GRTech
NCC Consults Stakeholders on Drones Deployment Regulation in Nigeria


The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) this morning (18/12/2019) met a medley and rare assemblage of stakeholders, including top echelon of military and paramilitary personnel and key telecom industry players, at a Consultative Forum it organised on regulating the deployment of drones in the country.
At the forum, which took place at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Ikeja, Lagos, Otunba Olabiyi Durojaiye, Chairman, NCC Board of Commissioners, assured participants that the Commission will continue to collaborate with all stakeholders concerning the deployment of drones and on all other matters. Durojaiye also used the platform to reiterate his call on the National Assembly to expeditiously pass the Critical National Infrastructure Protection Bill.
The Executive Vice Chairman and CEO of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, who was represented by Adeleke Adewolu, the Executive Commissioner Stakeholder Management, told the participants that in the face of security challenges such as the vandalism of critical national infrastructure, kidnapping, insurgencies and other crimes, the Commission conveyed the forum “to inform our stakeholders of the appropriate spectrum for drones and the conditions for its use in order to help in realising the set objectives of deploying them to tackle the security challenges and for commercial services too”.
Danbatta also informed the participants that in view of the limitations to the guidelines for the use of 2.4GHz and 5.8GHz spectrum bands and the need for amendments, a reviewed draft guidelines that accommodate duty cycle, transmission, reception frequencies, power, distance, speed and weight, among others, is now available.
He noted that “these changes will give an added opportunity to the use of drones in the bands without causing interference to the adjacent and incumbent services.” Danbatta affirmed that “all equipment to be used must be duly type-approved in accordance with the Commission’s Type Approval Regulation. He called on all stakeholders to leverage the opportunity provided by the 60GHz frequency band which exists on 57-64 GHz and now officially available for use once the necessary work is completed on the guidelines.
Austin Nwalunne, NCC’s Director of Spectrum Administration, recalled that the forum was a clear expression of NCC’s commitment to the ongoing implementation of the NCC’s 8-Point Agenda because it speaks to key elements of the Agenda including the optimisation of benefits of spectrum, facilitation of strategic collaboration and partnership, and ensuring operational efficiency and regulatory excellence.
Nwalunne stated that drones have found application in several areas that are contributing to the development of nations, especially in security surveillance, shipping, disaster management, archaeological surveys, geographic mapping, agriculture and many kinds of monitoring as well as law enforcement processes using devices.
The Director of Spectrum Administration said the Commission recognises “a number of challenges in fully realising the potential for growth that drones bring with them, including meeting the spectrum for drones” but NCC “is advancing the administrative standards by establishing technical parameters to use certain bands as the frequency for deployment of drones and other emerging technologies.”
The President of the Nigerian Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (NIEEE), Funso Adebayo, who made a visibly passionate remark at the forum, praised the NCC for efforts being made in this regard, describing the Commission as “moving in the right direction and at the right speed.”
Among the key presenters at the forum were Alexis Martin of Mansat, UK; Kobus Fourie of Henslodt, South Africa, Dr. James Ajago and Joe Emeshili of NCC. They made presentations on Drones: Definitions and Practices; Harmonisation of Spectrum for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs); Emerging Trends; and Guidelines on 2.4GHz & 5.8GHz respectively.
Abraham Oshadami, NCC’s Head of Information Technology, moderated the questions and answers sessions during which participants were able to register their approvals, commendations, concerns and challenges as stakeholders. The main session of the forum was moderated by Dr. Fidelis Onah, a telecom and engineering consultant and former Director of Technical Standards and Network Integrity at NCC.
GRTech
The Economics of Product Decisions: Applying Behavioural Economics and Game Theory in PM


Product managers often need to make a clear-cut decision: what should we build next? But the decisions which hold real importance go beyond adding features.
It’s about getting what makes people tick.
It goes way beyond what you would expect, getting into how people behave and using game theory.
These areas give insight into how users decide and how a product’s design can improve growth and keep people interested.
This is what Amarachi Nnochiri excels at. She is a senior product manager that knows how to use economics and psychology in her job.
She goes beyond simply managing product tasks; she develops whole product systems based on how users think, feel, and use a service. Her background shows how understanding human psychology and behaviour can give you a significant advantage in the competition.
One idea Amarachi uses is “loss aversion.” In this scenario, people feel worse about losing something than they feel good about gaining something of equal value.
She uses this when designing her products, mostly when it comes to pricing and getting people to try new strategies. For example, instead of giving a free trial, she might use a freemium setup where users get some stuff for free but could lose it if they don’t buy an upgrade. This pushes them to pay.
She might also use progress bars or streak counters, since losing progress gets people to keep using the product.
Amarachi also uses ideas from “game theory” to get how users act and change their behavior. She realizes that users are doing more than operating a product, but are playing a game with other users or with the product itself. She designs things that use ideas like “Nash equilibrium,” where nobody can do better by changing what they’re doing. For a social product, this could mean creating a system where doing something good for yourself (like inviting friends) also helps everyone else. This makes the whole thing stable and positive.
Her know-how in game theory also applies to making strong “network effects.” This means making stuff that gets better as more people use it.
A good example is a social network where each new user makes the product more helpful for everyone else. Amarachi endeavours to make things go viral on purpose, not just by luck.
She might use “commitment devices,” which are things that make a user stick with a behaviour by making them depend on it socially or functionally. For example, inviting team members to a tool makes the user stick with the platform and makes the product’s network stronger.
This way of thinking is better than just following the usual steps. By using these economic and psychological tricks, Amarachi develops competitive advantages which are difficult to replicate.
She knows that a company’s best thing is not just a simple interface, but a product that’s designed to sync with how people behave.
Her product choices aren’t just about the needs of users, but equally focus on motivating them to like the product, use it, and stick with it.
In her work, choosing a subscription price isn’t just a business thing; it’s about behaviour. Designing a social feed isn’t just about the content; it’s about balancing what people want and watching how they interact. Amarachi knows extensively about the economics of product decisions. This makes her products innovative and appealing to human behaviour, which leads to more use, keeps people around, and helps the product grow. She’s a leader in product management, where identifying customer desires is backed by understanding human motivation.


Technology Company, Globacom, has announced significant reductions in its International Direct Dialing (IDD) rates, making international calls more affordable for its existing and new customers across Nigeria.
Effective August 10, the new rates began applying to over 15 popular international destinations, including United States which will has moved to ₦30 per minute, down from ₦35, United Kingdom is now N350 from ₦400, while India also moved down to ₦40 from N45.
The rates for China, Saudi Arabia and Cameroon however recorded major reduction moving to N75, N300 and ₦700 respectively.
The reduction was also extended to African countries including Benin Republic which goes for ₦650 per minute, Niger Republic ₦750, Ghana ₦500, and Togo ₦650. United Arab Emirates also moved from ₦450 to ₦325, Germany to ₦550, Côte d’Ivoire ₦700, Libya ₦700, while calls to Malawi is now N1,100 from ₦1,200.
Glo aims to provide more value for its customers through these revised rates, encouraging them to make Glo their preferred network for international calls. New IDD bundles will also be introduced, offering frequent international callers even more attractive deals.
Globacom, which remained optimistic that frequent international callers will benefit immensely from the reductions in IDD bundles, enjoined customers to take advantage of the new rates to stay connected with friends and business associates across the globe.
GRTech
Oil subsidy removal freed up resources for infrastructure – Enugu Governor
By Orji Israel, South East Correspondent


The Executive Governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah, has attributed the financing of numerous infrastructure projects embarked by the state government to the oil subsidy removal policy of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration.
He made this declaration at the Govermment House, Enugu, during a courtesy visit by a delegation of federal government led by Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, as part of activities lined up for the 2-day Citizens’ Engagement Series in the South East geo-political zone.
“For us in Enugu, we are able to accomplish all we promised our people during the campaign, thanks to the bold decision taken by President Bola Tinubu, which has freed up resources needed to execute humongous capital projects,” said Governor, while listing ongoing projects in the state, which include the construction of 7,000 classrooms, 3,300 hospital beds and 2,000-hectare of 260 farm estates across the 260 wards of the state.
Governor Mbah also pledged more support for the policies of the federal government, saying they are in the best interest of the people of the state.
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