Telecoms news
Went (and spoke at) an event sponsored by the UK Govt's Department of Trade and Industry today. I presented my experiences working on the Integrated Financial and Economic Management Information System (IFEMIS) - the first inter-agency govt platform for the Fed Govt here in Nigeria. I moaned a bit about SAT-3 (as my wont is). The discussion floated around bandwidth blues for a while. Someone from BT Global Services spoke as did the VC of the NCC, Ernest Ndukwe. The bandwidth for SAT-3 coming into Nigeria is set to triple in the next month apparently. There is also a plan to cover much more of the country in a fibre-optic network. The chap from BT reckons that 512kps should cost around US$10-$15 per month to be affordable here. The prices for retail access to SAT-3 are falling thanks to NITEL's move to being a wholesale provider (Rosecom offers it at around £100 per month now).
The interesting question for me is that if broadband does become a cheap reality in SSA, will it supplant the existing focus on mobile technology as the platform of choice for developing/emerging economies? With increasing attention on local manufacture (helped on its way by Nokia's move into local manufacture announced recently), the US$100 pc may be on its way.
It's good to know that Ndukwe fully appreciates the socio-economic significance of cheap broadband for Nigeria. Now all we need is a quick sale of NITEL to a serious bidder...
Meanwhile, a whole slew of things are going on politically, which you diasporics can best read about on other sites. The news that IBB has thrown his hat into the 2007 ring certainly stirs things up a bit.
As a boy growing up in a little village in the Midlands, I used to stare out of the window and wonder how anything ever happens. Nigeria is possibly the other end of the spectrum of that feeling: I wonder if there will be a day when nothing dynamic doesn't happen. It's an exciting place to be for the big waves, if you know how to handle your existential surf board.
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1 comments:
Jay...
Sound like an intersting conference...Who was the guy from BT? Did you get his name.
More intersteing i do somehow feel that the NCC guys seems to know his stuff when it comes to communication. But I desperatly hope that he doesn't just lie dowm with the biggest shark..but with the best and most progressive and dynamic supplier. I thnink its save to presume that BT needs Nigeria just a Nigeria may want to play with BT...and as such...we can flirt for as long as we want until the right partner comes along mith the right contract.
In this day and age, broadband is a necessity not a nice-to-have. Affordable broadband access at home is even more necessary critically imperative for the country. It would bring so much positive difference to most proffessionals, most especially working mothers (able to be able to work from home),parental guidance for the youth and information security for all tansactions etc.
But as with all success, comes questions....
So lets not ignore E-legislature! What's ahppening with that and what is Mr NCC/Fedrela Government doing about it. If Broadband explodes in Nigeria, who will police the cyber space....
All in all the progression is very exciting and as such one must continue to remain hopeful and postive!
sisioge
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