Nigeria:Bandwidth Oversale Responsible for Poor Internet Service

Nigeria has launched its own satellite communications, NIGCOMSAT. What effect do you think this will have on the nation’s telecoms terrain and economy? The launch of NIGCOMSAT is a major milestone in the history of our great country. In short, it is a ground breaking achievement; Nigeria has tried to show in this regard that it is actually the giant of Africa that is by being the first African nation to launch a communications satellite.

Also, NIGCOMSAT is expected to have a lot of effect on the telecoms industry. Perhaps the most important one, maybe because that’s my segment of the industry, is broadband Internet access. We expect that the launch of NIGCOMSAT will have great effect on provision of two-way broadband Internet access. The satellite has about 40 transponders, which is quite huge and since its footprints cover a wide area across Africa ; it will help in bringing Internet access to the rural areas in Nigeria and other parts of the continent.

What impact will 3G technology have on the telecoms sector?
3G stands for third generation network. What we have in the country now is the 2G phase. So, the 3G is actually an advancement on what we have presently, which means it has more possibilities than the 2G network. It is able to deliver high quality; it is a richer media that includes video and audio and so on, all on a mobile handset. The 3G allows you to hear video clips and also delivers better voice quality; I can go on and on. Recently, new features such as the HSDPA, that is the High Speed Data Packet Application and the ISHO, that is Inter System Call Handover, (hope am not been too technical) were added to 3G networks. Both of these will improve quality of service that customers receive. Let me explain. The HSDPA allows download speed that is three times faster than the 2G, while the ISHO allows calls to cross seamlessly between the 2G and 3G networks.
So, 3G will have a lot of impact on the telecoms sector when it effectively takes off.

In your opinion, do you think the services offered by Nigerian Internet Service Providers meet international standards?
Yes ,the services provided by Nigerian ISPs meet International standards as we have a lot of foreign customers on our network who are exceptionally excited by the quality of service that they receive from us and are truly amazed that we are a 100% owned and operated Nigerian ISP delivering world class service in Nigeria .
How do you intend to make HiREST a leading ISP in Nigeria?
The answer is very simple. By giving consumers quality service. The Internet user wants to be up all the time, that is he wants a stable network and he wants good speed. As it stands today, HiREST has a crack team of professionals who have been in this industry since inception and are well experienced to provide all that I have mentioned above
You see, HiREST is actually a response to a yearning gap we saw in the Nigerian Internet market.

We saw the service inadequacies experienced by Internet consumers in the country and we came in to see how we could close this gap. People want excellence in service, people want reliability and people want stability. People want a provider they can depend on, a provider that has the heart and passion for them and HiREST today is the most dynamic ISP in the Industry today.
What are the challenges HiREST has faced since it commenced operations and what lessons have you learnt from the challenges?

Challenges! We have not faced any uncommon challenge in the industry since we commenced operations as we have had an industry record breaking market and customer acceptance nationwide that shows that Nigerians will always recognize and appreciate exceptional quality of service built on stable and reliable network.
What is HiREST’s approach to technology? What’s the concept behind its offerings?

Basically, our approach to technology is to use the type of technology that will give users good experience on the Internet and something they can also afford. You see, our major concern is to satisfy our customers, to “Give Value to their world,” which is actually our pay off line. We are in business to make sure that people get value for their money and to be there for our customers always. We are providing a service and that means being available 24/7 .
All our products are industry firsts and are tailored-made to give the consumer service satisfaction. We are actually doing this as our contribution or you might say, our little way of contributing to the expansion of broadband Internet penetration in the country.
What are the corporate and core strategies HiREST is deploying to stay ahead of competition?
Our strategy is reflected in our spread of offices in Lagos , Port Harcourt and Abuja . While the Lagos office serves as the national office that of Abuja serves as our International office. The Port Harcourt office oversees our West and Central Africa operations. This offices show our presence in three different markets, that is international, sub-regional and national markets.
What are the specific opportunities inherent in the uptake of Broadband in Nigeria?

Broadband Internet access has a lot of opportunities. It is a connection that handles transmission of several pieces of information at once. It can transmit both voice and data on one channel and at the same time transmit digital data. The down load speed is very fast and is very reliable. Broadband can handle up to 5,000 channels of data simultaneously and is optimized for multiple users, that is many people can use the same account at once unlike dial-up. Dial-up is when you connect to the Internet using telephone.
How many base stations do you have? Are they all in Lagos or do you have any outside?
We do not use base stations as we have our customer premises equipment that connect directly with our satellite.
What makes HiREST different from the pack, given that so many providers are offering broadband services?
HiREST is not just another Internets Service Provider, one major difference between us and competition is the quality of our service, we can boast of a very stable and robust network and the second major difference, which I had earlier mentioned is that we provide service. I wish to emphasis the word service. We don’t just sell the hardware and the bandwidth and go to sleep. We make sure we are there for our customers always, because the truth is that they are the reason we are in business. At HiREST we believe the customer is king and should be treated as such; our major focus is on the customers.
There is a current downturn in GSM services in the country which operators are attributing to inadequate power supply, amongst others. What do you think should be done to address inadequate infrastructure in the country?
I don’t agree that the current downturn in the quality of services by the GSM operators is mainly an issue of inadequate power supply. True, power has effect on telecoms provision but it does not give room for poor quality service. The truth is that most of the networks are overcrowded and the operators are only interested in having as many subscribers on their networks as possible, they are just out to outdo one another.

While government must provide the enabling environment by making sure we have more stable power supply, the operators on their part need to upgrade their networks.
The broadband market has a lot of initiatives geared at ensuring broadband access, Wimax, Dialup, etc. What are the differences between these initiatives? Which one is best for the Nigerian terrain?
You can access the Internet through various channels, VSAT, Wimax, Dial-Up and so on. VSAT, Very Small Aperture Terminals allows delivery of Internet connectivity via satellite, while WIMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access is an alternative to cable and DSL and allows broadband access anytime, anywhere provided it is within the coverage area of the base stations. Dial-Up involves the use of telephone lines to connect to the Internet.

In our present infrastructural and technological framework our best option is still the use of remote antennas to deliver Broadband access through VSAT.
Why do we have bad ISPs?
There are bad ISPs because not everyone have the know how to manage Internet service provision. Some people see Internet service provision just in terms of the money they can make, they see it as a money spinner. So, for them anything goes, in such situation you can only say they are bad ISPs because they do not provide the service as it should be done. When I say service, am not talking of just giving bandwidth to the consumer, but am talking of being there when there is a problem. It will not be true to say that there is any ISP whose network does not experience any down time. But the frequency of downtimes and the response the consumer receives when that happens is what can show the kind of ISP you are dealing with.
What is bandwidth oversale and how does it affect the service delivery of broadband?
Bandwidth oversell is a situation where the service provider sells a limited bandwidth capacity to too many users, so the network becomes over crowded. It is one of the major reasons for poor Internet service in the country. The common complaints you hear from consumers like complain of instability, slow download speed and so on are all due to bandwidth oversell.
In what ways would you say HiREST is helping to bridge the digital divide in Nigeria?
I already mentioned this earlier, but to answer your question, we have a number of products that cater to every segment of the society. When you talk of digital divide, what we are actually saying is that there is an inequality in access to technology. We have products for the Small Office and Home Office users, we have products for Cybercafés, we have for top level executives, and for corporate organizations. This way we are able to address all strata of society, thereby increasing Internet penetration.
Could you assess the telecoms sector in the last six years?
The telecoms sector in Nigeria has experienced tremendous growth in the last six years, especially in voice telephony, so much so that the industry is said to be the fastest growing in Africa . The figures speak for themselves, from a mere 400,000 lines to about 38million now. To a large extent the growth came about as a result of the introduction of GSM, suddenly, instead of paying huge sums of money and staying on a long queue before you can have access to telephone services, people can now just pick phone lines by the way side. But there is an area that has not been so good, that is the data segment of the industry. Telecommunications is not just when you pick up a telephone and talk; it involves data and video as well. For voice like I said earlier we have done great, but there is still a lot to be done in the area of data, specifically Internet access. Very many Nigerians still do not have access to this very important element of technology. Recently, it was estimated that only about 2% of Nigerians have access to the Internet. Most of this group of people that have access have it through cybercafés or their offices and very few at home.
Thank God, the NCC is aware of this and knowing the importance of the Internet, it is already working at how it can grow broadband in the country.
Until we are able to get the Internet access right, then we can’t say we have arrived in terms of telecoms.
Where do you see the sector, say in five years to come?
Going by the way the telecoms sector is growing I foresee a very bright future. The prospects are great, particularly in the Internet segment.

Source: This Day