Tag: NCC

5G Network: NCC plans to generate $547.2m by auctioning 2 additional licences

Aminu Imam

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has concluded plans to auction 2 additional slots in the 3.5 Gigahertz (GHz) spectrum band for the deployment of the 5G network in the country. NCC disclosed this at the weekend in its Draft Information Memorandum, titled: ‘Information Memorandum on 3.5 GHz Spectrum Auction’, signed by the NCCs Director of Public Affairs, Reuben Muoka. It set the reserve price at $547.2 million, translating to $273.60 million for each licence. According to the Commission, the offering includes the remaining lots of 2 x 100 megahertz (MHz)…

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Nigeria re-elected as ITU Council Member for another 4 yrs

Aminu Imam

Nigeria has been re-elected as a council member of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) until 2026, the United Nations specialised agency that oversees global telecommunication operations. As a result, Nigeria will serve on the council again from 2022-2026. Nigeria became a member of the union on November 4, 1961. The Nigerian delegation was led to the global event by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Mr. Isa Ali Pantami. Other members of the delegation included the Chairman of the board of Commissioners of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Adeolu…

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Data, SMS cost hike not possible without approval, NCC assures Nigerians

Aminu Imam

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says it will allow any tariff increase by telecommunication companies (MNOs) without adequate approval. The NCC stated this in a statement issued by its Public Affairs Lead, Ikechukwu Adinde, yesterday. The Commission said contrary to MNOs agitation to increase tariffs for voice and Short Messaging Services (SMS) by a certain percentage, the NCC wishes to categorically inform telecoms subscribers and allay the fears of Nigerians that no tariff increase will be effected by the operators without due regulatory approval by the Commission. The statement partly…

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Call tariffs may increase, as Customs impose 5% duty on recharge cards

Aminu Imam

President Muhammadu Buhari has reputedly approved the collection of five percent excise duty on telephone recharge cards and vouchers. According to an issued circular signed by the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, directed the Nigerian Customs Service to create a tariff line for the collection of the excise on mobile telephones, electricity meters (components) and set up boxes at 5%. The circular conforms with another list of excisable items by customs to include telephone recharge cards and vouchers at five percent. The increase comes even as…

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Insecurity: SIM/NIN Linkage now frustrating terrorists in North-East – NCC

Aminu Imam

The Nigerian Communications Commission(NCC) has said that terrorists and bandits are been denied access to telecommunication services subscribers with the ongoing implementation of the National Identity Number (NIN), SIM linkage policy in Nigeria. The Director, Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement NCC, Ephraim Nwokonanya, represented by Head Compliance, Monitoring and Enforcement, NCC, Al-Kasim Umar, disclosed this at the 1-day Capacity Building for members of the Nigerian Information Technology Reporters Association, (NITRA), Abuja chapter at the Commission Headquarters, Abuja. Speaking on the NIN-SIM linkage, Menace of Network Booster Devices, other Compliance, Monitoring Enforcement…

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NIN-SIM: 72 million subscribers barred from making calls

Aminu Imam

Over 72.77 million active telecommunication subscribers have been barred from making calls on their Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) cards, following a directive from the Federal Government to telecommunication companies. On Monday, the Federal Government ordered telcos to enforce compliance with its National Identification Number (NIN)-SIM policy, by restricting outgoing calls on all unlinked lines as the deadline for the verification expired on March, 31. This directive was contained in a joint statement signed by the Director of Public Affairs of the Nigerian Communications Commission, (NCC), Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, and the…

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NCC warns Nigerians on new ways hackers steal banking details from phones

Aminu Imam

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC)s Computer Security Incident Response Team, (CSIRT), has discovered a newly-hatched malicious software that steals users banking app login credentials on Android devices. According to a security advisory from the Commissions CSIRT, the software, identified as Xenomorph, targeted 56 financial institutions from Europe. It is said to have a high impact and vulnerability rate. According to an issued statement, the Commissions Director, Public Affairs, Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, explained that Xenomorph is propagated by an application that was slipped into Google Play store and masquerading as a…

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NCC warns Nigerians on two new ways hackers steal information through phone charging, Facebook

Aminu Imam

The Nigerian Communications Commissions Cyber Security Incident Response Team (NCC-CSIRT) has independently identified two cyber vulnerabilities and advised Nigerian telecom consumers on the measures to be taken to get protected from the cyber-attacks. The CSIRT, in its first-ever security advisories less than three months after its creation, has solely identified the two cyber-attacks targeting the consumers and proffer solutions that can help telecom consumers from falling victims to the two cyber vulnerabilities. The first is described as Juice Jacking, which can gain access into consumers devices when charging mobile phones…

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NCC warns against new ransomware attacking organisational, individuals’ networks

Aminu Imam

The Nigerian Communications Commission, (NCC), has alerted members of the public that a cybercrime group has perfected a new year scheme to deliver ransomware to targeted organisational networks. The new ransomware uncovered by security experts has been categorised by the Nigerian Computer Emergency Response Teams (ngCERT) advisory released over the weekend, as high-risk and critical. According to the ngCERT advisory, the criminal group is said to have been mailing out USB thumb drives to many organisations in the hope that recipients will plug them into their PCs and install the…

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‘101 million subscribers risk disconnection as SIM-NIN deadline draws near’

Aminu Imam

Over 101 million telecommunication subscribers risk disconnection if the December 31 deadline for the National Identity Number, (NIN) and Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) data verification is not extended. According to a source in the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria, (ALTON), told newsmen, on Friday, that only about 90 million subscribers had linked their SIMs to their NINs. According to the source, the association and the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, are currently discussing the likelihood of an extension. We are speaking with the minister and…

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