ICT posts to be reserved for locals in South Africa

The government of South Africa has dropped a hint that specific positions within the ICT industry will be reserved for South Africans in government’s bid to address the skills shortage problem.

Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka mentioned this when she spoke to delegates at the launch of Joint Initiative for Priority Skills Acquisition (Jipsa) 2007 annual report.

She admitted the need and urgency for overseas skills which is critical to mentor those people who were being produced by domestic universities and technical colleges just as it is also true that there is a drain of skills from SA to overseas countries where conditions and prospects of employment are better.
 

TECHNOLOGY NEWS
Skype moves one step further UP

Following recent moves to extend Skype conversations to a wide variety of new mobile and wireless devices, Skype is taking another major step as it continues to merge its internet communications software with mobile phones.

Last Monday, the company released a beta version of Skype for mobiles, a 'thin' client that works on about 50 of the most popular Java-enabled mobile phones from Motorola, Nokia, Samsung and Sony Ericsson.

The beta version of Skype for mobiles is available worldwide with a feature set that includes chat, group chat, presence (seeing when your contacts are online), and receiving Skype and SkypeIn calls. Additional features, which include the making of Skype-to-Skype and SkypeOut calls from the mobile handsets, are initially supported in only some select markets in the world. These are Brazil (Rio de Janeiro), Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hong Kong, Poland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

There are two ways to get the beta version of Skype for mobiles: either as a direct over-the-air download to a compatible mobile phone, or it can be downloaded to a computer and then transferred to the phone. For instructions, please visit www.skype.com/go/mobiledownload. This Web page also includes a directory of currently supported mobile phones and the list of markets where the full feature set is available.
 

NITEL Workers’ Strike may have gone on recess

Workers of Nigeria’s First National Operator, NITEL, who went on strike have called off the strike after 10 days. They protested delayed salaries, incompetent management and repeated their earlier demand that Messers Transnational Corporation, Transcorp, which bought into the company in 2006 and finally brought it to its knees, should be expelled from having anything to do with the affairs of the company.

Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, waded in to provide soft landing for the workers when it became necessary to make a U-turn by calling off the strike since the Federal Government to whom their demands were made turned a deaf ear to the workers’ demand.

At call-off time, the workers issued a statement saying they decided to call off the strike as response to pleas from well meaning Nigerians and to allow a peace meeting being brokered by the Senate Committee on Communications to take place. They made four demands which include payment of outstanding salaries, restoration of staff medical scheme, confirmation of their appointments, and they want Government to provide funding for the company to run.

Although the strike took a slight toll on the various telecom networks, apparently overplayed in the media, the Federal government pretended as if it meant nothing.

By keeping quiet, Government is making one of the biggest mistakes of its tenure so far. That is if this government is assumed to be different from the one it took over from last May.

It has become popular thinking that NITEL is now worthless and un-useful to the life of Nigeria and the workers could go hang. In a way, the strike has shown that comatose as it is, the company still has weak and poisoned canines and, somehow, it could still bite.

The expired government which commenced privatisation of NITEL bungled the exercise in the strategic attempt to prepare it for a pre-conceived purchase by one of their own. Fortunately for Nigeria, things did not quite work in the ways they planned as all the plans failed. NITEL, in the process, bit dust.

The initial game plan of the Bureau for Public Enterprises, BPE, was to devalue NITEL to a point that the envisaged buyer who, some said, had only N200,000 in his bank account in 1999 could be able to use fronts to buy the company into its fleet of future assets. One thing led to another and the initial hide-and-seek manoeuvres of 2000 turned full-scale to fraud in 2006 when NITEL was sold to Transcorp.

Entered Transcorp, a so-called conglomerate which was a camouflage for upfront purchase of NITEL and a few other public assets for eventual ownership by its 'shareholder-in-waiting'. It needed the failure of Third Term Agenda for Transcorp to bite dust and its sun set at dawn.

Rewind.

In 2000, when NITEL prepared to expand its transmission system to contain the imminent traffic from the various operator-applicants which were certain to be licensed by NCC, it was denied the necessary funding to make the crucial investment. BPE, at the time, argued that a property that was almost on sale had no reason to make such investment. They underplayed the fact that government would retain as much as 49% of the company even after sale and it made no sense to regard it as ‘another guy’s business’. From one bend to the other, all actions taken by BPE gave enough indication that the privatisation was designed to fail so that the original intension could be met.

BPE’s boss of the time, Nasir el-Rufai in response to a question on whether it did not make sense to severe Mtel from NITEL before privatisation said ‘ what is there to separate in the two companies when the two combined are not worth even one?’. He compared Econet-wireless which then had 700,000 lines as worth more than NITEL which, according to him had ‘only a paltry 400,000 lines’. A reporter who came asking for comments on el-Rufai’s position on that issue was asked to go back to Nasir and ask him if it was not the 'paltry 400,000 lines' he was asking IILL to pay $1.36billion, being 51%, for. The reporter never came back.

From IILL, through Pentascope to Transcorp it was one long nightmare for NITEL which tumbled from grace to grass resulting in Nigerians having to pay heavy phone bills to support an emerging mobile telephony system which lacked commensurate transmission backbone to support mounting traffic. It would have required magic to be otherwise.

As Nigerians groaned the pains of fat phone bills into a future of certain overuse of limited transmission capacity, Nasir el-Rufai was compensated with appointment as Minister of the lucrative federal capital city for yet another hatchet job for his master.

The National Assembly has suggested it would look, again, into a few of the issues surrounding the failed attempt to privatise NITEL. Hopefully the probe, if eventually undertaken, may reveal enough information to expose the returning equation in the initiatives of those who assembled IILL, Pentascope and Transcorp, all start-ups, and who they are.

Government is better advised to take NITEL as a serious asset whose License and Right of Way is worth $2.5billion. Should the street talk which assumes that NITEL is worthless be allowed to prevail even in the mind of government, Nigeria would have lost an eternal chance to claim a commonwealth which some guys tried unsuccessfully  to corner to themselves and another guy may just walk in and take it away without paying due price.

You cannot kill the beetle easily. The asset that NITEL constitutes is the worth of its License as the First National Operator. It is a misrepresentation of values for a First National Operator to be seen in terms of Number of lines.

It needs not have any subscriber lines at all.


SATCOM Africa Stars Award goes to Ndukwe

Nigeria’s Ernest Ndukwe, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive of Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC was named an outstanding star in the "SATCOM Africa Stars" Awards held at Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa recently.

The organizers of the Awards said it was designed to identify and reward those companies and individuals who have demonstrated an unparalleled ability to succeed, continually set standards of excellence, and who will be the future stars of the industry. Winning a "SatCom Africa Stars" will therefore be seen as a recognizable standard of industry excellence"

More than 25 African countries were represented at the SATCOM Africa 2008 conference and exhibitions, which attracted international satellite vendors and manufacturers. The Award recipient was named the African Regulator Personality of the Year.

Cairo Hosts Africa Telecom EXPO

All roads lead to Cairo Egypt which hosts Africa Telecom 2008 scheduled to open on May 12. Outside of South Africa, Cairo is one other country which has hosted the EXPO several times in the past. Many other countries in Africa, including Nigeria, never did.

ITU TELECOM AFRICA is the most important nexus of the individuals, companies and governmental players redefining the future of connectivity as it expands into this important developing region.

The theme of Telecom Africa 2008 is 'ICTs in Africa: A Continent on the Move'. Such ‘movement’ had been largely on mobile telephony until recent times when notable intercontinental broadband infrastructure projects show to be on the increase.

It is usual for the biennial ITU Event to showcase pavilions for countries through which private companies operating in such countries show their potentials and network for growth.

There are indications that Nigeria plans to take advantage of hosting one such pavilion in Cairo.


China overtakes US as world's biggest user of Internet
by
Jane Macartney

China’s web population will grow by about 18 per cent a year, putting the total at 490m by 2012 - more than the population of the US.

China has overtaken the US as the world’s biggest user of the internet, thanks to a rise of more than 61 per cent of people in the country using the web in the past year.

More than 221 million Chinese were online at the end of February compared with 137 million at the start of 2007, tying for first place with the United States. But experts say that the number is sure to have risen steeply in the past few weeks, placing China in the undisputed number one position.

Despite the substantial increase, internet penetration in China remains low given the size of the population. Only 16 per cent of the country’s 1.3 billion are online compared with a world average of 19 per cent.

Experts say that the number will swell rapidly in the next few years as hundreds of millions of Chinese still toiling as low-paid farmers or labourers experience a rise in their incomes that will enable them to go online. BDA China, a Beijing technology company, estimates that China’s web population will grow by about 18 per cent a year, putting the total at 490 million by 2012 - more than the population of the United States.

For the Chinese, the internet is becoming their preferred means of communication, their top source of information and their favourite for entertainment. Sites that offer video-sharing have become among the most popular in China over the past year, commanding as many as 100 million visitors a day - equal to the entire audience for the biggest state television channels.

The carefully policed Great Firewall of China, which blocks searches for content considered subversive or pornographic, has also turned its spotlight on these sites. Last month the Government said that it would shut down 25 video sites and punish 32 others for violating new rules against carrying content deemed pornographic, violent or a threat to security.

The most commonly blocked searches are for words such as Taiwan independence, Tibet, the Dalai Lama or the Falun Gong, the banned quasi-religious sect. These are topics of less interest to most Chinese than detailed news of the torch relay, results of the latest Manchester United match or gossip about Brad Pitt.

Another reason for the mushrooming popularity of the internet has been a regulatory quirk. Fixed-line phone companies are losing potential new customers to mobile phone services but are barred from entering that market themselves. So they are trying to bring in new revenues by promoting low-cost broadband internet access. This has brought high-speed service to millions more Chinese.

It has been a powerful tool for communication in the past few days when internet users, backed by mobile phone text messaging, tried to mobilise a nationwide boycott of Carrefour, the French supermarket accused of supporting the Dalai Lama.

This essay is taken from http://www.timesonline.co.uk
  

Federal Ministry of ICT emerges soon

There are indications that work has been completed on the study document which dots the i’s and crosses the t’s on Nigerian government’s plan to consolidate the information and communications technology industry into a Ministry of Information and Communications Technology. The 26-man study group which government appointed in 2006 to study the benefits and implications of such industry merger is reported to have completed its work and submitted a report.

 Minister of State for Information and Communications Alhaji Ibrahim Dasuki Nakande confirmed this at the recent Forum on Local Content Development held in Lagos under the auspices of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria, ATCON.

 Although the merger of the Ministries of Communications and Information had since been announced, it was a directive of the Federal Executive Council ahead of the formal integration of the decision into the proper working framework of government. It was not clear what exigencies made government go ahead with the announcement at the time it did late 2006. Analysts believe that by the time it is over, a few parastatals, agencies and commissions may have to relocate to different Ministries for supervisory control to make the consolidation meaningful.

 Cell Phones now allowed on Airplanes in Europe
But on conditions

 The European Union has opened the way for air travelers to use mobile phones to talk, text or send e-mails on planes throughout Europe's airspace.  This will however be limited to when the aircraft is at cruising level or at least not below 10,000ft above ground. It will also not be allowed when taking off or during landing.

 With this, airlines may make additional income from onboard mobile services and it may even become an issue for measuring competitive edge in air services. How do you get used to being banned from working once you are on a long distance flight. In-flight mobile phone services can be a very interesting new service especially for those business travelers who need to be ready to communicate wherever they are.

 The EU is naturally worried about exploitative pricing and it is expected to issue directives on rates for services so as to make them reasonable if things don’t just sort themselves out.

 Several airlines are known to have commenced trial of in-flight mobile phone services in the last few days after the EU announcement.

Boon to Starcomms ONE subscribers

Starcomms subscribers can now experience true convenience with starcomms hourly internet subscription renewal packages available to existing subscribers. Under the scheme, 100 hours can be spread over 30 days at N6,500 or 250 hours over 90 days forN15,000 with the starcomms broadband internet renewal packages. The way to do it is to approach any starcomms shop in the vicinity.

ITU speaks on Nigeria and NCC

The real secret behind how Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC has recorded its international recognition for credible regulation was somehow revealed by the visiting Secretary General of the International Telecommunications Union, ITU, over the weekend. Dr Hamadoun Toure, told the audience at a book launch in Lagos that it was usual   for NCC to seek support of ITU in several of its affairs. ‘My friend Mr. Ernest Ndukwe, has usually called us to send in expertise to observe and support the processes through which the Commission takes its decisions. A guy who does that is not likely to get it wrong’.

 Dr. Toure an African of Malian extraction and the first African to be Secretary General of the ITU said he feels proud to be reminded that Nigeria being the largest telecommunications market in Africa and representing the highest concentration of black people in the world has made a name for itself in telecommunication regulation.

The 'Ndukwe Phenomenon' Unveiled

A book which captures the professional life of Engr. Ernest Ndukwe, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive of the Nigerian Communications Commission has been written. Titled ‘Ndukwe &Telecom Regulation: A Walk In Tandem’ the book is a portrait which unveils the Ndukwe phenomenon in the sense that it demonstrates that Ndukwe was not a mere happenstance in the Nigerian telecommunications environment but a man who was destined to lead a revolutionary transformation and uplifting of the industry.

The Author, Mr. Aaron Ukodie, himself an authoritative writer of the telecommunications industry uses several facts to demonstrate various positions he takes in capturing the remarkable work and achievements of his subject in over 25 years of Ernest Ndukwe’s professional journey.

The author claims that there are a few who are in the mode of Ndukwe in a country which is in short supply of noble models in every area of her national life. He insists, however, that "even the few individuals in this category are most of the time unsung and the virtues which they represent not put up in the public domain for the young ones to emulate and also serve to challenge even their contemporaries who walk in ignoble paths,"

The book will be launched on Saturday April 12, 2008 at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Kofo Abayomi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos by the Secretary-General of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), Dr Hammadoun Toure.
 

NCC releases Reports of public enquiry

In deference to requirement of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003, the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, has published, for public information, the reports of enquires into four aspects of industry regulations under which the law requires it to hold a public enquiry before issuing guidelines.

The reports deal on:

Draft Guidelines for Consultations with the stakeholders and members of the public
Draft Guidelines for the Provision of Internet Service (ISP).
Draft Numbering Regulations
Draft Type Approval Regulations and Type Approval Guidelines

The draft guidelines were published on the Commission’s website for comments from operators, stakeholders and members of the general public in December 2007.

The notice of the public inquiry was advertised in National Dailies for interested stakeholders and members of the public to submit comments and observations on the draft Guidelines to the Commission.

An Inquiry took place on the 29th of January 2008 at the Conference Hall, Nigerian Communications Commission, Abuja. It is on the Inquiry that the Commission has now published the reports.

To read the full reports please click on them as follows

Report of the Public Inquiry on Consultation Guidelines
Report of the Public Inquiry on the Guidelines for the Provision of Internet Service (ISP)
Report of the Public Inquiry on Numbering Regulations
Report of the Public Inquiry on Type Approval Regulations and Type Approval Guidelines