Business News
Network providers want Facebook, WhatsApp to pay levy as Nigerians dump SMS
The Chairman of ALTON, Gbenga Adebayo, want social media platforms to pay levy because Nigerians no longer use SMS.
The Chairman of Association of Licensed Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ALTON), Gbenga Adebayo, wants social media platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp to pay levy because Nigerians no longer use SMS.
According to Adebayo, network providers are being charged for services that are becoming redundant in the era of On-The-Top services. OTT services are Facebook, Whatsapp and Youtube. He said the regulator charges the telecommunications companies annual operating levy for SMS and data services, whereas, the main beneficiaries (OTT platforms) of the services offered by the network providers do not pay levy for their service.
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Adebayo said there’s a need for the telecommunications regulator to review its regulations, stating that licenses should now be awarded based on technology and not services.
He argued that platforms like Whatsapp, Facebook and Youtube have social and economic implication.
While reacting to the implication of the OTT services, he said, “Those kinds of services have social implication, economic implication, security implication and if they are not licensed, that means they are not regulated and if they are not regulated, there is no limit or scope to what they can do. And no control over their services and content they can provide.
“We are, therefore, saying there is a need for the regulator to begin to look away from the neutrality of technology and technology certification and regulation than just licensing for service not only because of the social security implication but also because of the economic implication for the operators.
“Today, more people send WhatsApp messages, they send messages over the social media platforms than they do on the conventional SMS platform.
“Operators have been licensed to provide voice, SMS and data services for which they are licensed and being charged annual operating levy. OTT doesn’t have such and there is even loss of revenue to the regulator of the country too because they are not paying for rendering those services.
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“That is why we are saying that our regulator must begin to look away from technology neutrality,” Adebayo concluded.
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Coronavirus
COVID-19 Update in Nigeria
On the 2nd of March 2021, 479 new confirmed cases and 8 deaths were recorded in Nigeria
The spread of novel Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) in Nigeria continues to record significant increases as the latest statistics provided by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control reveal Nigeria now has 156,496 confirmed cases.
On the 2nd of March 2021, 479 new confirmed cases and 8 deaths were recorded in Nigeria.
To date, 156,496 cases have been confirmed, 134,551 cases have been discharged and 1,923 deaths have been recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
A total of 1.54 million tests have been carried out as of March 2nd, 2021 compared to 1.49 million tests a day earlier.
COVID-19 Case Updates- 2nd March 2021,
- Total Number of Cases – 156,496
- Total Number Discharged – 135,136
- Total Deaths – 1,923
- Total Tests Carried out – 1,544,008
According to the NCDC, the 479 new cases are reported from 22 states- Lagos (153), Enugu (75), Rivers (50), FCT (40), Kaduna (18), Ebonyi (17), Plateau (17), Edo (17), Borno (16), Oyo (12) Kano (11), Abia (10), Cross River (10), Taraba (9), Nasarawa (7), Bauchi (4), Bayelsa (3), Delta (3), Ekiti (2), Niger (2), Ogun (2) and Akwa Ibom (1).
Meanwhile, the latest numbers bring Lagos state total confirmed cases to 56,001, followed by Abuja (19,274), Plateau (8,911), Kaduna (8,531), Oyo (6,746), Rivers (6,544), Edo (4,607), Ogun (4,398), Kano (3,764), Ondo (2,983), Kwara (2,931), Delta (2,576), Osun (2,433), Nasarawa (2,234), Enugu (2,078), Gombe (2,051), Katsina (2,030), Ebonyi (1,881), Anambra (1,726), and Abia (1,530).
Akwa Ibom has recorded 1,519 cases, Imo (1,497), Borno (1,292), Bauchi (1,232), Benue (1,188), Niger (917), Taraba (813), Ekiti (804), Bayelsa (772), Sokoto (769), Adamawa (762), Jigawa (496), Kebbi (377), Cross River (334), Yobe (268), Zamfara (219), while Kogi state has recorded 5 cases only.
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Lock Down and Curfew
In a move to combat the spread of the pandemic disease, President Muhammadu Buhari directed the cessation of all movements in Lagos and the FCT for an initial period of 14 days, which took effect from 11 pm on Monday, 30th March 2020.
The movement restriction, which was extended by another two weeks period, has been partially put on hold with some businesses commencing operations from May 4. On April 27th, 2020, Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari declared an overnight curfew from 8 pm to 6 am across the country, as part of new measures to contain the spread of the COVID-19. This comes along with the phased and gradual easing of lockdown measures in FCT, Lagos, and Ogun States, which took effect from Saturday, 2nd May 2020, at 9 am.
On Monday, 29th June 2020 the federal government extended the second phase of the eased lockdown by 4 weeks and approved interstate movement outside curfew hours with effect from July 1, 2020. Also, on Monday 27th July 2020, the federal government extended the second phase of eased lockdown by an additional one week.
On Thursday, 6th August 2020 the federal government through the secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Chairman of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 announced the extension of the second phase of eased lockdown by another four (4) weeks.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State announced the closed down of the Eti-Osa Isolation Centre, with effect from Friday, 31st July 2020. He also mentioned that the Agidingbi Isolation Centre would also be closed and the patients relocated to a large capacity centre.
Due to the increased number of covid-19 cases in Nigeria, the Nigerian government ordered the reopening of Isolation and treatment centres in the country on Thursday, 10th December 2020.
On 26th January 2021, the Federal Government announced the extension of the guidelines of phase 3 of the eased lockdown by one month following the rising cases of the coronavirus disease in the country and the expiration of phase 3 of the eased lockdown.
On 28th February 2021, the federal government confirmed that the first tranche of Covid-19 vaccines will arrive in Nigeria on Tuesday, March 2nd, 2021.
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Onlooker
October 9, 2019 at 1:34 pm
Why do we have these illiterates in our country for Godsake?
this are the kinds of statement that should warrant an immediate sack. it shows the guy doesnt have any idea or education in the field.
are they paying levy to the telecos in their country of origin for other people to use their service? or you think they could have been created if that is the requirement?
You want Nigerians to return to SMS which no longer meets their requirements? basically anybody that can not innovate should just be collecting levy abi?
If that is the case GMS should be paying levy to landlines of Nitel now or basically let everyone in the world that has a website or web application come and be paying levy to Nigerian telecos because Nigerians want to browse they are not using SMS again.