Samsung Galaxy K 20.7-Megapixel Smartphone Hit Nigeria’s Market

DIGITAL media and digital convergence technologies company, Samsung Ele

ctronics West Africa, has unveiled its new Galaxy K Zoom smartphone, a revolutionary product that delivers on the company’s mission to create a single device that fulfils the role of both an industry-leading smartphone and a high-end smart camera.

A variant of Samsung’s wave-making flagship, the Galaxy S5, the device features flawless capturing ability and combines real optics and premium design with the very latest Samsung Galaxy technology, setting new standards for mobile photography.

 Boasting the very latest Android operating system, alongside a large and vivid 4.8” high-definition super AMOLED screen, the Galaxy K Zoom smartphone has an advanced camera system that offers consumers the control and functionality of a professional camera. The device features a 20.7 megapixel sensor, which is capable of capturing high-quality images with sharp, life-like colours that are clear in all lighting conditions.

 It also comes equipped with an Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS), which reduces blurring caused by movement during photography, a 10x optical zoom and a new retracting lens technology. The K Zoom’s professional quality optics and precise zoom ring adjustments lets users create professional quality visual content with every shot.

 The new smartphone integrates advanced camera usability features and functions, including Auto Focus and Auto Exposure Separation, which ensures a precise balance of light and clarity, and a Selfie Alarm that allows users to take perfectly timed selfies with ease. According to Samsung, each feature comes with a simple user interface that allows consumers to easily capture photographs and videos with superb image quality at all times.

 Director of Information Technology and Mobile at Samsung Electronics West Africa, Mr. Emmanouil Revmatas, described the Galaxy K Zoom as a portal to a new communication era that shifts accepted standards in mobile telephony.

 “With the growth of social networking and the pervasiveness of instant messaging and communication, people today communicate faster than words can manage. There is an increasing need to articulate our experiences through pictures and videos and the Galaxy K Zoom has been created to lead the way in this era of visual and voice communication. Our consumers can now take professional-quality photographs from a device that they can also use as their primary mobile phone,” he said.

 The Galaxy K zoom is compatible with the latest devices in Samsung’s line of wearable technology, including the Gear Fit and Gear 2. It features a powerful Xenon Flash that gives brighter illumination and more natural colour to images. Other key features of the compact and highly portable Galaxy K Zoom include the latest Galaxy smartphone’s ultra-power saving mode that shuts down key functions of the device to allow users make the most of their last bit of battery power; an S Health Lite application that provides users with personalized fitness and lifestyle coaching as well as a ‘Kids Mode’ feature which allows users to share their devices with kids when the device’s parental control access is turned on. Samsung’s 24-month standard factory warranty is also available to users of the Galaxy K Zoom.

 On her part, Marketing Manager for Samsung Electronics West Africa’s Information Technology and Mobile Division, Ms. Olajumoke Okikiolu said the introduction of the Galaxy K Zoom is a demonstration of the company’s commitment to creating products that meet the diverse demands of its consumers.  

  “The new Galaxy K Zoom empowers users to effortlessly capture and share their most important everyday moments in stunning clarity with the convenience and connectedness of a Galaxy smartphone, for a unique, all-in-one mobile experience. The device will set the benchmark for how smartphones can turn daily routine into unforgettable moments, with its unrivalled smart functions,” she said.

 In further demonstration of its commitment to customer loyalty, Samsung is offering users of the Galaxy K Zoom free gifts via its new Galaxy Gifts application. The Galaxy Gifts package is available for all Galaxy K Zoom smartphones and offers a collection of mobile services and tools designed to make consumer experience more enjoyable and more productive. With the Galaxy Gifts application, users can access up to 50GB free Dropbox space valid for two years, one terabyte of free Bitcasa storage for three months and a free $5 Blurb coupon. They will also enjoy three months free subscription to both Picsplay Pro and Fast Burst Camera, two applications that were specially designed for the Galaxy K Zoom.

UK University Brings Online Nursing Doctorate to Nigeria

IN RESPONSE to the increasing demand forskilled healthcare personnel in Nigeria and across the world, leading online learning platform, Walden University, has launched its new online Ph.D. in Nursing programme for nursing professionals. According to the university, the programme will help nurses directly impact their practice as it is today as well as conduct cutting-edge research towards improving patient care in the future. The new programme joins Walden University’s Doctor of N

ursing Practice (DNP) aimed at preparing dynamic leaders for the nursing profession.

 Students in the programme will conduct original research that addresses increasingly complex healthcare issues, contribute to scientific nursing knowledge and help advance the nursing profession. Through multidisciplinary projects with other doctoral students from various health disciplines, students will develop the skills to lead or collaborate with diverse, cross-functional healthcare teams to promote positive change. Students can also develop advanced expertise in a focus area of their choice, such as Education, Healthcare Administration, Interdisciplinary Health, Leadership or Public Health Policy.

 Speaking on the programme, the associate dean of Walden University’s School of Nursing, Dr. Andrea Lindell, said:“In today’s complex healthcare environment, increasing importance is being placed on doctoral-level education to advance the science of nursing and the quality of patient care. Through Walden’s Ph.D. in Nursing programme, students can gain the credentials and interdisciplinary knowledge required to conduct research at the highest levels in their field, educate future nurses and also shape healthcare policies, systems and processes.”

 Walden’s new research-focused doctoral programme joins the practice-focused Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programme, which is designed to meet thecritical demand for doctoral-level nurses who can lead and mentor the next generation of nurses. The DNP programme prepares nursing professionals to assume greater practice and leadership roles in healthcare organizations, promote a more effective and efficient healthcare system and evaluate and apply research that contributes to better patient outcomes. 

 Through Walden’s offering of both doctoral programmes, Nigerian nurses and their counterparts around the world can now choose how they wish to play a key role in leading advancements in hospitals, educational institutions, public policy organizations, pharmaceutical companies and other health-related settings.

 Walden’s portfolio of degree programmes also includes the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) programme with specializations in Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner, Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, Leadership and Management, Nursing Education and Nursing Informatics and the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Completion Programme.To help nursing and all other students achieve their goal of advancing their education, Walden is offering millions of dollars in grants, scholarships and tuition assistance when they start their programme in 2014.

For more than 40 years, Walden University has supported working professionals in achieving their academic goals and making a greater impact in their professions and their communities. Today, more than 50,000 students from over 150 countries are pursuing their bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degrees online at Walden. The university provides students with an engaging educational experience that connects them with expert faculty and peers around the world. Walden is the flagship online university in the Laureate International Universities network—a global network of more than 75 campus-based and online universities in 30 countries, including Nigeria. Walden offers more than 80 degree programmes with more than 370 specializations and concentrations.

Samsung Unveils Galaxy Gifts,Warranty Package

IN FURTHER demonstration of its commitment to customer loyalty, Samsung Electronics West Africa is offering users of the new Galaxy S5 free gifts via the new Galaxy Gifts application. The Galaxy Gifts package comes pre-installed on all Galaxy S5 smartphones and offers a wide collection of premium mobile services and tools designed to make consumer experience more enjoyable and more productive.

L-R:Director, Information Technology and Mobile, Samsung Electronics West Africa, Mr. Emmanouil Revmatas; Managing Director, Samsung Electronics West Africa, Mr. Brovo Kim; Head of Product Marketing, Information Technology and Mobile, Samsung Electronics West Africa, Ms. Olajumoke Okikiolu; Business Development Director, Information Technology and Mobile, Samsung Electronics West Africa, Mr. Daesung Ra and Head, Business Development, Information Technology and Mobile, Samsung Electronics West Africa, Mr. Olumide Ojo at Samsung Electronics West Africa’s media briefing on the Galaxy S5 in Lagos.

Managing Director of Samsung Electronics West Africa, Mr. Brovo Kim, described Galaxy Gifts as part of Samsung’s unique ecosystem that seeks to offer the company’s customers additional value for their purchase. “For the first time in this market, users of the new Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone stand to get amazing gifts every day. The Galaxy S5 was designed to offer consumers the most advanced tool to help improve their everyday lives. The Galaxy Gifts application perfectly complements this mission with a comprehensive offering of some of the world’s best mobile resources to suit Nigerians’ lifestyles.”

To facilitate consumer access to its suite of Galaxy Gifts applications, Samsung has partnered with some of the country’s leading mobile content and service providers including DoBox, Spinlet, Hello Foods and Easy Taxi, among others. In addition to discounts on meals, movies, books and music purchased from these partners via the application, users of the Galaxy S5 also automatically receive three free movies from DoBox, a Spinlet premium voucher worth one thousand Naira and twenty-five percent off their first order via Hello Foods. Consumers also get 50 percent off their first taxi ride when they use the package’s Easy Taxi application alongside seven N700 worth of books from Okada Books.

The Galaxy S5 smartphone features Samsung Premium, an advanced version of the company’s original 24-month accidental damage from handling (ADH) warranty. Under the Samsung ADH Premium package, consumers will receive a substitute device in the event of screen or liquid damage to their Galaxy S5, at no extra charge.

According to the company’s Director of Information Technology and Mobile, Mr. Emmanouil Revmatas, the premium ADH warranty is a demonstration of Samsung’s commitment to providing innovative, consumer-oriented service. 

“With the original ADH warranty, our consumers got to take their Galaxy S4 for charge-free and no-questions-asked repairs for screen and liquid damage, not once but twice during the first two years of the life of their device. For the Galaxy S5, we have raised the bar. With the Samsung Premium warranty, instead of two repair claims, users of the device will now get two instant phone substitutions over the 24-month warranty period, at no extra charge. This value-add represents our commitment to anticipating the needs of our consumers and providing them with superior service towards making their lives worry-free,” Revmatas explained.

Customers that purchase the Galaxy S5 from Samsung stores and accredited dealers can access the premium warranty service by downloading the ADH Premium application from Samsung’s App Store and registering their devices within the first 30 days of purchase.

Samsung is also offering a trade-in and upgrade programme for consumers who purchase the Galaxy S5, guaranteeing the future value of the device by up to 25%, to be used on the purchase of consumers’ next premium Samsung Galaxy device. Customers who purchase the Galaxy S5 will be able to get 25% back within 12 months, to be used as a discount on their next premium purchase.

In addition to the above, the company also announced its new Smart Trade programme towards providing Nigerians with the opportunity of becoming proud owners of the new Galaxy S5. Under the programme, consumers can trade in a variety of smartphones for the Galaxy S5 at a discounted rate. The offer is currently available at Samsung’s Ikeja City Mall Experience Store in Lagos and selected branded stores across the country. A full list of mobile devices that have been selected as part of the Smart Trade programme is available on Samsung Electronics’ website.

Devices to be exchanged for the Galaxy S5 will be graded based on their current condition and also evaluated and discounted based on three grading categories including “perfect, good and non-functional.” Once the device has been graded and its monetary value determined by Samsung, the customer will receive a coupon reflecting this value. As a special offer, an additional N8,100 will be inputed to the value on the coupon towards making the acquisition of the Galaxy S5 easier. The coupon can be redeemed immediately against the purchase of the Galaxy S5. According to the company, each grading category has clear definitions that allow for an accurate value to be attributed to the device that is being traded.

Head of Product Marketing for the company’s Information Technology and Mobile Division, Ms. Olajumoke Okikiolu describe the Smart Trade programme as an initiative that will further offer much needed relief for customers who wish to move to Samsung’s wave-making Galaxy S5 at the earliest possible opportunity.

Samsung is also providing customers who buy the Galaxy S5 from any of its Experience Stores and accredited dealers nationwide with a free power bank. Customers who buy the company’s wearable fitness band, the Gear Fit, alongside the Galaxy S5 will receive up to 10 percent discount on their purchase while those that purchase the Gold Colour Rush edition of the device stand to get a special Galaxy 11 battery cover upon their purchase from select stores.

Broadband Council Pushes For 50% 3G-Coverage

THE BROADBAND COUNCIL is pushing for increased 3G coverage to 50% of the Nigerian population by 2015.

 This was one of the outcomes of the 4th Broadband Council meeting held in Lagos on the 30th of May 2014. The meeting coincided with the first year anniversary of the approval of the Broadband Plan by President GoodluckEbele Jonathan.

 In reviewing progress against the broadband plan so far, Council highlighted that it had been slower than anticipated, though Broadband penetration has gone up from 6 to 6.8% since implementation commenced.  

All members agreed that sustained efforts needed to be maintained to increase the penetration rate in accordance with the five year target of the Broadband Plan as full 3G rollout would lead to increased mobile broadband penetration for all.

To support its push for full 3G rollout across the nation, an Access Gap Analysis of the coverage of the country has been completed by the USPF. The purpose of the Access Gap study by USPF is to ascertain/determine priority for unserved and underserved areas and direct appropriate investments to these areas. 

This will inform plans for addressing under-served and unserved areas across the country.

The USPF’s soon to be published Access Gap Analysis shows large population clusters of 500,000 and more still requiring coverage. This significant work by the USPF has given real empirical data to the issue of which areas of the country have connectivity.

 The members of the council commended the work of the USPF in this area. This work would feed into prioritised areas for USP funds.

The Council also extensively deliberated on progress made with the Smart States initiative and getting states to reduce or remove ROW charges and other related fees.

 Five states have so far indicated interest in being Smart States. They are Gombe, Bayelsa, Ondo, Anambra and Katsina. Lagos and Cross Rivers state are already considered well on their way to being Smart City States. Abuja is also in a great position to be Smart

The Chairman of the Council and Honourable Minister of the Ministry of Communication Technology, Dr (Mrs) Omobola Johnson, said that the Smart states drive to engage governors and relevant authorities at the state and federal level to address the issue of multiple taxations will accelerate the roll out of critical infrastructure across Nigeria. 

The Lagos state government had earlier signed an agreement with the Association of Licensed Telecoms Companies (ALTON) to reduce the cost of RoW from 3000 naira to 500 naira per meter, a significant reduction of 85%. 

The aim of the Smart States initiative is to ensure that effective measures are adopted to remove arbitrary charges and eradicate multiple taxations across the nation. 

Previous research by the Ministry revealed that ROW charges, levies and taxes contributed about 70% to the cost of rolling out infrastructure in several states.

Also, a collaborative agreement between the Ministries of Communication Technology (including the NCC) and Environment (which includes NESREA) has been gazetted and is now in place to help ease bottlenecks concerning base station deployment. 

An MOU that outlines the roles and responsibilities of each department with respect to base station deployment and approvals of Environmental Impact Assessments necessary for effective service delivery in the telecom sector is now operational. 

In addition, the timeline for the processing of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports will no longer exceed 90 days, another obstacle often highlighted by Operators.

The push by the Council for the release of more spectrum by the NFMC and NCC is yielding positive results. The Nigerian Communications Commission successfully auctioned the 2.3GHz spectrum band to Bitflux Communications in February this year. The auction is in line with the mandated timeline of the broadband plan. 

The release of complementary Infraco licenses will follow shortly. NFMC continues to work closely with the NBC and NCC with regards to digital

dividends and the release of 2.5GHz and 2.6GHz planned for later this year.

Incumbent occupants of the spectrum have been engaged and a mode of transition is being worked out.

The Council also deliberated on the Cybercrime Bill and work done so far on TV White Space committee. The Cyber Crime Bill passed through the First Reading in the National Assembly in the first quarter of 2014, and the Bill is awaiting Second Reading in both the Senate and House of Representatives. 

The NFMC has approved the piloting of TV whitespace technology in Nigeria and the pilot will commence with 6 companies offering services in unserved and underserved areas. Pilots will be for one year under licensing from NCC. Purpose of the pilot is to establish the TVWS solution as a viable rural access technology for the Nigerian context.

Recall that the Broadband Council had after its third meeting on the 17th of February launched an awareness campaign that will communicate the transformational benefits of broadband to all Nigerians to encourage its use and adoption and inform where broadband is also accessible in local communities.  

The Campaign tagged ‘’Connected Nigeria, Connected Nigerians’’ is on-going and will raise awareness and disseminate information of the benefits of Broadband and how broadband is creating economic and social value for Nigerians. 

The Council has also inaugurated a Media Advisory Council to help drive the broadband awareness campaign. These achievements are in line with the President Goodluck Jonathan’s goal of seeing broadband penetration increase five-fold by 2017, and the action items stipulated in the Broadband plan. The Broadband Council was inaugurated on the 16th of July, 2013 and is made up of 19 members chaired by the Minister of Communication Technology, Dr (Mrs) Omobola Johnson. The Council is charged with the responsibility of working on implementation modalities for the approved Nigerian National Broadband Plan 2013 – 2018.  

Mobile Subscription in Africa to Hit 930 Million by 2019

ERICSSON has predicted that mobile subscriptions in Sub-Saharan Africa will hit 930 million by the end of 2019, with 557m smartphone and 710m broadband subscriptions. The world leader in communications technology and services, Ericsson revealed the scale of the region’s ongoing data revolution with traffic growth is doubling in the past year.

It’s June 2014 Sub-Saharan Africa Ericsson Mobility Report showed that in 2014 phone users accessed 76,000 TB (terabyte) of data per month, double the 2013  figure of 37,500 TB per month. In 2015 the figures are expected to double again with mobile phone users accessing 147,000 TB per month.

The rise of social media, content-rich apps and video content accessed from a new range of cheaper smartphones has prompted the rise. Consumers in Kenya, South Africa and Nigeria are also increasingly using videoTV and media services from their smartphones.

Fredrik Jejdling, Regional Head of Ericsson Sub-Saharan Africa, says: “Sub-Saharan Africa is currently undergoing a mobile digital revolution with consumers, networks and even media companies are wakening up the possibilities of 3G and 4G technology. We have seen the trend emerging over a few years but in the past twelve months the digital traffic has increased over 100% forcing us to revise our existing predictions.”

In the next five years, the Report’s findings show that the voice call traffic in Sub-Saharan Africa will double and there will be an explosion in mobile data with growing 20 times between 2013 and 2019, twice the anticipated global expansion. By 2019 the report predicts that 75 per cent of mobile subscriptions will be internet inclusive (3G or 4G).

This growth has been predicted following the launch in 2014 of a number of smartphones for under $50 USD by a number of major device manufacturers allowing the rapid expansion of 3G and 4G technology across the region. The 2014 Report predicts that in just three years’ time 3G technology will become the dominant technology across the region.

Fredrik Jejdling, Regional Head of Ericsson Sub-Saharan Africa, says: “The rise of cheap smartphones will allow vast portions of the population – from middle classes in cities to small businesses in rural areas – access to mobile broadband. M-commerce can offer endless opportunities for entrepreneurs and we’ve found that farmers are fans of mobile wallets – as well as teenagers wanting to watch music videos on their smartphone.”

Ericsson regularly performs traffic measurements in over 100 live networks across the world and predictions have been made in collaboration with Ericsson ConsumerLab, utilising population, macroeconomic trends combined with the company’s own anonymised data. Ericsson is the largest provider of managed services, building and improving the reach and efficacy of mobile networks, in Sub-Saharan Africa and globally.

MTN Targets Digital Education in 21 Days

INFORMATION and communications technology company in Nigeria, MTN, has commenced its annual staff volunteerism programme, 21 Days of Y’ello Care, with this year’s edition focusing on education. 

Themed “Education in the Digital World”, this year’s edition, which commenced on June 1, will have staff of  MTN Nigeria engage in a number of activities aimed at promoting a conducive learning environment as well as draw attention to the fundamental role of education in the development of the nation. Reiterating MTN Nigeria’s commitment to giving back to communities in which it operates at the flag-off of the programme in Lagos, Corporate Services Executive, Mr. Akinwale Goodluck, described education as a vital tool for social and economic development.

 “The weeks ahead are filled with various initiatives that will enable MTN, through the 21 Days of Yello Care programme, continue to contribute its quota towards improving educational standards in Nigeria. Under the Digitech Classroom Project, digitally equipped classrooms will be established across the country to drive access to digital learning. Access to the Internet and education will position a great number of pupils on the same platform as their counterparts in other developed countries, helping to ensure that they do not suffer learning disadvantages even though they live in a developing country,” he said.

Initiated by the MTN Group in 2007, the annual programme encourages MTN staff across its 21 operations in Africa, Asia and the Middle East to volunteer their resources, time and skills to help others and the communities where they live and work.

Also featuring among projects lined up for implementation is the company’s Adopt a Girls’ School Project, which will see each unit within MTN adopt an all-girls school towards empowering the girl child and promoting gender equality in education. 

Other initiatives include Vocation is Education, which is aimed at elevating vocational education in Nigeria, and Y’ello Tutor, which entails the creation of an Online Learning Hub that will be made accessible to students in primary and secondary schools across the country, providing them access to learning materials, tutorials, examinations practice questions and other educational resources.

MTN will also be partnering with Non-Governmental Organisations to provide relief materials to the northern part of Nigeria where the learning infrastructure gap is most acute. The initiative tagged, The Y’ello Aid Initiative, will also raise funds for the Chibok Scholarship which aims to move school girls from Chibok to schools in other states.

Also speaking at the ceremony, Executive Secretary, Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education Board, Engineer Olawunmi Gasper, lauded MTN for acknowledging the importance of education in a growing community.
“I am delighted to be part of MTN’s contribution to promoting education amongst our children. Education is very vital, and inculcating reading habits in children is the way to go. This programme is laudable as it also encourages vocational training and skill acquisition by our children. Gaining an education or learning a form of trade will definitely alleviate poverty within our communities as individuals will now be able to fend and provide for their needs with ease and convenience,” he said.

Also present at the ceremony were the Permanent Secretary, Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Lagos State, Mrs. Risikat Akiyode; Director, Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs. Toyin Onanuga; Programme Director, WIMBIZ, Ms. Morema Onabolu; MTN Ambassadors and Artistes, Banky W, HarrySong and Nikki Laoye; Chief Enterprise Solutions Officer, MTN Nigeria, Mr. Babatunde Osho; Human Resources Executive, MTN Nigeria Mrs. Amina Oyagbola, and other executives of MTN. 

Airtel Seals iPhone 5s Deal with Apple

TELECOMMUNICATIONS services provider, Airtel Nigeria, has announced a strategic partnership with leading mobile phone maker, Apple, to officially unveil the iPhone 5s in Nigeria.

With this announcement, Airtel becomes the first mobile telecommunications services provider in Nigeria to officially seal a partnership deal with Apple.

(L-R) CEO/MD,Slot Nigeria limited, Nnamdi Ezeigbo, Director, Products and Innovations, Airtel Nigeria, Nitin Anand and Director, Marketing and Brands, Airtel Nigeria, Obinna Anichie and Country Manager, iStore Africa, Sachin Verma at the launch of iphone 5s by Airtel Nigeria in Lagos.

The partnership will offer telecoms consumers across the country an opportunity to purchase the iPhones in Airtel showrooms nationwide or from the outlets of its channel/retail partners including Slot.

Speaking during an event to unveil the iPhone 5s in Lagos, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Airtel Nigeria, Segun Ogunsanya, described the company’spartnership with Apple as the coming together of two great brands, saying the partnership is a demonstration of Apple’s trust in Airtel and indeed in Nigeria. 

He added that the partnership underscores Airtel’s unwavering commitment to its vision of becoming Nigeria’s number 1 mobile Internet service provider.

“At Airtel Nigeria, we believe that the future of mobile telephony is mobile Internet and so we are repositioning to revolutionize this landscape with innovative value offerings and strategic partnerships.

“Our partnership with Apple is a glowing testimony to our desire to lead with Internet. Our enviable track record also provides us a leverage to empower more Nigerians to enjoy super-fast Internet services on their devices and mobile phones on the Airtel network,” he said.

Ogunsanya also noted that Airtel is currently embarking on a wide-scale expansion, modernization and transformation of its network.

“Our goal is to ensure that telecoms consumers enjoy the best experience on VOICE, VISUAL and VIDEO as they engage and connect with friends and family members as well as transact their businesses on the Airtel network,” he said.

The iPhone 5s is described by telecoms pundits as the most forward-thinking smartphone in the world. iPhone 5s sets a precedent, with an amazing amount of technology in a remarkably thin, light design. It builds on that achievement with Touch ID — a fingerprint identity sensor. An A7 chip with 64-bit architecture. An even more impressive iSight camera. And ultrafast LTE wireless.

Customers who wish to purchase the iPhone 5s can also buy the device from the retail outlets of Apple’s official distributor in Nigeria, Core Group Africa (CGA).

The launch of the iPhone 5s held at the Civic Centre in Victoria Island, Lagos and it attracted several telecoms consumers including prominent journalists, select youths, Airtel’s channel partners and other stakeholders within the telecoms value chain. 

Telecoms Forum Sharpens Desire For IPV6

DISCUSSIONS at the just concluded sixth edition of the Nigeria DigitalSENSE Forum (NDSF) on Internet Governance for Development (IG4D) and IPV6 suggested that the country is finally getting aware of the enormous benefit of the telecoms industry adopting the IPV6.

The enthusiasm of participants at the forum, which was hosted by DigitalSense Africa Media, drew the attention of the mobile network operators as well as the traditional Internet Service Provider to the need to begin to deploy technology that supports IPV6.

The event which was held at the Welcome Centre Hotel, Murtala Muhammed Airport Road, Lagos had in attendance key stakeholders in the IT and Telecoms industry and secondary school students, whose interest in the discussion of the IPV6 adoption revealed that the country has no need to slack in the adoption of IPV 6.

 L-R: Chairman, Nigeria DigitalSENSE Forum on Internet Governance for Development (IG4D 2014) and Head, Computer Science department, Prof. Charles Uwadia, Executive Director, Operations, Mrs. Nkemdilim Nweke, the Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson represented by Engr. Olufeko Olufemi, chairman, Business and Technology News Publishers Foundation, Mr. Ken Ugbechie at the forum.

Questions answered by students like Anita Simon from Aunty Rose Secondary School, Lagos at the event with the themes: Internet Governance, eBiz and Open Access in Nigeria And IPV6 & Broadband Penetration suggested that the students who are not attending the forum for the first time knew and understand the need for Nigeria to move from IPV4 to IPV 6.

Mohammed Rudman, chief executive officer, Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria, IXPN explained that allocation of IP address from IPV4 is getting exhausted therefore necessitating the IPV6 saying that IPV6  enhances better internet communication.

The two day event which was organized in collaboration with Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) , was created and nurtured as a think-tank platform where Nigerian internet stakeholders converge annually to raise and address germane issues concerning the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector with particular reference to Computing, Internet Governance-related issues towards helping to further advance Nigeria in the ever-rapidly advancing phenomenon of global ICT.

In his remark, chairman of Day 2, Engr. Titi Omo-Ettu, managing consultant, Telecoms Answers Associates said that experts having realised the limitations of the 4^th version of internet protocol called IPV4, chose to replace it with IPv6 which from all intent and purposes is designed to improve  internet delivery on routing, management, transport, mobility, security and ubiquity.

He explained: “By improving the usable addresses from 3.7billion to several thousand billion available addresses per square millimetre of the planet, enough to meet the current demand of users and in the foreseeable future. It is for that reason that one expert says that ‘IPv6 is the natural planet’. The point really is that we are on the wee hours of a future that will use IP to solve human problems beyond current imagination.”

He commended the experts as well as the organisers of the forum, Digital Sense Africa Media for their similarity in consistent commitment to the cause of sustaining the campaign to make the technology thrive.

He said further that “Broadband expansion matter is the only one subject in my memory on which all of us in the industry without exception have ever agreed. It is therefore an irony that it is also a subject that has taunted us more than any other in our history post liberalisation. The good story is that things are looking up in spite of the sluggish speed and we seem to have got the roadmap right.”

In his presentation at the Day 1 of the event, the executive vice chairman of the NCC, Dr. Eugene Juwah said that “the Internet Governance Forum, is particularly of interest to us and we have currently raised a team in the Commission that is taking part on all the Internet Governance Forum discussions taking place around Africa and beyond. The reason is to ensure that our interest as a nation is fully represented at these discussions and to also ensure that we have firsthand knowledge of how best to exploit the potentials that abound on the Internet.”

He noted: As is in many issues where the global community has different views and interests in a technology platform, Internet Governance has become an issue of discussion over the years. It is yet to be seen if the world would gravitate to accept common laws regarding access and use of the Internet.

Juwah disclosed that “there are debates on whether or not Net neutrality should be adopted. While some parts of the world approve the principle of Net Neutrality, in some other parts of the world, net neutrality does not apply.”

He said further: “Recently, an NGO, “Save the Internet” tried to explain the principle of Net Neutrality. It explains the concept as follows: Net Neutrality means an Internet that enables and protects free speech. It means that Internet service providers should provide us with open networks — and should not block or discriminate against any applications or content that ride over those networks. Just as your phone company cannot decide who you could call and what you say on that call, your ISP should not be concerned with what content you view or post online.”

Earlier while welcoming participants to the forum, Mrs. Nkemdilim Nweke, Executive Director, Operations, DigitalSENSE Africa (DSA) reminded young internet users to always be mindful of what they post on the internet because everything posted on the net is traceable to the author.

She said: “you are passionately advised to mind the stuff you post and the language with which such materials are posted on the internet for global consumption. This is important because the result of what you send online for the consummation of the global village remains your permanent signature and model of your image which will definitely rub off on you in all your future contacts.”

She expressed her appreciation to the NCC, NITDA, TELEDOM Group, Galaxy Backbone, Computer Warehouse Group; Resort Savings and Loans; Smile Communication, MEDALION, PIN; CFA, IXPN, NIRA, ALTON, NCS, NITRA, ISPON, ATCON, ITAN, NIG; Business and Technology News Publishers Foundation (BT&F) ICT Publishers Alliance, and ISPAN, for all their corporate support in the hosting of the forum.