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Telcos Reject FG’s N75bn Price Tag For 3.5GHz Spectrum

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3 years ago

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Telecom operators have decried the high cost of 3.5Ghz Spectrum and it’s 10 years licensing period proposed by the Federal Government of Nigeria.

The mobile network operators identified these as major issues that need to be reviewed before the official auctioning date.

The Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), Thursday, hosted a stakeholder engagement forum In Lagos where the draft Information Memorandum (IM) for the upcoming auction of the 3.5 gigahertz (GHz) spectrum band was discussed exhaustively.

The Information Memorandum (IM) is a comprehensive document, which defines the process emplaned by the Commission for the auctioning of the 3.5GHz spectrum band.

The document also provides information on the Nigerian telecommunications market, details of the spectrum to be made available, the pre-qualification process, the auction process as well as the indicative timetable.

According to officials at the NCC, mobile operators like MTN, Airtel, under the aegis of GSMA said the ₦75 billion ($197.4m) set as reserved price for the spectrum would limit many players from participation in the auctioning of the spectrum.

Mobile operators in their feedbacks and recommendation on the IM draft to the NCC, said the spectrum price was too expensive and higher than what obtains in most other countries that have rolled out 5G.

Telcos said the industry regulator needed to encourage more participation by lowering the reserved price while considering the market realities in the industry.

Also, they argued that the proposed 10 years licensing period on the spectrum band was not enough as it would limit the time to plan and implement actions towards the 5G rollout.

Operators recommended that 20 years period was more feasible as it gives room for more planning and implementation.

In response, the NCC said reiterated its commitment and readiness to ensure that 5G succeeds.

The regulator said it had considered several factors it came up with the price, however, added that it would consider the duration of the license.

“For us in the sector, we are most concerned about the cost of 5G. This new direction will require a lot more investment, and the current infrastructure might not be sufficient and efficient for it.

According to the Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria, Gbenga Adebayo, there is a need to address the issue of cost.

He said in order not to have 5G that is only glamorously deployed and not efficient, then, the issue of cost must be looked into.

Infrastructure, CNI Bill, Other Critical Issues

Speaking to TechEconomy, Dr. Adedoyin Adeola, Ag CTO, Airtel Nigeria said infrastructure was still a major issue for the sector regardless of its plans to roll out the 5G network.

He lamented that the destruction of fibre cables which are critical national infrastructure by road contractors remains an issue that has not been resolved.

He said Airtel records at least 400 fibre cuts every month from road constructions, and there are no compensations from the government.

“The money spent on these infrastructure are coming from somewhere and needs no be recouped.”

He said the NCC has not done enough in making sure that National Assembly expedites action in the passage of the Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) bill into law so that rate of vandalism will end.

ALSO READ Airtel 5G trial network goes live
“These people need to be punished for incurring losses that affect us and quality of service as well.”

TechEconomy recalls that Industry had over the years demanded that the Federal government to declare all telecoms facilities across the country critical national infrastructure but their request was never heeded to, leading to frequent vandalization of telecoms infrastructure in various parts of the country.

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Justice Okamgba is journalist at Grassroots.ng

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Samsung Unveils Galaxy A06 – Galaxy Wey Sabi

By Sandra Ani

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1 month ago

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October 12, 2024

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Galaxy A06 WeySabi
From left to right: Stephen Okwara, product manager, Mobile Experience West Africa; Oge Maduagu, head of Marketing West Africa; Joy Tim-Ayoola, group head, Mobile experience West Africa, and Nathan Lee, business manager, Mobile experience, all of Samsung West Africa, during the unveiling of Galaxy A06 at Ikeja City Mall, Lagos

Samsung Electronics has officially unveiled the latest addition to the popular Galaxy A series smartphones – the Samsung Galaxy A06.

Joining a fan favorite series and combining powerful performance with a sleek design, the Galaxy A06 offers customers and loyal A series fans unique features and premium experience at an affordable price.

The stylish Galaxy A06 is set to redefine what users expect from entry-level smartphones, offering cutting-edge technology without compromise.

Aptly, tagged “Galaxy Wey Sabi”, the Galaxy A06 stands out in the competitive category as it aims to resolve the customers’ needs in a smartphone with focus on durability, functionality, security, camera, and entertainment.

Users can enjoy capturing high-resolution photos with the 50MP rear camera, now equipped with Nightography for capturing the essence of every detail especially in low-light conditions. The 8MP front and 2MP (depth) cameras also provide crystal-clear selfies with advanced beautification features.

Spotting a slimmer design and comfortable grip, as well as a side fingerprint scanner, the new Galaxy A06 features a stunning 6.7” HD+ display, providing vivid colors and crisp clarity for an immersive viewing experience that delivers seamless visuals on the infinity-U display with enhanced brightness, especially for outdoor visibility. 

Galaxy A06 – Galaxy Wey Sabi is truly a device, which understands your needs, equipped with a 5000mAh long-lasting battery, you can enjoy more device usage without worrying about battery life. The 25W Super-Fast Charging feature ensures up to 50% battery charge in just 30mins, meaning you are back in action quickly.

“The Samsung assurance is a promise, a trustworthy reliability in our Knox Security on this device, which protects your personal information by isolating your passwords and other private data within a secure environment,” said Stephen Okwara, Head Product Management, Samsung Electronics West Africa. “What also awesome about this is our promise of continuous OS upgrades and up to 4 years security update on this device. Isn’t that impressive from a brand that understands the needs of its customers?”

Also speaking at the Galaxy A06 launch event in Lagos, Oge Maduagwu, Head of Marketing, Samsung Electronics West Africa said: “We are excited to introduce the Galaxy A06, which brings together powerful performance, an advanced camera, and long-lasting battery life, all in a stylish and affordable package,” She added: “Also customers can enjoy premium support for their device with a screen damage insurance cover of just N9000.

Available in four stunning colors – Black, Blue Green, Lime and Silver – The Samsung Galaxy A06 will be available in Nigeria at all authorized Samsung Stores from 11th October 2024, with pricing starting at N146,000.

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Anambra School Emerges Winner In National Girls In ICT Competition With Groundbreaking VR Technology

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7 months ago

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April 25, 2024

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St. John Vianney Science College, Igbariam, used their virtual reality project to conquer the National Girls in ICT Competition 2024, claiming the national championship title yesterday!

The National Girls in ICT Competition, organized by the Federal Ministry of Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy, is a technology innovation competition for all girls in secondary schools across Nigeria.

Their innovative project, M-Tag VR, allows users to explore iconic landmarks like Zuma Rock and learn about fascinating cultural aspects of Nigerian tribes. The girls, Immaculate Ebube Ikegwuonu, Camilla Anyadike, and Nweke-Nonso Oluchi, mentored by their coach, John Onuigbo, triumphed over teams from all 36 states.

The girls’ talent shone brightly throughout the competition. They started at the state level where they aced the Anambra state competition, then proceeded to conquer the Southeastern regional championship, defeating teams from Ebonyi, Imo, Abia, and Enugu, to make it to the national finals.

Rivers and Lagos states secured the second and third-place positions, respectively.

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Google To Delete Billions Of Browser Records To Settle ‘Incognito’ Lawsuit

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8 months ago

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April 2, 2024

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CNN reported that Google will delete billions of data records as part of a settlement for a lawsuit that accused the tech giant of improperly tracking the web-browsing habits of users who thought they were browsing the internet privately.

The suit was originally filed in 2020 and accused Google of misrepresenting the kind of data it collects from users who browsed the internet via “Incognito” private browsing mode in Chrome. Google agreed to settle the suit late last year, but the terms of the settlement were first disclosed in a filing on Monday.

As part of the settlement, Google must delete “billions of data records” that reflect the private browsing activities of users in the class action suit, according to court documents filed Monday in San Francisco federal court.

Google will also update its disclosure to inform users about what data it collects each time a user initiates a private browsing session. Google has already started implementing these changes.

For the next five years, Google will also let private browsing users block third-party cookies as part of the settlement. Google also will no longer track people’s choices to browse the internet privately.

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