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Business News
NCC licenses 20 new Internet service providers amidst challenges
The NCC licensed a total number of 20 new Internet Service Providers (ISPs) between January and October this year.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) licensed a total number of 20 new Internet Service Providers (ISPs) between January and October this year. This makes the operators licensed by the NCC 120 in number.
The number of licensed operators was at one time over 170 but because of the challenges surrounding the business, many operators quit.
[READ MORE: 5G Network to undergo 3 months test run before approval – NCC]
The newly licensed companies include: Last Mile Unique Integrated Services Limited, Ciudad Infrastructure Limited, Torrent Wireless Limited, Fastfeet Limited, Tripple Logic Telecommunications Limited, Gutti Global Solutions Limited, Telequip & Digital Limited, Vobiss Gridworx Nigeria Limited, Brainshare Technologies and Services Nigeria Limited, Tech-Systems Limited, MM Telcom Global Limited, Access Solutions Limited, Mobile AD Limited, and Internetsional Technologies Limited.
Others are: Paychex International Marketing Limited, Arif Investment Nigeria Limited, Unique El-Mao Nigeria Limited, Megamore Wireless Broadband Limited, CITCC Nigeria Limited, Tecpoint Global Solution Limited, Cloud Exchange West Africa Limited, and Butterfly Telecommunications Network Limited.
What you should know: The exit of some of the old ISPs was due to a number of challenges faced in the sector, and this has, in turn, had effect on the active service providers. One of the challenges is the serious pressure the ISPs have come under from mobile network operators (MNOs) over the years.
The intense competition and other operational challenges such as increasing capital and operational expenditure have been cited as the bane of ISPs in the country.
Nairametrics understands that this has led to the low rate of renewal of licenses by the ISPs which is affecting the Internet service segment of the country’s telecommunications sector. Reports have it that out of the 20 firms, whose licenses got expired this year, only one renewed it. This means that the remaining 19 have exited the business.
Addressing the issue, the NCC’s Director of Licensing and Authorisation, Funlola Akiode, urged the operators to renew their licenses and fulfil their licensing obligations.
“Another important concern is in the area of licence renewal. We also observed the issue of delay in licence renewal by licensees whose licences have expired or about to expire.
They erroneously relied on the aspect of the licence document which states that their licence would be automatically renewed. I wish to reiterate that renewal of expired licence is not automatic but subject to fulfilment of obligations such as being up to date in payment of AOL, development and publication of approved Individual Consumer Code of Practice, updated type approval of telecoms equipment, payment of spectrum and numbering where applicable etc,” Akiode said.
[READ ALSO: Telcos seek engagement from NCC, CBN on USSD dispute]
She concluded by saying that the commission was ready to clarify and take recommendations from the operators on the challenges facing the business so as to find a way out and impact the industry positively.
Economy & Politics
Uganda Elections: Museveni re-elected for 6th term with 58.6% of the votes
Uganda’s President Museveni has won a 6th term in office as the opposition alleges wide-scale rigging.
Coronavirus
Combined Vaccine Manufacturing capacity to hit 6.8 billion doses in 2021
COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing capacity is expected to hit 6.8 billion doses in 2021.
Meristem Group disclosed that the combined effort in manufacturing COVID-19 vaccines for global use is expected to yield about 6.8 billion doses in 2021.
This was revealed in the Annual Outlook 2021 report presented by Meristem Group, titled “Bracing for a different future.”
According to the report, the existing manufacturing capacity will only be sufficient enough to immunize about 44% of the global population, which would create obvious vaccination gap and make the pandemic last longer than necessary.
The report states,
- “The cold temperature requirements for vaccine storage pose major logistics concern particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa and other low-income countries. WHO estimates that about 50% of vaccines are wasted every year, largely due to a lack of temperature control.”
According to the report, the estimated 6.8billion doses are expected to be collaboratively manufactured as follows: CanSino – 0.2billion, AstraZeneca – 3.0 billion, Gamaleya – 0.3billion, Moderna – 0.4billion, Pfizer-BioNtech – 1.3billion, SinoPharm – 1billion, and SinoVac – 0.6billion.
What you should know
- The global population as of 2020 is 7.8billion and 70% is required to achieve herd immunity (otherwise called herd protection)
- Herd Immunity or herd protection is achieved when you have most of the population immunized against an infectious disease.
- 2 doses of the vaccines are required for each person for immunity.
- It is expected that between 11 and 15 billion doses would be required to achieve the desired herd immunity, globally.
- From all indications, herd immunity may not be achieved until mid or late 2022, with the subsisting 100% vaccine production capacity utilization in 2021 – with neither production nor distribution losses.
- To achieve regulatory approval, a vaccine must undergo a three-stage clinical development process after the exploratory and pre-clinical stages and the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sets a phase 3 efficacy benchmark of 50%.
Coronavirus
Covid-19: Global deaths surpass 2 million
Global casualty record for the Covid-19 pandemic surpassed 2 million deaths on Friday.
The Global casualty record for the Covid-19 pandemic surpassed 2 million deaths on Friday, with the United States accounting for 1 in every 5 deaths, as it has recorded over 386,000 casualties so far.
This was disclosed in a report by Reuters in its Covid-19 tally reported on Friday evening.
After the United States, Brazil, Mexico, India and the U.K contribute nearly 50% of the combined casualties.
The report also disclosed that an average of 11,900 casualties are recorded per day in year 2021, despite the fact that it took 9 months for the world to record 1 million casualties.
United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, said the 2 million death count was “a heart-wrenching milestone.”
- “Behind this staggering number are names and faces: the smile now only a memory, the seat forever empty at the dinner table, the room that echoes with the silence of a loved one,” he added.
The WHO warned that 2021 could be tougher due to the nature of new variants which transmit the disease faster.
- “We are going into a second year of this. It could even be tougher given the transmission dynamics and some of the issues that we are seeing,” WHO Chief, Mike Ryan, said.
Analysts expect the global death toll to surpass 3 million by April 2021.
What you should know
- Nairametrics reported that the total number of covid-19 cases in Nigeria had surpassed the 100,000 mark on Sunday 10th January 2021, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.
- The African Union stated that it secured 270 million Covid-19 vaccine doses for the continent from drug manufacturers to supplement the COVAX programme, a step towards the commencement of the complex task of vaccinating over 1.2 billion people with limited financial resources.
- The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control on Friday 15th January 2021, announced that 1,867 new cases of the covid-19 virus were recorded across 24 states in the country. This represents the highest number of cases recorded in a single day.
