Telcos seek removal of row barriers for telecom growth

Nigerian telecommunications operators have called for the removal of all bottlenecks in the way of securing right of way (RoW) and permits among others in order to provide better access, achieve the desired national broadband objectives of 30 per cent penetration by 2018 and provide affordable services across the country.
The operators who spoke at the quarterly seminar organised by the Nigerian Information and Communications Technology Reporters Association (NITRA) at the weekend in Lagos said although the NCC is the statutory authority charged with the regulation of telecoms services in Nigeria, today, the telecoms sector has witnessed incursions into the regulatory space by other agencies including state and local governments.
They said these agencies impose levies and fees on service providers for location towers, right of way, and make other laws that govern infrastructure in their domains. The acts of these agencies have sometimes led to indiscriminate shut down of base stations and operator sites, leading to disruption of services.

Samsung says sold off shares in four technology firms

Samsung Electronics said Sunday it had sold shares it held in four technology companies including US chipmaker Rambus and Japan’s Sharp to free up money and focus on its main business.
The South Korean tech giant also sold shares in Dutch semiconductor equipment maker ASLM and US hard drive maker Seagate, it said in a statement.
Samsung — the world’s top smartphone maker which also manufactures memory chips, TVs and home appliances — has for years bought shares in other tech firms in semi-conductor or display panel industries.
“It was aimed at focusing on our core business by efficiently managing the investments made in the past in line with changes in business environments,” Samsung said.

Nigeria’s CPC issues 7-day ultimatum to Samsung on Galaxy Note 7

Following reports of explosion of dozens of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 while charging, the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) has issued a seven-day ultimatum to Samsung Electronics West Africa Limited to provide information on the full status of its compliance with the global directive of Samsung on the recall of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7.
The CPC’s ultimatum, which came on the heels of recent global recall of the product following its defective battery, also demanded Samsung Electronics West Africa Limited to furnish it with other measures the company may have taken to safeguard the safety and interest of Nigerian consumers.
The Council, in a letter to the company dated September 14, 2016, signed by its Director General, Dupe Atoki, said “the attention of the Council has been drawn to media reports indicating that the lithium-ion batteries for Samsung Galaxy Note 7 are prone to catching fire.”
The agency’s letter stated further that “the said faulty batteries have reportedly caused the phone to explode in 35 separate incidents, sometimes bursting into flames, damaging property and

DiCaprio unveils free technology to spy on global fishing

American movie star Leonardo DiCaprio unveiled Thursday a free technology that allows users to spy on global fishing practices, in a bid to curb illegal activity in the oceans and rebuild imperiled fish stocks.
The technology, known as Global Fishing Watch, was officially released to the public during the Our Oceans Conference hosted by US Secretary of State John Kerry in Washington on Thursday and Friday.
“Today, this unprecedented technology is available to everyone in the world. I encourage everyone to go check it out,” DiCaprio told the conference.
“This platform will empower citizens across the globe to become powerful advocates for our oceans.”
Available at GlobaFishingWatch.org, the technology aims to offer a crowd sourced solution to the

Economic diversification: FG urged to strengthen science, technology

The Federal Government has been urged to accord priority attention to the development of science and technology to lead its economic diversification drive in the bid to revamp the economy.
Chief Damian Inyamah, the immediate past President, Igbo Delegates Assembly, for the 19 Northern States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) gave the advice on Friday in Lokoja.
Inyamah, who spoke on the state of the economy in an interview with newsmen, said science and technology were not given the deserved attention by successive governments in the past.
The elder statesman said that the country had ample opportunities to diversify the economy through science and technology but had neglected the call and was now paying for it.
He attributed the present economic quagmire to mismanagement, bad leadership and corruption and commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his stance on corruption.
He advised that in adding to agriculture being widely speculated as the way out of the present economic recession, the Federal Government should think seriously of developing the science and technology sector.
The former Igbo Delegate Assembly president said that with adequate focus and attention on

Software firm dangles ‘winning recipe’ to techpreneurs

While every entrepreneur, especially in the technology space, is unique and each story is different, there is a common factor that unites them – they take risks, follow their dreams and pursue their passions.
Steven Cohen, head of Sage One International for Africa, Australia, Middle East and Asia, said that “taking action” is one of the critical steps to stand out as a small business owner, even in harsh economic climate.
Cohen said, “There’s a reason the term ‘wantrepreneur’ has come to describe so many people – action and execution are much harder than talk. Success is the result of your actions. It’s not always laziness that impedes action, sometimes over-thinking things, doubting yourself, or striving for ‘perfect’ can prevent us from getting on with things. It’s key to find a balance between

Apple Japan unit ordered to pay $118m tax for under reporting income

An Apple Inc iTunes unit in Japan was ordered to pay some 12 billion yen ($118 million) in tax by local authorities after underreporting income, media reported Friday.
The unit has since paid the amount, the reports said.
The Tokyo Regional Taxation Bureau determined that the unit, which sends part of its profits earned from fees paid by Japan subscribers to another Apple unit in Ireland to pay for software

Russia stands firm on porn websites ban

Russia on Thursday stood firm after slapping a ban on two major porn websites — rebuffing a tongue-in-cheek proposal to change its mind in exchange for premium access.
On Tuesday, Russia’s communications watchdog blocked widely-watched sites Pornhub and YouPorn after courts in the far eastern city of Vladivostok and the southern Voronezh region ruled they distribute pornography.
Pornhub, which says it is the world’s number one free pornography site, responded with a cheeky tweet to the Roskomnadzor watchdog, offering it premium subscription in return for lifting the ban.
“If we give you guys a Pornhub Premium account, will you un ban Pornhub in Russia?” the site wrote.
“Sorry, we are not in the market, and the demography is not a commodity,” the agency snapped back in English on its official Twitter, suggesting pornography is preventing the population from