to a potential 15Tb/s by the end of the year.

But the minister expressed displeasure over the roll-out of the terrestrial fibre-optic network saying that it is not keeping pace with the increasing international bandwidth landing on Nigeria’s shores.

She said that an approximately 30,000km of fibre had been laid as at 2010 while an additional 11,000km was laid since then (of which 4,000 over power line.

The ministry, she stated has made significant  success for the operators on the issues of the Federal Right of Way (RoW) noting that her ministry  worked with the Federal Ministry of Works to review regulations.

The result, she said was that the process of applying for RoW has been standardised and applications are processed within 21 days while the price of RoW has been reduced to N145,000 per linear km stating that the procurement of right of way in states ranges between N690,000 to N6.5m per linear km

Other areas that the ministry is working with the Ministry of Works to standardise application process and pricing for right-of-way at Federal level include: developing of legal instruments to secure ICT infrastructure Nationwide, Obtained commitment by State Governments (via the National Economic Council) to collaborate on multiple taxes and regulations and negotiated single tax payment to all State government agencies on annual basis.

It also included streamlining of the right-of-way applications to be processed in 30 days and revising price downwards from as high as N6.5m per linear km to N145,000 per linear km as well as issuing  Executive Order protecting key infrastructure pending passage of Critical Infrastructure Bill.

Speaking on behalf of the stakeholders, Chairman of the Association Licensed Telecommunications Company of Nigeria, ALTON, Mr. Gbenga Adebayo said that the achievements of the ministry are luadable.

Nigerian GSM Operators to Investors $6bn on Infrastructure

GSM operators in Nigeria have resolved to inject over $6 billion into the telecommunication sector of the economy, with a view to improving its infrastructure.

The minister of Communication Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, disclosed this Tuesday, while presenting her ministry's score card at the ongoing weekly Ministerial Platform, organised by the Federal Ministry of Information, at the Radio House Press Centre, Abuja.

The minister who said that the project would commence soon this year, also said that RLG Communications had established $20 million handset, PC, tablet factory in Osun State, expected to commence production next month, July.

She further said that RLD Communications was already providing customised ICT training to Osun State youths, adding that anther ICT company, Mi-Fone, already active in 14 other African countries, was currently setting up a $30 million handset factory in the country and its second technical team's working visit is being expected also in July this year, while full capacity production would begin in the fourth quarter of 2013.

According to Mrs. Johnson, the foregoing developments were the outcome of the ongoing collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment, which had, in turn, resulted in positive response from investors entering the nation's communication space and developing national local content agenda.

The minister further explained that part of the operators financial commitment to infrastructural development would include $3 billion cyndicate loan facility extended to major operator in the market; that is, the "biggest financial deal in sub-Sahara Africa communications sector", even as a request for $250 million Ecological Tax from operators to deploy Base Stations had been made.

She, however, pointed out that investment in the nation's telecommunication sector  was being hampered, among others, by increasing incidences and value of taxes and levies requested by states as well as delays in obtaining approval to build Base Stations.

On satellite transmission, she said 11 satellites were currently positioned to provide coverage over Africa and capacity utilised for delivering communications and broadcasting.        

Motorola Partners Westcon to Offer New Solutions in Nigeria

MOTOROLA Solutions, Incorporated, a leading provider of mission-critical communication solutions and services for enterprise and government customers, has commenced a partnership with Weston, a global player in IT distribution for the expansion of its range of solutions in Nigeria.

The partnership is also followed with the introduction of new Enterprise Mobility products for the Nigerian market.

The Motorola Solutions will offer in Nigeria its full portfolio of next generation enterprise mobility solutions, which include: ruggedized mobile computers and enterprise class smart-phones; advanced mobile scanning and imaging solutions and a robust line of barcode scanners and RFID readers.

At a press conference in Lagos, EMEA ENC Distribution Manager,Motorola, Mr. Anthony Fulgoni revealed that Motorola in the coming months will also present its award winning WLAN solution for businesses.

The media parley, which had in attendance the General Manger, Convergence, Westcon, Mr. John Spreadborough, General Manager, Motorola, Carlos Ferraz, Communication Manager, Dalia Sharabany was meant to update and brief the media on Motorola Solutions’ full range of Enterprise Mobility and showcase their innovations.

 The executives from Motorola Solutions Africa who shared the company's strategy towards the Nigerian market and the relevance of its solution to businesses and enterprises noted that Motorola Solutions' recent Psion acquisition for $200 million has enabled it to flesh out its mobile computing portfolio and gain deep expertise in the manufacturing, industrial and supply chain sectors where Psion has traditionally been very strong.

According to Ferraz, the Psion Motorola Solutions offers complete end to end solutions for both knowledge workers and line workers –for both indoors and outdoors.

He said that the expanded lines of solutions will support the needs of Nigeria's developing business sector saying, "According to The Economist, Nigeria is one of the 10 fastest growing economies in the world and the recent government $1B investment in ICT incubation centers proves this country is on the right path to economic growth".

He noted, "Motorola Solutions is positioned to serve as a strategic partner of the growing Nigerian business sector, supplying the widest lines of products, including new Psion devices, WiFi systems and many others innovative products.”

To effectively, drive the product into the market, Motorola therefore went into partnership with entrenched distributer Westcon Africa.

Through the partnership, the marketing of the expanded portfolio of solutions Motorola Solutions will provide Nigeria's fast growing economy with real enterprise solutions driving business forward and while providing their customer with better and faster services.

Westcon Africa and other partners will offer products and back end support to the customers in Nigeria.

General Manager, Convergence Westcon Africa, John Spreadborough, said “Our Motorola business is now the leading growth vendor in Africa in this space, we are planning expansion across all our territories to support the Motorola growth. We have the best positioned vendor in the Mobility business, we are proud to associate with the best vendor in this business.”

Also as part of its penetration strategy in Africa, Motorola said that it is reaching out to existing channel partners to join Motorola Solutions’ Partner Empowerment Program, while extending current channel base.

The company said that that it is also educating and training channel partners to better understand products, markets, applications and solutions adding that the investment in the distribution includes: channel development such as training, road shows, partner certification, co-operative marketing and additional personnel and business levels increase.

Ferraz in his presentation said that there is a “Strategic partnering with Westcon Africa, largest IT distributer in the region. Motorola will offer its revolutionary portfolio of Enterprise Mobility Solutions.”

Register Year Your SIM Card Now, Airtel Tells Customers

 TELECOMMUNICATIONS Services Provider, Airtel Nigeria has urged its customers to register their Subscriber Identification Modules (SIMs) ahead the regulator’s June 30th deadline.

The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, had earlier given all operators till Sunday, June 30th, 2013 for the completion of the SIM Card Registration Exercise.

Speaking at a nationwide consumer Forum to appreciate its high-value customers in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the Company’s Chief Operating Officer & Executive Director, Deepak Srivastava also assured telecoms consumers of a better service and network experience. 

He also revealed that Airtel has plans to beef up its infrastructure and strengthen its network capacity, as it expands deeper into far-flung areas, especially the rural areas.

Srivastava, observed that, since its entry into the Nigerian telecoms market, Airtel has pioneered many changes and offered innovative products that altered the way the telecoms business is done in Nigeria.

According to him, Airtel is committed to evolving new product ideas that would enhance the service experience on its network and position the company, as the preferred network for Nigerians seeking to join the “network that works”. 

He further noted that the company’s rich portfolio of products and services has its roots in the tradition of the parent company, Bharti Airtel, which always strives to establish its rich culture of service in diverse markets wherever it operates.

“The Nigerian telecoms landscape is wearing a new look today because of the innovative and transformational product and service initiatives we introduced into the market. Our commitment to you is very clear: to stay competitive in a fast-changing telecommunications world and to keep you ahead in terms of service delivery that makes good business, social and economic sense. In doing this, we must bring to bear our skills in adapting to change and our ability to innovate,” Srivastava stated.

Johnson Oyewo, Airtel’s Manager, Market Activations, who spoke on the just introduced mobile number portability (MNP), assured of the company’s readiness to absorb up to 100 per cent of the company’s current customer base, and urged consumers on other networks to port to Airtel for a more rewarding telecoms experience.

Oyewo further stated that telecoms consumers in Nigeria had a lot to gain by joining Airtel network, as the company had committed enormous resources to the acquisition of capacity and infrastructure, to ensure superior service delivery.

The Airtel corporate customers’ forum offered a platform to engage customers from the public and organized private sectors in Rivers State and environs.

The company also used the platform to acknowledge and appreciate customer loyalty to the brand by providing them with assorted corporate gifts that included top-of-the-range smart phones. 

Also, customers at the upscale event were provided an opportunity to share useful insights on service experience and desired telecoms solutions that would help them grow and sustain their businesses.

Among the corporate customers at the event which also featured a blend of comedy, live music and other forms of entertainment were leaders of the financial sector, manufacturing, oil and gas as well as government.

    

Register Year Your SIM Card Now, Airtel Tells Customers

 TELECOMMUNICATIONS Services Provider, Airtel Nigeria has urged its customers to register their Subscriber Identification Modules (SIMs) ahead the regulator’s June 30th deadline.

The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, had earlier given all operators till Sunday, June 30th, 2013 for the completion of the SIM Card Registration Exercise.

Speaking at a nationwide consumer Forum to appreciate its high-value customers in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the Company’s Chief Operating Officer & Executive Director, Deepak Srivastava also assured telecoms consumers of a better service and network experience. 

He also revealed that Airtel has plans to beef up its infrastructure and strengthen its network capacity, as it expands deeper into far-flung areas, especially the rural areas.

Srivastava, observed that, since its entry into the Nigerian telecoms market, Airtel has pioneered many changes and offered innovative products that altered the way the telecoms business is done in Nigeria.

According to him, Airtel is committed to evolving new product ideas that would enhance the service experience on its network and position the company, as the preferred network for Nigerians seeking to join the “network that works”. 

He further noted that the company’s rich portfolio of products and services has its roots in the tradition of the parent company, Bharti Airtel, which always strives to establish its rich culture of service in diverse markets wherever it operates.

“The Nigerian telecoms landscape is wearing a new look today because of the innovative and transformational product and service initiatives we introduced into the market. Our commitment to you is very clear: to stay competitive in a fast-changing telecommunications world and to keep you ahead in terms of service delivery that makes good business, social and economic sense. In doing this, we must bring to bear our skills in adapting to change and our ability to innovate,” Srivastava stated.

Johnson Oyewo, Airtel’s Manager, Market Activations, who spoke on the just introduced mobile number portability (MNP), assured of the company’s readiness to absorb up to 100 per cent of the company’s current customer base, and urged consumers on other networks to port to Airtel for a more rewarding telecoms experience.

Oyewo further stated that telecoms consumers in Nigeria had a lot to gain by joining Airtel network, as the company had committed enormous resources to the acquisition of capacity and infrastructure, to ensure superior service delivery.

The Airtel corporate customers’ forum offered a platform to engage customers from the public and organized private sectors in Rivers State and environs.

The company also used the platform to acknowledge and appreciate customer loyalty to the brand by providing them with assorted corporate gifts that included top-of-the-range smart phones. 

Also, customers at the upscale event were provided an opportunity to share useful insights on service experience and desired telecoms solutions that would help them grow and sustain their businesses.

Among the corporate customers at the event which also featured a blend of comedy, live music and other forms of entertainment were leaders of the financial sector, manufacturing, oil and gas as well as government.

    

Register Year Your SIM Card Now, Airtel Tells Customers

 TELECOMMUNICATIONS Services Provider, Airtel Nigeria has urged its customers to register their Subscriber Identification Modules (SIMs) ahead the regulator’s June 30th deadline.

The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, had earlier given all operators till Sunday, June 30th, 2013 for the completion of the SIM Card Registration Exercise.

Speaking at a nationwide consumer Forum to appreciate its high-value customers in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the Company’s Chief Operating Officer & Executive Director, Deepak Srivastava also assured telecoms consumers of a better service and network experience. 

He also revealed that Airtel has plans to beef up its infrastructure and strengthen its network capacity, as it expands deeper into far-flung areas, especially the rural areas.

Srivastava, observed that, since its entry into the Nigerian telecoms market, Airtel has pioneered many changes and offered innovative products that altered the way the telecoms business is done in Nigeria.

According to him, Airtel is committed to evolving new product ideas that would enhance the service experience on its network and position the company, as the preferred network for Nigerians seeking to join the “network that works”. 

He further noted that the company’s rich portfolio of products and services has its roots in the tradition of the parent company, Bharti Airtel, which always strives to establish its rich culture of service in diverse markets wherever it operates.

“The Nigerian telecoms landscape is wearing a new look today because of the innovative and transformational product and service initiatives we introduced into the market. Our commitment to you is very clear: to stay competitive in a fast-changing telecommunications world and to keep you ahead in terms of service delivery that makes good business, social and economic sense. In doing this, we must bring to bear our skills in adapting to change and our ability to innovate,” Srivastava stated.

Johnson Oyewo, Airtel’s Manager, Market Activations, who spoke on the just introduced mobile number portability (MNP), assured of the company’s readiness to absorb up to 100 per cent of the company’s current customer base, and urged consumers on other networks to port to Airtel for a more rewarding telecoms experience.

Oyewo further stated that telecoms consumers in Nigeria had a lot to gain by joining Airtel network, as the company had committed enormous resources to the acquisition of capacity and infrastructure, to ensure superior service delivery.

The Airtel corporate customers’ forum offered a platform to engage customers from the public and organized private sectors in Rivers State and environs.

The company also used the platform to acknowledge and appreciate customer loyalty to the brand by providing them with assorted corporate gifts that included top-of-the-range smart phones. 

Also, customers at the upscale event were provided an opportunity to share useful insights on service experience and desired telecoms solutions that would help them grow and sustain their businesses.

Among the corporate customers at the event which also featured a blend of comedy, live music and other forms of entertainment were leaders of the financial sector, manufacturing, oil and gas as well as government.

    

Register Year Your SIM Card Now, Airtel Tells Customers

 TELECOMMUNICATIONS Services Provider, Airtel Nigeria has urged its customers to register their Subscriber Identification Modules (SIMs) ahead the regulator’s June 30th deadline.

The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, had earlier given all operators till Sunday, June 30th, 2013 for the completion of the SIM Card Registration Exercise.

Speaking at a nationwide consumer Forum to appreciate its high-value customers in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the Company’s Chief Operating Officer & Executive Director, Deepak Srivastava also assured telecoms consumers of a better service and network experience. 

He also revealed that Airtel has plans to beef up its infrastructure and strengthen its network capacity, as it expands deeper into far-flung areas, especially the rural areas.

Srivastava, observed that, since its entry into the Nigerian telecoms market, Airtel has pioneered many changes and offered innovative products that altered the way the telecoms business is done in Nigeria.

According to him, Airtel is committed to evolving new product ideas that would enhance the service experience on its network and position the company, as the preferred network for Nigerians seeking to join the “network that works”. 

He further noted that the company’s rich portfolio of products and services has its roots in the tradition of the parent company, Bharti Airtel, which always strives to establish its rich culture of service in diverse markets wherever it operates.

“The Nigerian telecoms landscape is wearing a new look today because of the innovative and transformational product and service initiatives we introduced into the market. Our commitment to you is very clear: to stay competitive in a fast-changing telecommunications world and to keep you ahead in terms of service delivery that makes good business, social and economic sense. In doing this, we must bring to bear our skills in adapting to change and our ability to innovate,” Srivastava stated.

Johnson Oyewo, Airtel’s Manager, Market Activations, who spoke on the just introduced mobile number portability (MNP), assured of the company’s readiness to absorb up to 100 per cent of the company’s current customer base, and urged consumers on other networks to port to Airtel for a more rewarding telecoms experience.

Oyewo further stated that telecoms consumers in Nigeria had a lot to gain by joining Airtel network, as the company had committed enormous resources to the acquisition of capacity and infrastructure, to ensure superior service delivery.

The Airtel corporate customers’ forum offered a platform to engage customers from the public and organized private sectors in Rivers State and environs.

The company also used the platform to acknowledge and appreciate customer loyalty to the brand by providing them with assorted corporate gifts that included top-of-the-range smart phones. 

Also, customers at the upscale event were provided an opportunity to share useful insights on service experience and desired telecoms solutions that would help them grow and sustain their businesses.

Among the corporate customers at the event which also featured a blend of comedy, live music and other forms of entertainment were leaders of the financial sector, manufacturing, oil and gas as well as government.

    

Register Year Your SIM Card Now, Airtel Tells Customers

 TELECOMMUNICATIONS Services Provider, Airtel Nigeria has urged its customers to register their Subscriber Identification Modules (SIMs) ahead the regulator’s June 30th deadline.

The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, had earlier given all operators till Sunday, June 30th, 2013 for the completion of the SIM Card Registration Exercise.

Speaking at a nationwide consumer Forum to appreciate its high-value customers in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the Company’s Chief Operating Officer & Executive Director, Deepak Srivastava also assured telecoms consumers of a better service and network experience. 

He also revealed that Airtel has plans to beef up its infrastructure and strengthen its network capacity, as it expands deeper into far-flung areas, especially the rural areas.

Srivastava, observed that, since its entry into the Nigerian telecoms market, Airtel has pioneered many changes and offered innovative products that altered the way the telecoms business is done in Nigeria.

According to him, Airtel is committed to evolving new product ideas that would enhance the service experience on its network and position the company, as the preferred network for Nigerians seeking to join the “network that works”. 

He further noted that the company’s rich portfolio of products and services has its roots in the tradition of the parent company, Bharti Airtel, which always strives to establish its rich culture of service in diverse markets wherever it operates.

“The Nigerian telecoms landscape is wearing a new look today because of the innovative and transformational product and service initiatives we introduced into the market. Our commitment to you is very clear: to stay competitive in a fast-changing telecommunications world and to keep you ahead in terms of service delivery that makes good business, social and economic sense. In doing this, we must bring to bear our skills in adapting to change and our ability to innovate,” Srivastava stated.

Johnson Oyewo, Airtel’s Manager, Market Activations, who spoke on the just introduced mobile number portability (MNP), assured of the company’s readiness to absorb up to 100 per cent of the company’s current customer base, and urged consumers on other networks to port to Airtel for a more rewarding telecoms experience.

Oyewo further stated that telecoms consumers in Nigeria had a lot to gain by joining Airtel network, as the company had committed enormous resources to the acquisition of capacity and infrastructure, to ensure superior service delivery.

The Airtel corporate customers’ forum offered a platform to engage customers from the public and organized private sectors in Rivers State and environs.

The company also used the platform to acknowledge and appreciate customer loyalty to the brand by providing them with assorted corporate gifts that included top-of-the-range smart phones. 

Also, customers at the upscale event were provided an opportunity to share useful insights on service experience and desired telecoms solutions that would help them grow and sustain their businesses.

Among the corporate customers at the event which also featured a blend of comedy, live music and other forms of entertainment were leaders of the financial sector, manufacturing, oil and gas as well as government.

    

Firm Unveils New eVerge Digital Two-way Radios

A NEW lines of radios that can exist with analogue radios for easy conversion from analogue to digital with added convenience has been designed by Vertex Standard as part of its continues its commitment to developing land mobile radios (LMR) that are precision-engineered for more value with the introduction of its new eVerge digital two-way radio series.

The new eVerge digital radio portfolio includes the EVX-530 series portable radios; EVX-5300/5400 series mobile radios and EVX-R70 repeater for a complete digital system.

 These new radios were designed to work with existing analogue radios for easy conversion from analogue to digital for added convenience. eVerge radios are ideally suited for commercial and industrial customers who currently use basic LMR for voice communications and could benefit from better audio quality, better coverage and more privacy without incurring higher equipment costs.

“We built the eVerge radio series to be highly compatible for customers who need greater flexibility and maximum value. The name eVerge is comprised of two principles: evolve to change and emerge to be known.” explained Paul De Carte, EMEA distribution director for Vertex Standard LMR, Inc. “It is important that radio users understand that not all digital radios are the same, and not all brands of digital radios will talk to each other in digital mode.

eVerge digital radios help customers evolve to better communication and do digital right the first time getting the right radio with the right protocol and right performance all at a better cost to connect without compromise.”

eVerge radios support easy, efficient conversion from analogue to digital operating in both digital and analogue modes enabling users to migrate to digital at their own pace to best support their functional and financial needs.

They are also designed to help customers use the right digital protocol, TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access), for optimum power and spectrum efficiency. TDMA is compliant with the DMR (Digital Mobile Radio) standard so eVerge digital radios are compatible with more than 74 per cent of digital radios used worldwide.

TDMA also maximizes user performance with double the call capacity in one frequency channel to support two simultaneous digital conversations without relicensing or rebanding.

The eVerge portable EVX-530 series and mobile EVX-5300/5400 series are compact in size while designed to deliver more capabilities and flexibility for enhanced communications including: better call quality versus analogue Ultra clear digital signals cut out static and interference and preserve voice quality over a greater range.

eVerge radios also feature AMBE+2 vocoder technology to further improve voice quality in noisy environments.

It also enhance call management capabilities to control who hears what is transmitted on a channel.

Digital delivers the ability to place direct calls to a specific individual or to select groups of radios without distracting others. Text messaging allows users to communicate when unable to talk freely or document a conversation by radio.

Enhanced privacy when operating in digital mode without the need for extra encryption hardware. Only the intended recipient(s) hears what is transmitted without the risk of impacting voice quality that can be experienced with analogue encryption.

 Exclusive Auto Range Transpond System (ARTS) monitoring that enables users to always know their connection status with other ARTS-enabled radios. eVerge also includes ARTS II that operates in both digital and analog modes to alert users when they are no longer in range to communicate.

EVX-530 series key features include up to 40 per cent longer battery life operating in digital mode and IP 57 fresh water submersible for  1 metre  up to 30 minutes plus a complete suite of safety alert capabilities: one-touch emergency, lone worker and Vertex Standard exclusive ARTS.

Slot Reveals Secret of Business Growth

UNKNOWN to many the secret behind the growth of Slot System Nigeria Limited, the leading mobile phone retail and wholesale company at the population is not the huge investment but the ability of the founder to understand the needs of the Nigeria consumer.

According to the managing director/chief executive officer of the company, Mr. Nnamdi Ezeigbo,”one of the key success factors of our growth is our ability to understand the needs of our consumers and add value to our products.”

Ezeigbo revealed at the flagged off ceremony of its Consumer Awareness Campaign, the first in the country by a retail mobile phone company that the consumer have come to realised that they have a right and what Slot is doing is to respond to the right of the consumer saying that that is why Slot does not compromise on quality.

He stated that Nigerians understands the benefit of a quality product and such consumer mobile phones goes for quality adding that what Slot does is to offer them that quality that they desire.

He stressed, “As a responsible corporate citizen, Slot System Limited recognises the importance of the consumers’ position to our operation; as a result, we are committed to ensuring and passionately pursuing the consumer’s wellbeing and satisfaction.”

He noted that was what informed the decision of the management of Slot to focus on warranty in the first edition of its Consumer Awareness Campaign saying that Slot wants to close the knowledge gap, which has continually deprived consumers from fully enjoying the benefits of warranty arrangement on mobile devices in the country.

The Slot boss while calling for support from its friends and media partners to make the campaign a success said that there are various warranty polices available, which the consumers are not aware.

He disclosed, “There are factory faults and users’ faults. The factory faults are replaceable if the devices come back within the specified warranty period without physical damages or any evidences of having being dropped, shock or liquid penetration.”

He explained that the when a fault in the device is caused by the user, he or she will be made to pay for the replacement of any  part discovered to be faulty by the engineers saying that that applies to device that are within the warranty period.

Looking back to what Slot has achieved in the last years, Ezeigbo said that Slot still loaded with the passion to growth the Nigerian economy through its commitment to the consumer.

He stressed that most consumers are yet clearly understand the meaning of warranty saying that Slot expects to take time during the awareness campaign to educate its customers as well as other consumers on their right.

He noted that Slot has persistently invested in human capital development through several training programmes for its personnel that cut across the country saying that the new employee that would soon join its workforce will be re-trained.

A representative of the Consumer Protection Council (CPC), Mrs. Ngozi Obidike in a opening remark praised Slot for taking the initiative to educate the consumer about their right through the awareness campaign programme saying that CPC is always open to such partnership.

While describing the focus of the campaign as very key to objectives of the CPC, Obidike who is head of the Lagos said that warranty gives endorsement to a product, saying that Slot product has being endorsed going by the level of its commitment to warranty policies.

She said that endorsing a product through warranty is one sure way of delivering the message of quality to the consumer, and that Slot has done that through the unveiling of its own consumer awareness campaign that focus on warranty.

She added with warranty the hope and confidence of the consumer on the product is secured saying that the consumer must be well informed about a product before making a purchase. 

Local Content Can Spur Business Growth in Nigeria, says Google

THE Google has said that if Nigerian entrepreneurs concentrate on the creation of local content online they would be able to grow their businesses beyond what they have projected at the inception of their businesses.

The reason is that going online present holds the key to the success of most business today, since the online media offers appreciable reach to wide audience.

Speaking to journalist at journalist in Lagos, at a three-day conference tagged Share Your Nigerian Content (SYNC), Country Manager, Mrs. Juliet Ehimuan-Chiazor said that having an online business presence means more success for a business,increase in reach for big brand as well as an increase in revenue.

The three-day conference, which brought together entrepreneurs, content creators and journalists was aimed at enabling content creators to embrace the power of the web to grow locally relevant content online and drive monetization.

According to Ehimuan-Chiazor, the success story of others makes it mandatory that no one can run away from the internet revolution.

While urging Nigerians to engage the social media to increase local content online she noted that getting businesses online means that the business is going to succeed adding, “We have seen some success story. We have had stories of business that have experienced growth through the web and the social media.

She revealed that fantastic ideas could be turned into a success story through the rightful use of the social media stressing that there are solutions that are relevant to all kinds of businesses.

The Google Country Manager revealed that her company has as part of its commitment towards tackling the challenges of broadband in the country created internet access to universities in Nigera, adding that international broadband cost has began to dropped due to the arrival of optic fibre cable to the shores of the country.

According to her what is left now is to tackle the last mile challenge saying that is Google suggest a public private sector to tackle the challenges.

She said that despite the worries of online financial transactions, most people are still doing business noting that the business models such as payment on delivery is one indication and that the trend will improve.

Ehimuan-Chiazor observed that what is important is the fact that Nigerians are talking advantage of social media like the Youtube to grow their businesses adding that there are now educational content, access and reach to a wide audience.

She stated that Nollywood has expanded its presence on the internet through Youtube saying that has created monetary value for the industry.

Earlier while delivering the keynote at the event, Ehimuan-Chiazor said the sessions are being held with a view to helping individuals from key communities better understand how to take advantage of the internet to boost content distribution." "The internet presents huge opportunities for Nigeria's creative and content production industry. We intend to work with this community as well as others to fully harness internet tools that have proven to be very successful across the world" she added.

Some of the notable highlights of the 1st day of the conference included the launch of the 'Impact of Internet' study, which examined the Internet’s impact on, and potential contribution to, social and economic development in Nigeria.

The launch event which was held at the Transcorp hilton in Abuja had as keynote speaker the Honourable Minister of Communication Technology, Omobola Johnson.

Other highlights included a first of its kind 12-hour online musical concert via Google+ Hangouts called “Music Out of Africa”. The online concert which hosted an array of top Nigerian musical acts like Dr Sid, Dipo, Emma Nyra, Pryse, Yemi Alade, Blink, Show Dem Camp, Endia 48, Temi Dollface, Nosa amongst others afforded the musicians an opportunity to bond with their fans from different parts of the world. Speaking about the online concert, Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade Communications and Public Affairs Manager Anglophone West Africa said, “We are excited to see our local artists engaging and socializing via Google+.

The level of excitement generated is further proof that there is a global community of Nigerian content consumers who are constantly looking for fresh and entertaining content online. Our hope is that these session will further inspire our entertainers and content creator to create and share a lot more content online.”

Some of the activities of the 2nd day included the much anticipated Data Journalism tools training for the Nigerian media, an advertisers/publishers session and an Ecommerce roundtable session with top players in the industry.

'Etisalat Can Accommodate 30m Subscribers'

THE Chief executive officer, Etisalat Nigeria, Mr. Steve Evans, has declared that the mobile operator, which was the last to switch on its network in the country, has the capacity to accommodate well over 30 million subscribers.

He told journalist at a roundtable dialogue on Thursday in Lagos that the operator hopes to add about 1000 cells site to its current figures stressing that it has enough fund at its disposal to create a network that subscribers can rely once they port with Etisalat.

The roundtable dialogue, which was the first by the company since the Nigerian Communications Commission, (NCC) kick-off the Mobile Number Portability (MNP) was meant to address issues regarding the preparedness of the operator to welcome those waiting and those who have already ported with Etisalat.

Evans said that Etisalat is more concern about the experience of its customers that are on its network and those who are waiting to port with it adding that the Etisalat as a brand wants a smooth experience for its subscribers and deliver on its promises to them.

He said that Etisalat spend up to six weeks to get it right noting that the porting process at Etisalat is now solid, and that the operator is still focusing on key reactions of its subscribers.

The Etisalat boss who took time to explain to the media the current level of  its quality of network said that the NCC’s report on its quality of service showed that Etisalat is the network to rely.

According to him, the 95 per cent success call rate earmark by the NCC for operators to achieve was surpass by Etisalat achieving a mark of  between 96 and 98 per cent adding that for network call drop rate, the operator made an impressive performance accept for sites that were affected by the attacks from the insurgents.

He stated that Etisalat is confident that it can run a promo comfortably without its network suffering any failure noting the ongoing double recharge promo has not affected its network even with the other four major that its customers are benefit them.

He disclosed that thousand of subscribers have ported with Etisalat since the scheme was introduced by the NCC adding that beyond that the number of subscribers on its network has increased.

On the current level of investment in network, he said that Etisalat is doing more collocations are expected to come up soon even more investment of huge sums of money has been made by the operator adding that that is why its operating profit has not being growing since 2011.

He said that there is currently an investment worth about $1.2 billion with 13 banks in the country stressing that it is even building new cell sites in areas that it has covered due to its desire to give its subscribers high quality network.

Evans revealed that to make the porting process easy for incoming subscribers, a dispute resolution desk has been set up the company saying that idea is meant to give subscribers real-time porting experience that is hassle free.

Samsung Hits Home Appliances Market with ‘Timeless Design’ Technology

IN one big full swing, leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, Samsung Electronics West Africa, has hit the Nigeria market with three separate home appliances, which it said comes with timeless technology.

The new products, super-sized Ultra High Definition TV, Samsung T9000 Refrigerator and revolutionary turbo-jet cooling Q9000 air conditioner may have successfully defy technological change.

The products, all premiums have already arrived the country and currently on display in Lagos at Samsung shops.

Housed within a minimal, freestanding metal frame that allows it to rotate freely and appear to float in mid-air, the 85-inch S9 is the world’s largest Ultra High Definition TV and offers four times the pixels available on other Smart TVs in the market. The product is already on sale at Samsung stores and accredited dealers nationwide.

Building on Samsung’s Smart TV platform leadership, the S9 offers a blend of technology and craftsmanship to deliver greater detail, unmatched clarity and an immersive and vivid picture quality to viewers.

 The TV also provides an audio experience to match its screen size, with a quad-core processor and an array of 120-watt speakers seamlessly built into the frame of the television which, according to Samsung, offers an audio experience that is six times better than that of standard television sets.

In addition, users can enjoy enhanced search, navigation and control features, with Samsung’s S-Recommendation with Voice Interaction technology, a personal guide to discovering new and preferred content on Samsung Smart TVs. 

Using the new technology, viewers can ask the Smart TV for movie and television show suggestions or request films that feature specific actors. By analysing a user’s viewing history and the popularity and release dates of television programmes, S-Recommendation creates a personalised menu of content for each viewer.

Speaking at the formal unveiling of the three products to the media in Lagos, Managing Director, Samsung Electronics West Africa, Mr. Brovo Kim, reiterated Samsung’s goal of creating new experiences for its consumers through its deep understanding of consumers’ lives and its relentless pursuit of discovery and innovation.

“Picture quality, advanced features and modern design are all areas in which consumers are steadily demanding more from their TVs. At Samsung, we are meeting these demands with our 2013 Smart TVs, which offer effortless and intuitive ways for our consumers to discover and share more of the content they love. The S9 comes complete with features to ensure the best picture quality possible, regardless of video source, towards creating the ultimate lean back experience for our consumers,” he said.

The second product, the Samsung latest innovation in kitchen technology, the Samsung T9000 Refrigerator, a 32-cubic feet capacity four-door refrigerator offer the user the possibility to switched from fridge to freezer mode whenever the need arises.

The T9000 refrigerator features a 19.4 cubic feet capacity French-door refrigerator compartment on top, and a 6.1 cubic feet compartment on the lower right side, providing an extraordinary 25 cubic feet of fresh food storage.

The refrigerator also features a built-in water dispenser, icemaker and a dual Smart inverter compressor, which make it a part of Samsung’s “Timeless Series.” The dual Smart compressor ensures energy saving and comes with a 10-year Warranty.

 Director of Consumer Electronics, Home Appliances, IT and B2B Division, Samsung Electronics West Africa, Mr. Sunil Kumar said, “At Samsung, our mission is to help people discover a world of possibilities. We aim to delight them, bringing not just what they expect, but what they have never dreamed is possible.

“Our new range of products in the ‘Timeless Design’ category is delivering on this commitment, re-inventing home entertainment, redefining convergence and re-invigorating the consumer electronics market with seamless navigation and personalised user experience for our consumers.”

The third product is a sleek, revolutionary turbo-jet cooling Q9000 air conditioner, with air cleaning technology, Virus Doctor, which neutralizes harmful contaminants in the air, including bacteria that resist physical filtration.

Another world-first from Samsung, the air conditioner is fitted with an inverter compressor, ensuring energy savings and features an in-built sensor to detect and direct air flow to warmers areas of a room.

Ericsson Predicts Video to Drive LTE, Smartphone Growth

A NEW mobility report has revealed that mobile-data traffic will continue to grow significantly in the coming years, a trend driven mainly by video. Overall data traffic is expected to grow 12-fold by the end of 2018.

The mobility report from Ericsson also indicated that increasing usage is driven by the continual growth in the amount of content available as well as the improved network speeds that come with HSPA and LTE development.

According to the Senior Vice President and Head of Strategy at Ericsson, Mr. Douglas Gilstrap, “LTE services will be available to about 60 percent of the world’s population in 2018. We expect LTE subscriptions to exceed 1 billion in 2017, driven by more capable devices and demand for data-intensive services such as video. Owing to the build out of WCDMA/HSPA, network speeds have improved, and so has the user experience.”

The report showed that video makes up the largest segment of data traffic in networks, and it is expected to grow around 60 percent annually up until the end of 2018 adding that video consumption is on average 2.6GB per subscription per month in some networks.

The study further said that while video is popular, users don’t necessarily tend to spend the most time on data-heavy applications saying that consumers spend more time on social networking: an average of up to 85 minutes per day in some networks.

On the current mobile-phone sales, the report said that smartphones accounted for around half of all in Q1 2013, compared with roughly 40 percent for the whole of 2012.

It also said that the number of total mobile subscriptions grew by 8 percent globally year-on-year by Q1 2013 noting that of those, WCDMA/HSPA added around 60 million subscriptions while GSM/EDGE-only subscriptions grew by roughly 30 million, and LTE 20 million new subscriptions.

Mobile-broadband subscriptions grew even faster over this period at a rate of 45 percent year-on-year, reaching around 1.7 billion.

The Mobility Report also addressed the concept of “app coverage”, which borders on the definition of coverage from voice to include how well users are able to access their mobile apps and present a new framework explaining the effects of varying network performance in a way that is relevant to the user.

The report in the current edition observed the relationship between network performance and consumer loyalty stating that network performance is the principal driver of subscriber loyalty to mobile operators, followed by value for money.

Other sections of the report explained the effects of smartphone signaling on data traffic, and look at data roaming, identifying opportunities for operators to generate new revenue streams.