GRTech
OTTs slash 81% of telecom operators’ revenue in 13 years


Operations of the Over the top (OTT) players, including WhatsApp, WeChat, Viper, Skype, Google, have slashed about $17.8 (81%) from the Average Revenue per User (ARPU) of the Mobile Network Operators in the country within the last 13 years.
ARPU, which was around $22 in 2005, has dropped by 81 per cent to $4.14 as at April, 2018. ARPU is a measure used primarily by consumer communications, digital media, and networking companies, defined as the total revenue divided by the number of subscribers.
A study carried out by Tekedia, with focus on operators, showed that though competition has been much in the sector, the OTT services have seriously reduced operators’ revenue, not only in Nigeria, but across the globe.
It noted that when the ARPU dropped to $18 in 2006, the country already had Glo and Airtel (Econet, Zain, Celnet), meaning that the reduction of ARPU is not just on direct industry competition, but that the OTTs are having a real effect.
Already, Ovum, an independent analyst and consultancy had revealed that the growing adoption of OTT services by customers instead of traditional telecoms services will occasion global revenue loss of $386 billion over a period of six years (2012 – 2018) for the traditional telecom operators, thus endangering network development.
According to Ovum, the increasing usage of OTT services by customers is adversely impacting on traditional telecom platforms in several ways, as a 2016 data shows the voice minutes have been declining due to the impact of OTT.
The report noted that telecom operators are losing money to OTT players who do not invest in infrastructure, but offer voice, video and messaging services free of charge to their users. They do not also pay taxes and not answerable to any regulation.
On the impact of OTTs operations on operators, the Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), have times without numbers complained that the OTT services are impacting negatively on their operations, especially as it concerns revenue generation.
Chairman of ALTON, Gbenga Adebayo, said that OTTs utilize traditional MNO infrastructure to drive huge advertising revenues, thereby leaving the operators with dwindling revenue.
“Telecom Operators (Telcos) incur the costs to invest a lot on network infrastructure in order to provide basic and innovative services to customers, yet OTT players make the money,” ALTON said.
But in an interaction with journalists in Lagos, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Executive Director, Stakeholders Management, Sunday Dare, challenged the operators to become more innovative. He stressed that NCC won’t regulate technology.
Meanwhile, MTN Q1 2018 report showed that the South African firm made about N81 billion in revenue.
Going by the report, MTN had ARPU of $4.14 for the 54,528,527 subscribers it recorded for Q1 2018; the implication is that MTN Nigeria made revenue of $225,748,101.78 for the quarter. In Nigeria, using the reported ARPU in Naira, the revenue was N81.4 billion for the quarter.
Glo, Airtel and 9mobile all have subscriber base of 39.04 million, 38.9 million and 16.3 million respectively.
The Group result showed that MTN Nigeria increased service revenue by 14.4 per cent YoY, led by a
73.2 per cent increase in data revenue and 15.2 per cent growth in voice revenue. While the increase in voice revenue was encouraging, it was supported by the lower customer spend on VAS. As growth in our digital services is expected to resume in the latter part of the year, this may impact growth rates in voice revenue.
MTN Nigeria reported net additions in the quarter of 2.3 million following on from the 2.0 million additions in 4Q17 as the business benefited from the increase in SIM registration footprint.
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.
-
GRTech3 days ago
Glo reduces international call rates
-
GRTech3 days ago
Oil subsidy removal freed up resources for infrastructure – Enugu Governor
-
GRPolitics3 days ago
Tinubu Hails Winners of By-Elections in 12 States
-
GRtv3 days ago
Ohanaeze Hails Gov Mbah’s 5 Transport Terminals, 100 CNG Buses Across Enugu
-
Transport4 days ago
In an Epic Move, Gov Mbah Inaugurates 5 Ultramodern Bus Terminals, Rolls Out 100 Mass Transit CNG Buses Across Enugu
-
Culture2 days ago
Charles Emembolu Named Chair of Nigeria’s Creative Tech Council (CCTF)
-
CampusLife4 days ago
Samsung Unwraps the Sleek, Durable Galaxy A07 in Nigeria
-
GRtv3 days ago
Enugu Governor Hails FG’s Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme