Nokia launches East Africa’s first commercial 5G services

NOKIA Headquarters (PHOTO CREDIT: news.softpedia)

Nokia launches East Africa’s first commercial 5G services

5G technology will enable new applications in areas such as virtual reality, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence for subscribers.

ByPress Release   March 26, 2021 2 min read

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Nokia on Friday announced that it is powering East Africa’s first 5G commercial services with Safaricom, the leading telecoms operator in the country.

Nokia’s 5G Single Radio Access Network (SRAN) technology and 5G FastMile gateways enable ultra-fast Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) services to Safaricom’s subscribers across Kisumu and the Western Province of Kenya.

5G technology will enable new applications in areas such as virtual reality, augmented reality and artificial intelligence for Safaricom subscribers. It will also benefit enterprises across important energy, healthcare, education, transport and entertainment applications.

At a launch event in Nairobi, Safaricom showcased the capabilities of the 5G network with three use cases — 5G hologram, Ultra-HD video communication and virtual fashion shopping. In the hologram showcase, the live 5G network was used to teleport Safaricom’s executives from Safaricom office in Kisumu to the launch event in Nairobi. And in the second showcase, Ultra-HD video communication was made using the 5G Fixed Wireless Access connectivity powered by WiFi-6 with Nokia Beacon 6. The third showcase of virtual shopping will change shopping experience allowing users to try on clothes “virtually”.

Nokia has leveraged its AirScale SRAN platform to enable ultra-low latency, huge connectivity and extreme capacity to support the demands of today and tomorrow. The 5G network utilizes massive Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) radio to improve spectral efficiency and throughput capacity, maximizing the return on Safaricom’s RAN investment. In addition, Nokia’s FastMile 5G gateway provides fiber like speeds for fixed wireless services to subscribers. Also, the company’s network planning, deployment and integration services ensured timely rollout of the network.

As part of the network, Nokia 5G Cloud Mobility Manager delivers the scalability, flexibility, high availability and performance needed to support the growth of mobile and enterprise services. Nokia’s NetAct network management system helps Safaricom have consolidated network view for improved network monitoring and management.

Peter Ndegwa, CEO of Safaricom, said: “We are proud to be the first operator in the East Africa to launch 5G services, bringing the benefits of 5G technology to our customers. 5G capabilities will change a lot of things in unimaginable ways for people and enterprises, playing a key role towards fulfilling our vision to transform lives. Our long-term partner Nokia’s technologies and services expertise helped us achieve this milestone in our journey to provide world-class broadband services to our customers.”

Amr K. El Leithy, SVP, Middle East and Africa Market, Nokia, said: “With over 200 commercial 5G agreements with leading customers across the globe, Nokia has been bringing 5G network to every part of the world. Our 5G network for Safaricom is a key part of this journey and we are committed to working with the operator to transform the communications landscape in the country. This will open new business opportunities for Safaricom.”

SOURCE: PREMIUM TIMES

Woman Made Lots Of Sale Selling Vagina-Scented Nose Mask

New Jersey native Angela Anderson has been making a killing with her online business. The 55-year-old founded Coronapussy, a company that sells vagina-smelling face masks for $4.99.

The strangest thing is that she managed to sell 500 in the first 24 hours.

Anderson thought of the idea after being fired from her hotel job and decided on supplementing her income by designing a mask different from any other. In a report by IOL, she said:

Next week we’ll release another 500 units for sale at the same price, they’re not made fast, otherwise the aroma disappears in a few hours.

She acquires the “authentic” smell for her masks by placing a fine cloth in the vagina for two hours and then glues it inside the mask.

With (these) face masks you can be protected and also enjoy that vaginal smell that people love. This idea is working out.

The business has been booming for Anderson. So much that she plans to add a penis-scented mask to her collection.

SOURCE: GUARDIAN

JUST IN: Gunmen abduct catholic priest in Delta

Gun-wielding assailants have reportedly abducted a catholic priest identified as Rev. Fr. Harrison in Delta.

The priest is said to be in charge of St. John’s Catholic Church in Obinomba, Ukwuani Local Government Area of Delta State.

The victim was abducted at about 8:p.m. on Monday at a bad portion in Oria-Abraka, Ethiope East Local Government Area of the state.

He was said to be returning to base from Warri in his Toyota Highlander Jeep when he was abducted by the guntotting assailants.

Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Bright Edafe, when contacted said he wasn’t aware, but promised to get back to our Correspondent on Tuesday morning.

SOURCE: NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

NBS: Unemployment Rate Hits 23.1m In Q4’20

Nigeria’s unemployment rate increased to 33.3 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2020 from 27.1 per cent recorded in first quarter of the same year, according to the latest unemployment data (Q4’20) obtained from the website of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) yesterday.

According to the unemployment report, it was gathered that 33.3 per cent of the labour force in Nigeria or 23,187,389 persons either did nothing or worked for less than 20 hours a week, making them unemployed by its definition in Nigeria. Given the latest unemployment rate, Nigeria ranked 11.7 per cent. Comparing the rate globally, out of the 181 countries with rates published within the last two years, Nigeria currently ranked 41 with the highest unemployment rate. Countries with highest unemployment rates presently, according to NBS’ findings, are Bosnia and Herzegovinian (34.3%), Namibia (33.4%), and Angola (32.0%), while those with the lowest rates are Qatar (0.1%), Belarus (0.2%), Niger (0.3%) and Laos (0.6%). Nigeria, NBS said, experienced decrease in under-employment rate from 28.6 per cent to 22.8 per cent in the reference quarter.

The agency said it drew its findings from responses and interviews conducted across the 36 states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja. It said a total number of 31,145 interviews were completed out of the initial sample of 33,300, giving a response rate of 93.53 per cent at the end of the survey.

The NBS added: “During the reference period, the computed national unemployment rate rose from 27.1 per cent in Q2’20 to 33.3 per cent in Q4’20, while the underemployment rate decreased from 28.6 per cent to 22.8 per cent.

“A combination of both the unemployment and under-employment rate for the reference period gave a figure of 56.1 per cent.

“This means that 33.3 per cent of the labour force in Nigeria or 23,187,389 persons either did nothing or worked for less than 20 hours a week, making them unemployed by our definition in Nigeria.

“This is an additional 1,422,772 persons from the number in that category in Q2’20. Using the international definition of unemployment, the rate was computed to be 17.5 per cent.”

While using aggregation of labour force, the report noted that the number of persons in the labour force (i.e., people within ages 15 -64, who are able and willing to work) was estimated to be 69,675,468.

This, it said, was 13.22 per cent less than the number of persons in Q2’20. Of this number, those within the age bracket of 25 to 34 were highest, with 20,091,695 or 28.34 per cent of the labour force.

SOURCE: NEW TELEGRAPH

How Nigeria can avert economic collapse, by Okonjo-Iweala

By Bolaji Ogundele, Abuja

The Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on Monday highlighted steps Nigeria should take to avert economic collapse.

The steps include diversification of the economy, bold economic reforms and pursuit of technological development.

She warned that the country risked economic doom in no distant future, if it failed to immediately embark on diversification from oil to other sources of survival.

Painting a gloomy picture of fossil oil in the future, the former  Finance Minister urged speed, stressing that delay could  be dangerous.

She stressed: “We need to have a game plan to be able to escape the consequence of a monolithic economy in a fast-changing world.”

She spoke with reporters, shortly after visiting President Muhammadu Buhari to thank him and Nigerians for their roles in her  emergence as the head of the WTO.

The former World Bank chief hailed the feat achieved by the Dangote Group.

She said the diversification of the economy was one of the issues she discussed with the President

According to her, Nigeria should tap into renewable energies, since some countries   have already set   timelines to end the use of vehicles and equipment operated with fossil fuel.

Specifically, Okonjo-Iweala mentioned Norway which will from 2030  no longer have petrol-powered cars plying its roads.

She said:  “We have to start transitioning this Nigerian economy into other areas, where we will be able to create jobs and earn foreign exchange.

“As a country, we really have to go into strong reflection;  we need to have a period of transition and how we are going to use it. We have to start thinking about how we transition from fossil fuels and I’m really worried about that. We need to have a game plan to get there.,

We also have to start looking at the horizon where many countries are now moving to electric cars and many developed countries where cars are manufactured or not, have said that from 2025, I think Norway said from 2030 and on, they are banning any cars that use petrol. Diesel is already out.

“If we don’t start, we will find ourselves at the end of a couple of decades with no way of being able to make an additional foreign exchange for some of the products we need.”

Although she welcomed the establishment of the Dangote Refinery, the WTO boss said she wished it had come earlier than now.

She added: “Well, it’s the largest refinery, I wish we had done it years ago. If we had done it earlier and encouraged Alhaji Dangote, who is doing a very good thing, it could have been better because right now, we would have been able to have our own oil refined here and not having to import.

“But we are where we are.  I think he’ll be able to service other countries on the continent. His cement industry is already in 16 or more. So, yes, we are  congratulating him,”

The  WTO chief also said the world body was worried about Nigeria’s multiple exchange rate regimes and how they affects trade.

She said some member-states have  complained about Nigeria invoking  its  balance of payment agreement article   to be able to conserve foreign exchange.

Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala said: “The WTO has one of the agreements of a balance of payments and Nigeria certainly invoked this to be able to conserve foreign exchange.

“Some members have brought a complaint against us (Nigeria) that we shouldn’t have used its article in that way. The  WTO is concerned about foreign exchange, the way we manage it, the way we use it, and how we use it to support manufacturing or imports and exports in our economy.

“I think that we had that discussion with them, they complained about the exchange rate regime, and we (Nigeria) tried to explain. Anyway,  I shouldn’t say we because I’m now DG WTO, it is for Nigeria’s representative to explain to the WTO,  to those members complaining why we’re doing this.

“We’re also going to see the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (Godwin Emefiele), and we  will undoubtedly discuss some of these issues.”

She, however, allayed fears that embracing the free trade policy of the world body would harm Nigeria’s economic diversification drive.

Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala said special and differential treatment could be applied to prevent vulnerable countries from collapsing under completion.

She said that duties could be applied on imports to prevent the country from being a dumping ground.

Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala admitted that despite helping to  lift millions out of poverty, free trade has not been beneficial to all, especially women.

On COVID-19, she advised Nigeria to set up local vaccine manufacturing, warning that  coronavirus would not be the last pandemic.

SOURCE: THE NATION