How Biometrics Can Fuel Inclusive Growth in Nigeria’s Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Sector

Gur Geva, founder and CEO of iiDENTIFii,

The number of active mobile subscriptions in the country has reached about 222,571 million in December 2022 and teledensity of 116.60 percent

PRESS RELEASE

How Biometrics Can Fuel Inclusive Growth in Nigeria’s Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Sector

This technology also plays a powerful role in digital and financial inclusion.

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, March 16, 2023/ -- Nigeria is at an inflection point where it needs to adopt enabling technologies at scale to support high growth in the telecommunications and digital sectors. Using the right technology as a catalyst, these sectors can support financial inclusion and widespread economic growth.

Gur Geva, founder and CEO of iiDENTIFii, a world-leading biometric authentication platform, says, “Biometric technology is a crucial consideration in Nigeria’s ongoing digital expansion. If financial institutions, telecommunications companies and the public sector adopt enterprise-grade biometric authentication, they can provide services to Nigerian consumers safely, efficiently and at scale.”

iiDENTIFii is in the process of rolling out its offering in over 20 countries across Africa following increased demand from both new and existing clients who require a trusted identity verification (IDV) partner in various jurisdictions.

Biometric authentication technology is changing how we identify ourselves with our mobile devices. Using leading technologies, companies such as iiDENTIFii ensure that banks, insurers, telecommunications companies and government institutions are certain that the person on the other end of the screen is identifiable, verifiable and human.

Geva adds, “As the only IDV company in Africa that provides enterprise-grade level services, we understand the far-reaching benefit of biometrics in protecting the assets of companies and consumers and fighting financial crime. We believe the requirement for digitised biometric authentication in Africa is immense. The region is a sleeping giant when it comes to accessing traditional bank accounts, digital banking, and affordable financial services.”

Recent figures from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) state that the number of active mobile subscriptions in the country has reached about 222,571 million in December 2022 and teledensity of 116.60 per cent. This level of digital adoption needs to be met with intentional digital security measures. Added to this, Nigeria’s recent greylisting provides an opportunity to interrogate cyber security in the region and how biometric authentication can deter financial crime.

This technology also plays a powerful role in digital and financial inclusion. Historically, biometric identification has been for the privileged few – the technologically advanced with access to hi-tech, leading-edge equipment – providing access to services that are typically not for the digitally excluded. However, remote digital biometric authentication has a crucial role in bridging the digital divide.

Geva adds, “The digitally excluded are missing out on access. Without access, the keys to both social and financial inclusion are unreachable. Those who do not have access to newer technologies are disadvantaged in healthcare, education and financial support. These areas have a significant negative impact on an individual’s overall quality of life. For this reason, we actively consider unserved and underserved communities in our solutions.”

This inclusive digital identity approach can open doors to critical government services such as labour markets, government benefits and financial services, without the risk of impersonation or fraudulent funding. This extends to those with limited ability to engage in the digital world. “We applaud Nigeria’s focus on digital literacy in the country and are proud to say we are one of the only IDVs that can operate on mobile devices that aren’t smartphones.” There is also the matter of diversity and innate technology bias, which iiDENTIFii targets through their technology, “Our focus in Africa has enabled us to create an extensive library of faces that reflects our continent.”

Undoubtedly, Nigeria’s ICT sector and overall online activity will continue to grow exponentially. Trusting and authenticating the digital identity of individuals communicating and transacting online will continue to become more and more paramount and essential.

Geva concludes, “Nigeria’s ICT sector is making great strides in enabling growth and literacy. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with industry and government stakeholders to drive safety and positive change.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of iiDENTIFii.

About iiDENTIFii:

iiDENTIFii is a world-leading remote biometric digital authentication and automated onboarding technology platform. It fulfils the needs of customer-focused organisations that are required to authenticate and onboard customers. Using a frictionless and non-invasive automated proven process that meets customer intelligence and risk and compliance goals, iiDENTIFii ticks all the boxes from a governance and legislative perspective. https://iidentifii.com/.

SOURCE

iiDENTIFii

Booming African Mobile Markets To Get Boost from Nordic Expertise

PRESS RELEASE

Booming African Mobile Markets To Get Boost from Nordic Expertise

Africa is poised to leap forward, unencumbered by legacy technologies and processes, and empowered by youthful demographics

STOCKHOLM, Sweden, October 25, 2022/ -- SUBTONOMY (https://www.Subtonomy.com/), the leading Network Experience Platform provider in the Nordics, has announced that it will be attending AfricaCom in South Africa (8-10 November 2022) to bring its world-class digital customer support offering to Africa. The African digital revolution It’s time to reappraise Africa’s place in the global digital market. Long held back by affordability and availability issues, the advent of cheaper smartphones and ubiquitous, higher capacity mobile networks have provided a huge springboard for growth. Young, internet-savvy Africans are optimistic and opportunistic about tech, utilizing it as a platform for their creativity, entrepreneurial spirit, and thirst for education. Already the world leader in mobile money[1], Africa is poised to leap forward, unencumbered by legacy technologies and processes, and empowered by youthful demographics[2]. The continent’s rapid transition to a mobile-first, digital economy means that it already has more smartphone users than North America and by 2025 Sub-Saharan Africa will have 474 million internet users (39% of the population[3]). New demands on the network, new customer expectations Whether it’s using their phones for banking, finding work, shopping, creating, listening to music or watching their favorite shows, young Africans have moved far beyond their parents’ expectations of mobile services. While the future of the African mobile market may look rosy, it’s not without challenges, however. In the next few years, African operators will have to cope with onboarding large numbers of new customers[4] and find cost-effective ways to support them while they transition from 3G to 4G, from feature phones to smartphones, and from simple to complex service offerings. As if all of this were not enough, the expectations of African Gen Z customers are also rising rapidly. Like their social media friends around the world, they expect high-quality uninterrupted services backed by world-class, 24/7 customer support when things go wrong. If they don’t get it, they’re more willing than ever to simply walk away[5]. And this is precisely where African operators can benefit from the experience of other mobile-first markets such as the Nordics. Operators in the Nordics have pioneered efficient and cost-effective digital customer care for years. Subtonomy’s customers, for example, are already able to automate 75% of customer support in digital channels, and increase contact center efficiency to deliver 60% fewer escalations and 47% faster call handling. Future proofing support With things moving so rapidly in Africa, it’s hard for operators to manage change cost-effectively or predict what their support operations will look like in a few years. Will future African customers have virtual reality-based support, or get help via their digital assistants? Whatever happens, operators must squeeze the maximum value out of their existing equipment to keep costs down and reduce disruption, while at the same time innovating their customer support offerings and preparing for what’s coming. Fortunately, there’s a win-win here as well. Subtonomy’s Network Equipment Platform takes data from any existing source – including legacy probes (eg Amdocs, Anritsu, Commprove, Empirix, Exfo, Polystar, Radcom, Tektronix, Teoco or Viavi), BSS and OSS, cell data and device data – to deliver a 360o real-time view of actual customer experience, empowering 24/7 holistic support. “As the African mobile market matures, customers will expect better support from operators. As researcher Herring Shava[6] recently pointed out, two of the biggest causes of dissatisfaction with support are operators’ reliability (not doing things when they said they would) and responsiveness (not informing customers when they intend to fix problems). We’re proud to have helped our clients fix both these issues in the Nordics and look forward to helping African operators revolutionize the way they support their customers in future – giving them both happier customers and a competitive edge.” Andreas Jörbeck, CEO, Subtonomy  To find out more about Subtonomy’s offering, operators are invited to meet with Subtonomy at AfricaCom 2022, Telcos of Tomorrow booth A52. Book a meeting here: APO Group rep (malika.bouayad@apo-opa.com). [1] According to the GSMA, Africa accounts for 70% of the world’s $1 trillion mobile money transactions. [2] Africa has the largest number of Gen Zers (also called ‘Zoomers’) in the world, and more than a billion people under the age of 35. [3] Forecasts from GSMA. [4] By 2025 the GSMA forecasts Africa will have 120 million new subscribers and 170 million new mobile internet users, taking the proportion of the population using mobile internet to 40%. [5] According to a BrandsEye study (2019), 47.2% of the complaints raised by customers in South Africa were about the quality of customer service. Approximately 37% complained about the mobile network provider’s turnaround time, and 44.4% of the respondents complained about the network provider’s failure to attend to queries posted on social media. But in cases where the network provider did respond, 61% of consumers ended up being dissatisfied with the quality of service provided. [6] See: H. Shava. Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction Experience Among South African Mobile Telecommunications Consumers. Walter Sisulu University. Published in Eurasian Journal of Business and Management, 9(3), 2021, 217-232. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Subtonomy.   For more information or to set up an interview, please contact: Tina Rosén tina.rosen@subtonomy.com About Subtonomy: Subtonomy’s ML-driven Network Experience Platform provides unprecedented real-time insight into the experience of customers on any network (2G, 3G, 4G, 5G NSA, 5G SA, broadband and gigabit fiber). Its easy-to-use applications utilize this rich data to enable customer support teams to isolate and resolve problems faster; operational teams to prioritize fault fixing and network build according to actual customer need; business teams to up-sell to both business customers and consumers; and wholesale teams to understand the service they’re delivering to MVNO clients. Founded in Sweden in 2012, Subtonomy’s technology helps network operators deliver more personalized support and more proactive care to help its clients deliver a premium network experience.  We’re proud to have a 100% satisfied client base and to be finalists in the 2022 World Communications Awards for Customer Experience. Also see: Subtonomy’s website (https://www.Subtonomy.com/). SOURCE Subtonomy

This is The Future of Nigerian News Media and Entertainment Industry

Nigerians Report Online

Over 205, 000 pageviews in April.

Our target is to reach over 1 million pageviews monthly without buying fake Views, fake Likes and fake Followers like others on the internet.

The most advanced NIgerian owned digital news blog published by International Digital Post Network Limited currently in the advanced stage of launching the OTT streaming news, entertainment and eCommerce mobile video platform.

View it on https://angel.co/u/michael-chima-ekenyerengozi

Target is reach over 200 million users of GSM phones within 12 months.

This is the future of NIgerian news media and entertainment industry.

- By Ekenyerengoz Michael Chima,
The CEO, International Digital Post Network Limited, Lagos, Nigeria.
Publisher/Editor
NOLLYWOOD MIRROR®Series 
247 Nigeria (@247nigeria) / Twitter
https://mobile.twitter.com/247nigeria
https://www.amazon.com/author/ekenyerengozimichaelchima
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelchimaeyerengozi

GSMA Announces mFarmer Initiative Fund

MOBILE WORLD LIVE

GSMA Announces mFarmer Initiative Fund

mAgri Programme Aims to Benefit 2 Million Farmers in Developing Countries by 2013

PR Newswire

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, June 9, 2011

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, June 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The GSMA, the body that represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, today announced at the inaugural mAgri Working Group in Cape Town, the launch of the mFarmer Initiative Fund, supported by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The Fund will encourage mobile communications service providers, in partnership with other public and private sector agriculture organisations, to use mobile communications to provide information and advisory services to smallholder farmers in developing countries living on under US$2 per day. The mFarmer Initiative Fund, which is part of the GSMA's Mobile Agriculture (mAgri) Programme, will be available over a period of two years.

"There are over 2.3 billion people living on less than $2 day, a large number of whom are rural smallholder farmers in developing countries and who face many issues which inhibit their agricultural productivity and limit their incomes," said Chris Locke, executive director, GSMA Development Fund. "Through the mFarmer Initiative Fund, the GSMA Development Fund's mAgri Programme will accelerate the provision of high-quality agricultural information services through mobile and by 2013 we aim to provide two million farmers in developing countries with an invaluable and transformative business resource."

The GSMA Development Fund accelerates economic, environmental and social evolution through mobile technology. Within the Development Fund, the mAgri Programme exists to catalyse the deployment of mobile solutions benefiting the agriculture sector. To date, focus has been on engagement with mobile operators and their partners to prove the market opportunity of agricultural extension services through mobile to smallholder farmers and to understand which business models are most suitable.

Improvement in agricultural productivity directly increases food security and income of the agricultural population. Food security occurs when all people, at all times, have access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life. Currently, African agricultural output stands at a meagre 56 per cent of the world's average. The impact of this shortfall is enormous and can be attributed to a variety of reasons, including a lack of access to vital agricultural information, as well as training and advice on topics such as pests and diseases, weather and proven farming practices.

Mobile technology offers new, cost-effective and scalable solutions to address these challenges. In developing countries, access to mobile phones is growing dramatically even amongst those at the base of the economic pyramid, providing a new and powerful channel of communication and the ability to link previously excluded rural communities to up–to-date information.

mFarmer Initiative Fund

The mFarmer Initiative Fund is designed to:

* Stimulate the development of mobile phone-enabled agriculture information and advisory services that are commercially sustainable;
* Build services that impact farmers' income and productivity;
* Reduce the barriers for operators to launch and improve mFarmer Services;
* Test and prove models for delivering agricultural information services via mobile phones; and
* Promote a culture of knowledge sharing in the mFarmer ecosystem.


The mFarmer Initiative Fund will support projects implemented in South Asia (India) and Sub-Saharan Africa (Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia). Whilst these are the target countries for disbursements, the mFarmer Initiative has the wider scope of sharing learnings with the mFarmer ecosystem. Disbursement decisions are made on a competitive, deadline-driven basis by an independent assessment panel. Grant recipients will have access to relevant agricultural information via an on-line database. Technical assistance will be provided to support the design and implementation of projects.

Eligible projects can qualify for funding if they can demonstrate the following criteria:

* The project will involve a mobile communications service provider in partnership or consortium with one or more organisations that are using, or planning to use, mobile communications to provide agricultural information and advice to poor smallholder farmers;
* The project will include the use of the mobile communications channel as a significant element of its delivery model;
* The project will directly result in significantly increased access to affordable agricultural information and advisory services by smallholder farmers who are living on under US$2 per day;
* The agricultural information and advisory services will provide information and advice of sufficient relevance, range and quality to be of utility to smallholder farmers;
* The project will involve a commercial business model for the provision of agricultural information and advisory services that will be sustainable after the period of grant funding; and
* The project will demonstrate how it will provide equitable access to female smallholder farmers.


Full criteria list and how to apply can be found at: http://gsmworld.com/mfarmer

About the GSMA

The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide. Spanning 219 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world's mobile operators, as well as more than 200 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers, Internet companies, and media and entertainment organisations. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as the Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Congress.

For more information, please visit Mobile World Live, the online portal for the mobile communications industry, at www.mobileworldlive.com or the GSMA corporate website at http://www.gsmworld.com.

SOURCE GSMA

CONTACT: Abigail Faylor, +44 (0)2070 670 851, afaylor@webershandwick.com or press@gsm.org

Web Site: http://www.gsmworld.com


Releases displayed in Africa/Lagos time

9 Jun 2011

11:32 GSMA Announces mFarmer Initiative Fund

8 Jun 2011

18:14 The AUC Chairperson meets with (AUHLIP) Team and discusses the situation in Abyei

14:29 African Union celebrates its first “African Border Day” with the aim of transforming African borders from barriers to bridges

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10 Years of GSM in Nigeria

President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria on BlackBerry mobile phone, the most popular smart phone in the most populous country in Africa with over 90 million users of GSM phones..

10 Years of GSM in Nigeria

• The Global System of Mobile Communications (GSM) was introduced into Nigeria in August 2001 with only 400, 000 lines, and a dismal 0.4 teledensity. But today the active lines are over 90 million with a teledensity of 64.16!

• Nigeria is ranked as the largest and fastest growing telecom market in Africa and among the top ten fastest growing telecom markets in the world.

• The leading GSM operators in Nigeria are, MTN, Airtel, Etisalat, Globacom, Starcomms, Mtel, Visafone, Zoommobile, Multilinks



MTN Kiosk

• The Nigerian telecom industry has attracted over $18 billion in private sector investments, including direct foreign investment, contributing over N300 billion to the coffers of the Nigerian government through frequency spectrum sales and the annual revenue from mobile services is about four percent of the nominal GDP.

Mobile Communication: Umuodagu Ntu and excruciating poor network

Mobile Communication: Umuodagu Ntu and excruciating poor network

~ By Nwaorgu Faustinus


The advent of Mobile telecommunication industry in Nigeria is traceable to 1999 and present democratic government. Prior to 1999, telephone be it landline or walkie-talkie was seen as one of the rare luxuries of the rich. But the coming of mobile telecommunication operators changed the situation for the better as every Tom, Dick and Harry have accesses to one or two handsets. That is why its arrival and operation was seen as a great achievement of the former President of Nigeria, Chief. Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration.


Initially, MTN, the first mobile telecommunication company was given license to operate followed by ECONET which metamorphosed into Vmobile first, then Zain and now Airtel. The last mobile telephony network but not the least is Etisalat. Apart from these four major telephony networks, there are also others that are regionally based.


Though the impacts of these four major mobile networks are well felt in urban areas the reverse is the case in some rural communities. Since half a decade of the advent of some of the mobile networks, it is sad to state that their signal, service or network have been abysmally poor in rural villages. It is the expectation of mobile telephone users in the villages that given the inception of mobile telephony industry, their areas would have been covered with the mast of various mobile telephone network operators.


One of such villages is Umuaka, in Umuodagu Ntu, which is in Ngor/Okpala Local Government Area. It is disheartening to note that in this quiet and serene village one hardly makes or receives calls from the comfort of his or her bedroom, parlor, kitchen or compound without walking for two to three kilometers in search of network signal. This is not good for rural mobile telephone users.


This writer who has written a related piece titled “Overt letter to Etisalat”, “concluded it by stating thus: “Others who cannot buy external antennas have resorted to climbing all sorts of trees ranging from mango, orange, avocado, cashew, oil bean, palm trees among others in search of network. It is therefore imperative for Etisalat and other telephony operators to cover such communities by building their base stations or masts there in order to reduce the rate at which subscribers climb trees. In the case of the above community (Umuodagu Ntu), land where the base station or mast will be sited is available, as the Eze and his cabinet, as well as the elders and youths are ever ready to work with any telecommunication company that indicates interest”.


This piece is an appeal to the four major mobile telephony networks – MTN, AIRTEL, GLO and Etisalat to come to the aid of the above community and village so that they can stay in their various homes to make and receive calls. No doubt, if the mast is hoist or built, the community will remain grateful to any of the network operators that honoured their appeal.



Nwaorgu Faustinus Chilee, writes from Igboeche, Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Mobile: +2348035601312. Email: fausteness@yahoo.com

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5 Facts About MTN Nigeria

LAGOS, Nigeria, November 18/Nigerians Report/ --

1. MTN Nigeria is part of the MTN Group of South Africa, which operates in 21 countries including Nigeria.



18 Nov 2009 07:01 Africa/Lagos


2. MTN Nigeria, the largest mobile operator in Nigeria with nearly 50 per cent market share.

3. MTN Nigeria has over 27 million subscribers as of June 30 2009.

4. MTN Nigeria is the most preferred GSM service in Nigeria.

5.MTN Nigeria has the best Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives and services in Nigeria.

Related News:


Acision Bolsters MTN Nigeria's Messaging Business With Next-Generation Messaging Solution

Acision soutient l'activité de messagerie professionnelle de MTN Nigeria avec une solution de messagerie de nouvelle génération

MTN Nigeria 419?

MTN NIGERIA 419?

Have you won a prize on the several MTN promos?

Did you get your prize?

MTN Nigeria is the biggest GSM company in Nigeria, but how honest and transparent is the company when many winners of their recent Big Score Promo have been disappointed when they could not be given their prizes? Many notified winners who were received calls from MTN call centre number 180 went to the MTN Customer Care Centre on Aromire Street in Ikoyi, Lagos, but were given stupid excuses for failing to claim their prizes. Many winners were simply told that their names were not seen on the list or they should return and when they returned, they were still denied their prizes. Whistleblowers say that some shameless MTN staff have been claiming the prizes of the winners.

Zain Nigeria Partners with Harris Stratex Networks to Build State-of-the-Art Network Operations Center in Lagos

1 Sep 2009 13:30 Africa/Lagos

Zain Nigeria Partners with Harris Stratex Networks to Build State-of-the-Art Network Operations Center in Lagos

Harris Stratex' managed network services expertise and service assurance technology allows operator to reduce operational costs and deliver an enhanced customer experience

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., Sept. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Harris Stratex Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:HSTX) , a leading provider of wireless solutions that enable the evolution of next-generation fixed and mobile broadband networks, today announced it partnered with Zain Nigeria, a leading mobile operator serving 24 countries in the Middle East and Africa, to launch a new network operations center (NOC) in Lagos. The NOC, which Zain commissioned in July, is part of a full, turnkey project completed by Harris Stratex, which includes NOC design and buildout -- supported by Harris Stratex' NetBoss integrated services assurance technology -- and network process re-engineering and optimization. The new facility is designed to boost the resilience and robustness of Zain's network, enhancing the customer experience while drastically reducing the amount of operational downtime.


"Our customers are our number one priority, and we have an ongoing commitment to offer an increasingly compelling experience, particularly as our customer base and network traffic grows," said Khaled Khorshid, Zain Nigeria's chief operating officer.


According to Mr. Khorshi, "Harris Stratex is a long-standing partner, and we knew they had the right mix of expertise in the managed network services business to deliver a world-class NOC and integrate all our network equipment under one manager-of-manager system. The end result will drive toward our goal of achieving 100 percent network visibility, so we can proactively maintain quality of service and improve our overall operational efficiency."


The state-of-the-art NOC is designed to monitor and manage multi-vendor, multi-protocol network infrastructure, including subscriber access, 4G/WiMax access, IP backhaul and core network technologies, as well as network elements providing energy, security and surveillance controls. It provides around-the-clock network surveillance, performance monitoring and trouble ticket management for voice, video and data networks. The center monitors Zain Nigeria's networks to identify network problems before they can impact business functions or productivity, and seeks to resolve issues remotely from the NOC or by dispatching technicians to network infrastructure sites.


This NOC buildout project was implemented by Harris Stratex Networks in conjunction with Middle East Telecommunication Company (METCO), a communications solutions integrator that addresses customer applications and requirements.


"As an innovative telecom provider with a steadily growing presence in its region, Zain Nigeria needs to know that their network resources and subscriber traffic are functioning reliably on a constant basis," said Mike Pangia, senior vice president and chief sales officer, Harris Stratex. "Our system, which captures a wealth of information about the equipment and network traffic, and makes it easily available to those who need to know, is designed to give them this confidence, to maximize the value of their investment and to help them to provide the world-class services they are known for."


Harris Stratex Global Network Services (GNS) managed network solutions are built on two decades of managed network services expertise and field-proven technology. Harris Stratex offers an extensive managed network services portfolio that includes eTOM-compliant NOC managed services, integrated network management systems, process re-engineering and optimization, and a variety of other offerings designed to enhance the process maturity of an organization. With its suite of network management solutions, and hands-on experience in defining, implementing and improving network operations, Harris Stratex enables customers to focus on their core business with the peace of mind that their network is being managed and optimized around the clock according to their needs.


At the core of the NOC and the Harris Stratex managed network services business are its advanced NetBoss service assurance solutions. The technology platform features highly-sophisticated management features, such as high-volume event processing and advanced, flexible filtering and correlation, enabling operators to quickly find and focus on service-affecting network issues, determine root causes and isolate trouble spots. With more than 200 deployments in 35 countries, the Harris Stratex NetBoss portfolio offers customers field-proven, flexible solutions that scale from element management to geographically dispersed manager of managers. For more information on Harris Stratex' network management technology, please visit the overview webpage.


About Harris Stratex Networks, Inc.


Harris Stratex Networks, Inc. is a leading provider of wireless solutions that enable the evolution of next-generation fixed and mobile broadband networks. The company offers reliable, flexible and scalable wireless network solutions, backed by comprehensive professional services and support. Harris Stratex Networks serves all global markets, including mobile network operators, public safety agencies, private network operators, utility and transportation companies, government agencies and broadcasters. Customers in more than 135 countries depend on Harris Stratex Networks to build, expand and upgrade their voice, data and video solutions. Harris Stratex Networks is recognized around the world for innovative, best-in-class wireless networking solutions and services. For more information, visit http://www.harrisstratex.com/.


About Zain


Zain is a leading telecommunications operator across the Middle East and Africa providing mobile voice and data services to 69.5 million active customers as at 30 June 2009. In terms of country footprint, Zain is the 3rd largest mobile operator in the world with a commercial presence in 24 countries.


Zain operates in the following countries: Bahrain, Burkina Faso, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Malawi, Madagascar, Niger, Nigeria, Palestine (currently known as Paltel Group), Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. In Lebanon, the company manages 'mtc-touch' on behalf of the government. In Morocco, Zain owns 31% of Wana Telecom through a joint venture.


Zain offers innovative services in its markets such as 'One Network', the world's first borderless mobile telecommunications network enabling customers when abroad to receive calls and sms without charge and to make voice and data calls at local rates throughout 20 countries in Africa and the Middle East. This service allows a customer to top up airtime in one's home country or from more than 1,000,000 outlets within Zain's One Network footprint.


The Zain brand is wholly owned by Mobile Telecommunications Company KSC, which is listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange (Stock ticker: ZAIN). Zain is listed in the Financial Times' Global 500 Index which ranks the world's largest companies based on market capitalization (http://www.ft.com/reports/ft5002008). Zain aims to become one of the top ten mobile operators in the world by end of the year 2011. For more, please visit www.zain.com or email info@zain.com.


Trademarks


NetBoss is a registered trademark of Harris Stratex Networks. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.


Source: Harris Stratex Networks, Inc.

CONTACT: Investors: Mary McGowan, Summit IR Group Inc., +1-408-404-5401,
mary@summitirgroup.com; Media: Jen Anderson, Harris Stratex Networks, Inc.,
+1-919-749-7240, jennifer.anderson@hstx.com; Emeka Oparah, Zain Nigeria,
+234802-222-1120, emeka.oparah@zain.com


Web Site: http://www.harrisstratex.com/


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1 Sep 2009
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Zain Nigeria Partners with Harris Stratex Networks to Build State-of-the-Art Network Operations Center in Lagos
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Rebtel Introduces World's Lowest Rates on Calls to Nigeria

8 Apr 2009 19:00 Africa/Lagos

Rebtel Introduces World's Lowest Rates on Calls to Nigeria

First 30 Minutes Free to New Subscribers

STOCKHOLM, April 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Rebtel, the people's global communications company, today slashed in half its rates to Nigeria so Nigerians living abroad can call their loved ones at home for just 9.9 cents per minute.


"It's the best of all the networks I have ever tried," said Daniel Mejabi, an English teacher at Lanzhou Jiatong University, in Beijing. Added Harmony Home, a Nigerian entrepreneur in New York City: "I love Rebtel. It's genuine, and a real value for the money. Rebtel doesn't charge when the line is busy nor when there's no answer. Other phone companies do. Long live Rebtel!"


There is no charge to set up a Rebtel account. No monthly fees, no connection fees and no hidden costs. And, all new Rebtel customers who use the voucher code NigeriaApril when they sign up this month and purchase at least $10 of calling time will receive 30 minutes of free calls to Nigeria.


To try Rebtel for free go to http://www.rebtel.com/CallNigeria.

Who is Rebtel?

Not yet 3 years old, Rebtel was started by serial entrepreneur Hjalmar Winbladh, his business partner Jonas Lindroth, and 14 like-minded rebels who began work with a unified mission: take the phony out of mobile telephony, and create the first genuinely good, honest, and trustworthy global mobile telecommunications service that saves people money. With Rebtel, they promised, there would be no hidden clauses. No small print. No secret charges.


Rebtel's technology vision was equally straightforward: Shrink the world, make it a friendlier place, and bring people worldwide closer together by making all phone calls local.


How Rebtel works


Rebtel gives people local phone numbers in the country where they live that connect them directly with their friends, family or work colleagues who live abroad.


That means, for example, Rebtel gives someone living in Texas a local Texas phone number that connects them directly to their friend or family member in Nigeria.


There's no access number to dial, no PIN to remember, or long international phone number to enter. The person in Texas only dials a local Texas phone number and Rebtel connects the call over the Internet to their contact in Nigeria.


This concept of making all calls local was invented by Rebtel - something never done before. And when the world heard about Rebtel on May 17, 2006 at the Innovate Europe conference in Zaragoza, Spain it was named one of Europe's top three new startups, and received acclaim from leading business and technology press all over the world.


"The beauty of Rebtel's service is it was designed from the start to be used with any mobile phone - even the most simple, cheap phone - without modification, software downloads or changes to the calling plan you already have with your cell phone provider," said Winbladh.


Today, Rebtel is available in more than 50 countries around the world, and is doubling in size every three months.


"People can spend hours surfing the web to save a few dollars on an airline flight, but for some reason they've given up on the idea that they can be just as smart when it comes to making phone calls," said Winbladh. "People are spending hundreds of billions of dollars calling abroad, roaming and sending SMS with their mobiles. Yet, there's something they can do for a fraction of the price, without changing their phone or carrier, and start saving real money."


Getting started with Rebtel is fast, easy and free

1. Go to http://www.rebtel.com/CallNigeria and enter your number and a
friend's number in Nigeria.
2. Rebtel creates a local number where you live that you can use from any
phone, anywhere.

3. Save the number in your address book and use it any time. It's yours
forever.



"We believe our service is the future of international calling," said Winbladh. "It's easy to use, has great call quality, and above all it offers serious savings for ordinary people. There's no smarter, easier way to make low-cost international calls on your mobile phone than Rebtel."


About Rebtel


Rebtel is a global calling service for individuals and business. With Rebtel it's possible to call any phone, anywhere in the world, for just pennies per minute. Rebtel's services can be used with any mobile phone without modification or software downloads. There is no charge to set up a Rebtel account. No monthly fees, no connection fees and no hidden costs. Anyone may make a free 10 minute call to test the service. Thereafter, customers only pay for the minutes they use. Smart Calls between the 50 counties served by Rebtel are always free and only one of the two people on a call have to be a Rebtel customer. For more information, or to start using Rebtel services, go to http://www.rebtel.com/.


Source: Rebtel

CONTACT: Greg Spector of Rebtel, +1-415-717-4666,
greg.spector@rebtel.com


Web Site: http://www.rebtel.com/

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