Technology

Nigerians Outraged as Starlink Hikes Subscription Fees by 97% Amid Inflation

Published

4 hours ago

October 1, 2024

Nigerians have expressed disgust over the decision by Elon Musk’s internet service company, Starlink, to increase its monthly subscription for its service in Nigeria by 97%.

The company, while blaming worsening inflation in the country for the rate hike, disclosed that its N38,000 package has now become N75,000.

For new users, the company also increased the price of the Starlink kits (hardware) by 34%, from N440,000 to N590,000.

While Starlink has previously reviewed the price of its hardware in Nigeria both upwards and downwards several times, this is the second time it has increased subscriptions.

In a message to its customers in Nigeria, the company stated that old customers would start paying the increased price by October 31, while new customers would pay the new price immediately.

The company’s message to its customers, as posted on its website, read, “Due to excessive levels of inflation, the Starlink monthly service price will increase from current rates to the respective rates below: Standard (Residential): N75,000; Mobile-Regional (Roam Unlimited): N167,000; Mobile – Global (Global Roam): N717,000.

“As a current customer, your monthly service price will increase in 1 month, beginning on 31 October 2024. For new customers, the price increase is effective immediately.

“If you do not wish to continue your service, you can cancel at any time.”

Starlink is Gaining Traction in Nigeria

Despite its higher costs compared with local ISPs, Starlink, which announced its presence in Nigeria in January 2023, has sparked high interest among Nigerians eager to change their service providers.

The ubiquitous nature of its satellite service also encourages people in areas with poor internet networks to choose Starlink.

Notwithstanding its acceptability, some of its customers have expressed outrage over the price hike, saying it is excessive.

One of those who reacted, Adedayo Abisoye Idowu, said, “The rich just want to continue increasing their wealth by collecting the little from the poor always.”

For Anachuja Philano, the Nigerian government should fix the economy to prevent inflation that forces companies to raise the prices of goods and services.

Philano wrote, “Let the clueless Nigerian government fix their depleted economy. You can’t have an economy that is in shambles and expect prices of goods and services to be low.”

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Nokia Partners With Zain Iraq to Boost Network Capacity With Advanced Microwave Technology

Ugwoke Ogbodo

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Telecommunications

Telecom Firms Face N56 Billion Monthly Diesel Bill Amid Power Woes

Published

6 days ago

September 25, 2024

Samed Olukoya

The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has said telecommunication companies spend 35 percent of their operating expenses on diesel due to the unreliable electricity supply in Nigeria.

According to industry estimates, telecom operators use an average of 40 million liters of diesel per month to power their sites. The price of diesel jumped to N1,406.05 per liter in August 2024, representing a 64.58 percent increase from N854.32 per liter in August 2023, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

This implies that the cost of powering Nigeria’s communication infrastructure surged from N34.17 billion in August 2023 to N56.24 billion in August 2024.

Gbenga Adebayo, President of ALTON, confirmed the current diesel consumption, stating, “It will be over that now.” According to Harmanpreet Dhillon, Airtel Nigeria’s chief technical officer, the telco spent N28 billion on diesel in May 2024.

During a media roundtable, Dhillon said that the company was exploring hybrid solutions—lithium batteries and solar—to lower its energy bill.

McKinsey recently noted that companies could save up to 30 percent on energy costs by adopting renewable energy solutions and other technologies.

“The biggest constraint in the telecom industry is high energy cost. If the government had continued to fulfill its part of the bargain it made in the early 2,000s to provide 18 hours of electricity, the heavy logistics and the capital we spend today from powering sites would not be there,” said Adebayo of ALTON.

Social Media

Telegram to Expose Users Who Use Platform For Criminal Activities, Share Data With Relevant Authorities

Published

1 week ago

September 24, 2024

Ugwoke Ogbodo

With a view to joining efforts at waging war against cybercrime and other illicit activities on social media, a popular messaging app, Telegram has reviewed its users’ privacy and protection policy by announcing its readiness to make personal details of defaulting users available to relevant authorities for investigation.

The Telegram Chief Executive Officer, Pavel Durov, in a post sighted by Investors King, disclosed that the reversal of the company’s privacy policy was in response to alleged criminal activities and other illicit events happening on the popular social messaging platform.

Durov declared that once Telegram gets valid legal requests for the provision of the users’ IP addresses and phone numbers to authorities, the management would not hesitate in obliging the court order.

He said the move is to attempt to control criminal activity on the platform and prevent abuse.

Recall that Telegram’s policy, before it was changed, limited user information sharing to cases involving terror suspects.

However, Telegram tinkered with the policy following the arrest of its CEO, Durov in France over allegations that the company pretended not to notice the alleged various crimes flourishing unchecked on the platform.

Investors King also gathered that policy reversal is not unconnected with the recent decision of the Ukrainian government to ban the use of Telegram by government officials, military personnel, and other defense and critical infrastructure workers because of national security concerns.

Meanwhile, after Durov was subsequently released on bail and ordered to stay in the country pending ongoing investigation, he made it clear that the IP addresses and phone numbers of those who violate Telegram’s rules would now be made available to relevant authorities subject to valid legal requests.

The company further stated that if it receives a valid order from the relevant judicial authorities that confirms that any of its users is a suspect in a case involving criminal activities that violate the Telegram Terms of Service, it will perform a legal analysis of the request and may disclose affected user’s IP address and phone number to the relevant authorities.

It added that such data disclosures will be included in its periodic transparency reports, noting that the service may collect metadata such as IP address, devices and Telegram apps used, and the history of username changes to tackle spam, abuse, and other violations.

The platform has already featured the policy changes on its app as its search feature now removes problematic content and provides a new mechanism for users to report illegal search terms and material through the @SearchReport bot for subsequent review and removal by a human moderation team.

Technology

Nokia Partners With Zain Iraq to Boost Network Capacity With Advanced Microwave Technology

Published

1 week ago

September 23, 2024

Samed Olukoya

Nokia announced a strategic partnership with Zain Iraq to upgrade its telecom operator network in the south of Iraq.

The three-year deal marks Nokia’s first entry into the microwave (MW) business with Zain Iraq, enhancing network capacity and modernizing the infrastructure to support future growth and increased traffic demand.

The deployment will begin immediately, with a focus on optimizing network performance and ensuring scalability to accommodate future growth. Nokia’s solutions will help Zain Iraq to expand the network capacity and enhance customer experience while paving the way for future innovations in the region.

Zain Iraq has been experiencing increasing demand for its data services and the expansion is necessary to provide the best service to its customers. Nokia will implement its state-of-the-art microwave technology, including the latest E-band solutions, to upgrade Zain Iraq’s MW backbone.

This upgrade will increase network capacity and prepare the network for the anticipated data surge driven by rising customer usage.

This deal involves swapping out competitor equipment and introducing Nokia’s high-capacity microwave solutions. Central to this deployment is the UBT-T XP version, which offers the highest transmit power in the market.

This technology reduces antenna sizes and tower load, delivering significant capital expenditure (CAPEX) and operational expenditure (OPEX) savings.

Mikko Lavanti, Senior Vice President of Mobile Networks at Nokia MEA, said:”This deal underscores our strong local capabilities and expertise. By deploying our advanced microwave solutions, Zain Iraq will benefit from an optimized network that is ready to handle the demands of the future, including meeting the needs of its growing customer base.”

Emre Gurkan, CEO of Zain Iraq, said: “Our partnership with Nokia enables us to overcome capacity limitations and modernize our network infrastructure. With Nokia’s advanced microwave technology and E-band solutions, we are not only resolving current challenges but also future-proofing our network for future growth.”