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Earth Networks and NiMet Announce Weather Services Partnership

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Earth Networks, a global provider of weather intelligence, announced on Wednesday it formed a partnership with the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet). The agreement includes a five-year collaboration to build the Nigeria Total Lightning and Mesoscale AWS Network (NTLMAN) for early warning of severe weather. The partnership was commemorated during a live virtual Memorandum of Understanding signing ceremony from Abuja and Germantown, Maryland.

Under the agreement, Earth Networks and NiMet will deploy and operate a comprehensive early warning lightning detection network in Nigeria and jointly co-market new sources of weather and lightning data to public and private industries in Nigeria. Precision weather stations and lightning sensors will be hosted at NiMet locations and maintained by NiMet staff.

In addition to the network equipment, Earth Networks will also provide training and development for NiMet staff regarding use of comprehensive weather data, including real-time and historical lightning data, weather observations, sensor forecasts and live storm-tracking and alerting.

This new agreement with NiMet supports Earth Networks’ commitment to build sustainable public-private weather information services partnerships with countries around the globe. Government agencies and private enterprises in Nigeria alike will now have access to a complete suite of visualization, forecasting, storm identification, alerting, and tracking services, developed and offered jointly by NiMet and Earth Networks.

This cooperation means any industry affected by weather in Nigeria, including aviation, oil and gas, mining, and manufacturing, can now take advantage of the most technologically advanced severe weather alerts and data to promote safety and ease operational challenges caused by weather.

“We’ve been working in more than 25 countries in Africa since 2013 to save lives and protect property with high-resolution weather and lightning data,” said Jim Anderson, Vice President of Global Sales at Advanced Environmental Monitoring, Earth Networks’ parent company. “We are excited to partner with NiMet to help accelerate the expansion of their high impact weather forecasting capacity and bring new weather warning services to enterprise customers in Nigeria.”

In his remarks at the virtual MOU signing ceremony, U.S. Embassy Environment, Science, Technology, and Health Officer Adam Jagelski said the partnership between Earth Networks and NiMet will help expand Nigeria’s capacity to accurately provide critical weather forecasting information and climate services, supporting Nigeria’s economic development by protecting the lives and property that are critical to several key sectors.

“The signing of this MOU is exemplary of the mutually beneficial partnership model U.S. businesses can employ to engage the Nigerian market,” Jagelski said. “I am thrilled to see Earth Networks using the partnership model to bring the expertise of one of America’s truly innovative companies to the strategic infrastructure sector in Nigeria.  We hope to see more of America’s premier companies developing partnerships as a means to bring their best-in-class products and services to Nigeria and the whole of Africa.”

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Broadband Commission Seeks Action to Accelerate Connectivity and Progress on SDGs

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The Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development called for a joint global effort to achieve universal and meaningful connectivity by 2030 at its annual Fall Meeting held today at UN Headquarters in New York.  

According to the Commission, the collaborative effort must ensure that people around the world are not only connected, but that they also have the skills and knowledge to use that connectivity.  

The Broadband Commission—a high level public-private partnership fostering digital cooperation and developing actionable recommendations for achieving universal connectivity—stressed that accelerating universal and meaningful connectivity through partnership and cooperation is essential to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.   

“We need to build a digital future that is inclusive, affordable, sustainable, safe and people-centered,” said Commission Co-Chair Carlos Slim. “There should be no digital deserts in the world, and there should be no one excluded from connectivity. People have the right to enjoy a safe, productive and affordable online experience. Broadband should enhance the quality of life of everyone.”  

At the meeting, the Commission called for innovative investment models to bring together private and public stakeholders to deliver meaningful access and content to those most in need.

“As technology advances and 2.6 billion people remain unconnected, it’s crucial to prioritize universal and affordable broadband access, coupled with investments in digital skills, and the elements that truly define meaningful connectivity, such as inclusive and localized digital content, accessible hardware, cybersecurity measures, and policies that ensure digital inclusion for all,” said Hon. Paula Ingabire, Rwanda’s Minister of Information Communication Technology and Innovation representing Rwandan President Paul Kagame, Co-Chair of the Commission.  

The Commission’s meeting comes amid the recent ITU announcement that 2.6 billion people across the world still lack access to the Internet in 2023. The reduction from the estimated 2.7 billion people offline in 2022 leaves about one-third of the global population unconnected.  

This year’s Annual Meeting also took place ahead of SDG Digital, an event convened by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to highlight how digital solutions can support the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.  

“Tech is racing ahead and billions of people are being left behind,” said ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin, a Co-Vice Chair of the Commission. “Our task is to invest in affordable broadband, digital skills, and everything that makes connectivity meaningful.”  ​

​At the meeting, the Broadband Commission launched “State of Broadband Report: 2023 Digital Connectivity – A Transformative O​pportunity.” The latest edition of the annual report reviews the progress of seven Global Advocacy Targets and highlights the opportunities that would come from broadband that is universally available, equitable and affordable.  

This year’s report notes that market trends for consumption and supply are shifting despite gains in connectivity. Those trends may not be strong enough to guarantee that the objective of universal and meaningful connectivity will be met by 2030.  

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Airtel Nigeria Refutes Report Saying It Awarded Nationwide Solar Contract to WATT Corporation

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Leading telecommunication service provider, Airtel Nigeria, has distanced itself from a recent media report that the company awarded a contract to WATT Renewable Corporation (WATT) to deliver over 32MW installed capacity of solar PV and storage across 600 cell sites across Nigeria.

Director of Corporate Communications and CSR, Airtel Nigeria, Femi Adeniran, said in a statement that the involvement of Airtel Nigeria with WATT was limited to only 30 sites as a proof of concept of WATT’s Energy-as-a-Service offering. Of the 30 sites commissioned, 18 are currently up and running.

“The report in the press about Airtel Nigeria awarding this nationwide contract to WATT Renewable Corporation is inaccurate,” Adeniran said.

He added that, “Airtel Nigeria is indeed committed to its sustainability goals and continues to pursue its Net Zero objectives across its operations. As we progress in our path towards achieving these, we will keep the public updated.”

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NCC Orders MNO, ISPs on Network Security, Consumer Safety Compliance

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The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has directed Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and Internet Service Providers (ISP) in the country to comply with regulatory frameworks emplaced by the Commission towards ensuring security and safety of their networks for telecom consumers.

The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of the Commission, Prof. Umar Danbatta, gave the charge at the 2023 annual Nigeria DigitalSense Forum, focused on Internet Governance for Development, which took place in Lagos recently.

Addressing stakeholders at the event, Danbatta said one of the regulatory framework put in place by the Commission is the Internet Code of Practice (ICP for telecom industry, which is essentially to protect the right of Internet users to an open Internet and provide clear guidelines to Internet Access Service Providers on the use of traffic management practices.

He said the Internet Code also outlines the obligations of Internet Access Service Providers in relation to the protection of consumers’ personal data as well as lists the obligations of Internet Access Service Providers in the handling of offensive and potentially-harmful content, and the protection of minors and vulnerable audiences online; among others.

Through upholding the tenets of Internet Governance Code, Danbatta said the Commission, in collaboration with other stakeholders can make networks safe and get telecom consumers protected online.

Speaking to the theme of the event: “5G: Data Governance, Safety and Security in Nigeria”, Danbatta said building robust legal and regulatory frameworks is a crucial requirement for effective data governance in Nigeria and that the ICP provides the framework in this regard.

The EVC, however, underscored the need for telecom licensees, especially the MNOs and ISPs, to adhere strictly to industry frameworks that seek to enthrone effective governance in Internet delivery services.

Represented by the NCC’s Head, New Media and Information Security, Dr. Chidi Diugwu, the EVC said with the emergence of new technologies such as the Fifth Generation (5G), currently being deployed in Nigeria, the need has come to pay greater attention to the issue privacy, data integrity and online trust across telecom networks.

“As we embrace the transformative potential of newer technologies such as 5G, we must prioritize safety concerns because the amount and speed of data generated using 5G technology is unprecedented. As such, we need to always prioritise consumer privacy, transparency, and ethical data use; and this can be achieved by cultivating trust and handling data responsibly, and by doing so, we can unlock the full potential of 5G technology and promote innovation in Nigeria,” he said.

While emphasizing that the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003 requests NCC’s licensees to prevent their network facilities or services from being used in for the commission of any offence under any law in operation in Nigeria, Danbatta said “In this regard, licensees are required to collaborate with the Commission by complying with their legal and regulatory obligations towards ensuring effective Internet governance in Nigeria.”

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