Atcon Urges Players to Take Advantage of Broadband Summit 2011
- By Uchenna Kalu
- Published June 6th, 2011
- News
- Unrated
The Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria, (ATCON) has urged all telecom industry players to take advantage of the forthcoming international summit of broadband by their effective participation at the forum which holds in Lagos in July. Already the National Communications Commission (NCC) and the Universal Service Provision Fund are supporting the event.
Engineer Titi Omo-Ettu, president of Atcon, said the event could not have come at a time better than now when the industry is undergoing stress. Omo-Ettu commended the efforts of both the NCC and telecom operators for working together to find lasting solutions to the challenges confronting the industry. "There have been problems and we are committed to finding solutions," he said.
Part of the problems, he said, include the fact that in 17 years, 45 per cent of members went under due to some unfavourable operating conditions in the country. Again, "the quality of telephone service across the networks has been generally poor and multiple telephone subscription presented as widespread of service". Omo-Ettu said there was need to a shift of emphasis from reveling at increasing mobile lines to increasing number of users. He noted that on going SIM Card Registration is good industry intervention several years after the need was first mooted. NCC is said to be "set to communicate more with Nigerians" on the project. According to him, broadband internet access must also be made ubiquitous to ensure widespread access to communication in Nigeria. "Making access ubiquitous is a business solution which we shall pursue," he said. "We synergized with ICT Forum of Partnership Institutions and Fantsuam Foundation in 2010 to conduct a study and produce a roadmap for broadband access in Nigeria and we invited Nigerian to come to endorse it."
He said the association will endorse business projects that are capable of fitting the universal access agenda and collaborate with others to implement viable projects that seek to enhance universal access and encourage youths as emerging leaders to emerge also as future business leaders.
Omo-Ettu disclosed that as part of these activities, the association is collaborating with BusinessWorld Communications Limited to organize a two-day international broadband investment summit and themed 'Broadband as enabler to connecting the next 50 million Telecom USERS in Nigeria', next month in Lagos. The event, he said is a high level conference/exhibition/book-presentation that would involve senior government officials, investors, chief executive, senior industry players to discuss businesses that are available to do and the challenges to prepare for in the nearest future.
Engineer Titi Omo-Ettu, president of Atcon, said the event could not have come at a time better than now when the industry is undergoing stress. Omo-Ettu commended the efforts of both the NCC and telecom operators for working together to find lasting solutions to the challenges confronting the industry. "There have been problems and we are committed to finding solutions," he said.
Part of the problems, he said, include the fact that in 17 years, 45 per cent of members went under due to some unfavourable operating conditions in the country. Again, "the quality of telephone service across the networks has been generally poor and multiple telephone subscription presented as widespread of service". Omo-Ettu said there was need to a shift of emphasis from reveling at increasing mobile lines to increasing number of users. He noted that on going SIM Card Registration is good industry intervention several years after the need was first mooted. NCC is said to be "set to communicate more with Nigerians" on the project. According to him, broadband internet access must also be made ubiquitous to ensure widespread access to communication in Nigeria. "Making access ubiquitous is a business solution which we shall pursue," he said. "We synergized with ICT Forum of Partnership Institutions and Fantsuam Foundation in 2010 to conduct a study and produce a roadmap for broadband access in Nigeria and we invited Nigerian to come to endorse it."
He said the association will endorse business projects that are capable of fitting the universal access agenda and collaborate with others to implement viable projects that seek to enhance universal access and encourage youths as emerging leaders to emerge also as future business leaders.
Omo-Ettu disclosed that as part of these activities, the association is collaborating with BusinessWorld Communications Limited to organize a two-day international broadband investment summit and themed 'Broadband as enabler to connecting the next 50 million Telecom USERS in Nigeria', next month in Lagos. The event, he said is a high level conference/exhibition/book-presentation that would involve senior government officials, investors, chief executive, senior industry players to discuss businesses that are available to do and the challenges to prepare for in the nearest future.
