This blog post is in reaction to The 3 Reasons Why Kenya is Beating Nigeria in Internet Business Opportunities as published by ICTworks.

I was perplexed at the title of the blog post. Could the author Wayan Vota simply be courting controversy as a means of drawing traffic to the blog? I would attempt to review the reasons listed in the blog post as to why the author is of the view that Kenya leads Nigeria in Internet Business opportunities.

1. Safaricom
Safaricom? When did Safaricom start offering Internet connectivity over a 3.5G network? Only recently. As at the last time I was in Kenya (February 2010), Safaricom was still offering a special promotion of unlimited Internet access for only 999 Kenyan shillings with each subscription lasting only a week. The promo was obviously a means of raising awareness on its new 3.5G network.

In contrast, MTN Nigeria has been offering super-fast Internet over 3.5G since the 2nd quarter of 2008. In addition, Zain and Glo Mobile both offer super-fast Internet using 3.5G technology covering all the top cities in Nigeria.

Nigeria may have more mobile phone players, and cheaper voice rates, but their 3G data services are no where near the quality and reach of Safaricom.

I used Safaricom’s mobile broadband service in Nairobi and Mombosa and frankly speaking, I have experienced faster Internet in Nigeria and Ghana. Safaricom’s service is no where near excellent. It disconnected intermittently and I had reconnect manually on several occasions. I have been too busy since I got back to publish a detailed review based on about 14 days of using Safaricom’s mobile broadband.

An AccessKenya Fibre ad on a road in Nairobi Kenya. AccessKenya is a leading ISP in Kenya. Photo by Oluniyi D. Ajao.

2. Seacom & Teams
Yeah. Seacom alone is a big deal. The hotel I lodged in Mombasa offers Internet connectivity using Swift Global. Swift Global is linked to Seacom. The speed was simply wickedly fast. Seacom was launched July 2009 and currently has an operational capacity of 100 Gbit/s. Considering Kenya (and the whole of East Africa) got their first taste of real Internet only recently, they still have some catching-up to do compared to their West African cousins.

Nigeria’s telecom sector is years behind. Yes, the Glo cable is coming, but with the current restrictive regulation, I bet it will still be cheaper for Nigerian companies to buy bandwidth microwaved over from Benin.

Really? The assertion by Wayan is highly inaccurate. Nigeria is presently the leading telecoms market in Africa with the most liberal telecom regime where several players are digging it in a highly competitive & dynamic market using various technologies. Nigeria is where GSM meets CDMA. Where 3.5G knocks head with EV-DO. Nigeria’s telecom not only offers a big basket of flexible options but is also the biggest in Africa.

Nigeria has been served by the SAT-3 cable (whether directly or via Benin Republic is inconsequential in this context) since 2002. SAT-3 has a capacity of 120 Gbit/s; however, plans are in place to nearly triple SAT-3’s capacity to 340 Gbit/s soon thanks to technological advancements allowing 2.5 Gbit/s wavelengths to be replaced with 10 Gbit/s wavelengths.

The author wrote about the Glo-1 cable with a heavy dose of pessimism. Glo-1 is powered by Globacom Limited, a privately-owned commercial entity. I wonder what “restrictive regulation” would stop Glo from pricing its broadband services competitively. Already, Glo Mobile recently announced new mobile broadband packages offering much more data for the same old price, leaving its competitors to play catch-up.

The author forgot to mention that MTN Nigeria (a private entity) recently won a bid for the rights to SAT-3 and by inference, the submarine cable would witness a much better management in Nigeria.

The author conveniently excluded Main One, another privately-owned submarine cable that is set to be launched soon with an initial capacity of 1.28 Tbits/s serving Nigeria and some other West African countries.

Yet another cable is ACE. ACE (Africa Coast to Europe) submarine communications cable  is a planned cable system along the west coast of Africa between France and South Africa. Etisalat Nigeria (a Nigerian telecom operator) is part of the ACE consortium. ACE would become operational in 2011 with a minimum capacity of 1.92 Tbit/s.

Some vital stats

• Nigeria: 11,000,000 Internet users as of Jun/09, 7.4% of the population, per ITU.
  Population: 154.7 million (UN estimate).
• Kenya: 3,359,600 Internet users as of Jun/09, 8.6% of the population, per ITU.
  Population: 39.8 million (UN estimate)

3. Kenya Power & Lighting
If there is any single factor that would be the albatross of e-commerce development in Nigeria, it would be the lack of power. However, I am forced to reflect in this direction: if Nigeria could achieve this much as epileptic as power supply is, what wouldn’t it achieve when there is adequate supply?

I am far from being complacent and desperately hate the poor power supply in Nigeria but the modest achievements in the present hostile business environment deserve some commendation.

While it is true that Kenya is the regional IT hub in East Africa, Nigeria is the IT hub of a much bigger regional block (West Africa). In summary, Kenya does not beat Nigeria in the Internet business arena. It is a good thing that Africa gets more Internet connectivity but if there is any country to pitch against Nigeria in Africa, it is certainly not Kenya.

You have an opinion on this matter? Join the debate! Leave your thoughts in the comments area.

Related posts:

1. Challenges with Doing Business On the Internet from Nigeria I came across an article at NigeriaGalleria.com just now,...
2. Kenya: Mobile Web East Africa 2010. Free MobileWorld magazines. Nairobi, Kenya – Mobile Web East Africa, an event...
3. Poor Internet Service delivery in Nigeria. The need to take on the ISPs. I do not know why the government or its...
4. Another Fibre Optic Cable Internet Connectivity for Africa It appears Internet connectivity on the African continent especially...
5. Mobile Web East Africa 2010 for Nairobi Kenya Mobile Web East Africa takes place between 3rd and...
6. Nigeria: Internet Exchange, Making Money, Abuja, Political Endorsement, the Niger Delta We begin this week’s blog round-up with Timbaland’s entry...
7. MTN Nigeria, SAT3 Woes, IT convergence & Why West Africa needs more sub-marine connectivity The Internet is a very powerful medium of communication....
8. My expectations of Glo Mobile Ghana Glo Mobile is very likely to be launched in...
9. Erik introduces iHub @ Skunkworks in Nairobi, Kenya I was privileged to be at last night’s Skunkworks...
10. A review of MTN Nigeria Mobile Broadband service I picked-up an MTN Nigeria mobile broadband kit recently...

Join young Nigerians to demand for a better Nigeria. Find below a release from a youth movement in Nigeria.

Fellow Young Nigerians,

Did you know that in Nigeria, young people are in the majority? Did you know that young people below 35 make up more than 70 per cent of the population? That means that we have the power to actually make things happen!

So how come we are doing nothing about the many problems that have hit our nation in the past few months? Is it enough to make noise on Facebook, Twitter, websites, BBMs, blogs and others where no one is listening? How come it is the Wole Soyinkas, the Femi Falanas and the Tunde Bakares that are fighting for us? Why do we allow ourselves to be branded as the do-nothing generation?

We are going to borrow a quote from the youth wing of the Save Nigeria Group: How can we be so talented individually and yet so disillusioned and disdained collectively? We all know the reason – we have been told a lie that we cannot do anything about the status quo because the cabal is too strong.

We have become cynics and complainers rather than change agents. But the time to “siddon look” is over… Will you stand up and counted or will you stay bound to the tyranny of the present? We have made our choice. We want our country back. And we must get it. It is time for our voices to be heard, and heard loud and long.

Therefore we are organisating a first-of-its-kind rally right there at the seat of power in Abuja. However, this rally is unique because it will be completely powered by young people – young professionals, young celebrities, students, activists etc. We want history to record that this was the point that the young people in Nigeria began to drive fear into the hearts of our leaders and began to make change happen.  It is going to be a MASSIVE rally of hundreds of young Nigerians from across the country saying #enoughisenough!

We invite you to sign up to join this rally now if you are angry about Nigeria.

DATE: TUESDAY, 16 MARCH 2010

VENUE: NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, ABUJA

RALLY TIME: 11AM

A Save Nigeria Group rally in Nigeria. Nigerians are rejecting bad governance and together we are DEMANDING for GOOD GOVERNANCE.

OUR DEMANDS: 1) End the fuel scarcity now! 2) Solve the electricity problem! 3) We want to see our president and we want all those who have been involved in the grand cover up around him to be investigated, arrested and brought to book!

If you want to be part of this movement, register on www.whereisyaradua.com now. The registration form is there, and further information and updates are there.

To get any further information, send a mail to info@whereisyaradua.com and info@thefuturenigeria.com.

There are cynics who will say it cannot work and nothing will change. They lie! Our history shows that civil disobedience has worked and has forced change. Added to that, after this rally, other activities are planned to keep the government on their toes. However this massive rally to make a statement is the first step.

This is our country; our duty; our future.

Join this movement now!

SIGNED:

Toyosi Akerele (Rise Networks), Audu Maikori (Chocolate City), Chude Jideonwo (The Future Project), Tolu Ogunlesi (NEXT Newspapers) Amara Nwakpa (Light Up Nigeria), Adesubonmi Plumptre, Segun Demuren (EME Music), Al Kassim Abdulkadir, Omena Daniels, Shade Ladipo (Avienti), Bisola Edun (Tae), Alex Yangs (Testify Music), Abimbola Ayorinde, Jibola Ayana Olubiyi, Wale Ewedemi, Cheta Nwanze, Ohimai Amaize (Youth Media Intitiative), Alex Yangs (Testify Music), Adebola Williams (The Future Project), Otoide Ayemere (2digiuts), Ijeoma Okeagu (White Rabbit Concepts), Stanley Vito Achonu, Balkiss Adesokan (Green Nigeria), Aziza Uko, Shade Ladipo (Avienti), Michaela Moye, Onomarie Uriri (BrookStone Consult), Ifedigbo Nze Sylva, Emilia Asim-Ita (The Future Project), Gbenga Sesan (Paradigm Initiative Nigeria), amongst others.

Source: enoughisenoughnigeria.com

Related posts:

1. Cashcards, release the money of Nigerians I got to know about CashCards for the first...
2. Nigerians and Crash Helmets My arrival in Lagos Nigeria a few days ago...
3. E-passport announced, for Nigerians In a bid to curb the menace of passport...
4. Re: Obama in Ghana. Do the youth in Africa have anything to offer? An excerpt of President Obama’s speech: Now, that triumph...
5. LightUpNigeria: Let there be light! Enough is enough!! I have been in Nigeria for a few days...
6. Governor Rashidi Ladoja of Oyo State Impeached Since late last year, there has been this serious impasse...
7. Political Indictment Politicians (especially in Africa) are always so eager to...
8. Why President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua should resign I am starting my commentary by stating in very...
9. Francis Omokhape Oghuma (CEO of Naijaborn.com) speaks Francis Omokhape Oghuma is the CEO of  Naijaborn. In...
10. Re-branding Nigeria, a charade I have stayed away from commenting on this charade...

Aero Contractors in my view is a budget airline only that it is not so-called. The airline has been advertising very low fares to all its destinations, for some time now. I dragged myself into flying Aero twice in recent times, to satisfy my curiosity on how they could offer such low fares. This blog post is based on what I could see as a passenger who has no expertise in aviation.

Aero Contractors (Aero Contractors Company of Nigeria Ltd) or simply “Aero” is an airline based in Lagos, Nigeria. It operates domestic and international scheduled services, air taxi, charter and third party aircraft operations, largely in support of Nigeria’s extensive oil and gas industry. Its main base is Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

The Premise
Aero offers such low airfares at this time, it is alarming as to how they achieve this considering that some of their fares are less than 50% that of their leading competitors – Arik Air and Nigerian Eagle Airline – especially on the Lagos – Accra – Lagos route. Take the up-coming flights as outlined in the following table as a case study.

From the above information, Aero’s flight costs only 23.6% that of Arik Air and only 24.84% that of Nigerian Eagle.

How do they pull it off?
The following factors are those I have observed. I do not have access to their maintenance logs and thus unable to comment on aircraft maintenance, staff remuneration and other hidden factors.

1. Book & Pay over the Internet

An advertisement banner on flyaero.com showing one of their fares and placing emphasis online booking & payment.

Aero places a lot of emphasis on direct sales of tickets over the Internet thereby avoiding fees and commissions paid to travel agents and computer reservations systems. The very low-fares they offer would not be possible without the Internet. Thus, their radio ads are geared towards directing potential passengers to their website flyaero.com

Booking can be completed online with payment via four methods:

• Interswitch: Nigeria’s leading ATM/debit card network and payment processor
• Etranzact: another local payment gateway available in Ghana and Nigeria
• Book On Hold for Ghana only: potential flyers can book for a flight and place it on hold for 24 hrs and then pay at any UBA branches in Ghana.*
• Book On Hold for Nigeria only: potential flyers can book for a flight and place it on hold for 24 hrs and then pay at any Oceanic Bank branches in Nigeria.*

*To pay through the bank, booking should be for a flight at least 48 hours ahead.

2. Hidden Fees
When booking for a Lagos – Accra – Lagos flight, you would be faced with an optional “International Insurance” cover fee costing N1,500 ($9.85). From their website:

Insurance (International) This covers for flight cancellation and holiday packages for passengers travelling into and out of Nigeria only.charges on this cover is based on per persanger per day.
Please note that it is not possible to change date, destination or name of passenger once the insurance has been purchased. Standard and Deluxe insurance is only available to people who are resident or domiciled in Nigeria.

Adding the “Insurance fee” to your booking would push your fare upwards to N9,112.85
Note, the Insurance fees is available to domestic flights as well.

3. In-flight meals need to be paid-for

A N1,500 meal on an Aero flight. Photo by Oluniyi D. Ajao.

Aero last year introduced the idea of passengers paying for refreshment mid-flight should they want any and gave it a fancy name, Aero Sky Snax. From their website:

In Flight Meals-aero Sky Snax
With effect from 16th November, 2009 aero begins sale of a variety of affordable mouth watering snacks, soft drinks and beverages on-board for your enjoyment.

The upside about paying for the meal is that the passenger is not compelled to pay when he/she is not in a position to eat. Also, the passenger can order for the quantity of snacks that is really enough to satisfy unlike the little appetizers typically offered by the other airlines.

The downside is, any passenger willing to eat but without extra naira in his/her wallet would fly hungry. Aero does not accept card payments mid-flight.

4. Minimal uniformed staff
Aero, from the flights I have taken, maintains very few uniformed staff. The check-in staff in Murtala International Airport (MMIA) Lagos and Kotoka International Airport (KIA) Accra are contracted from another company that offers those services. This would aid their cost-saving and low-fares drive.

An Aero Boeing 737-400 jet on the tarmac with other airplanes in Kotoka International Airport, Accra. Photo by Oluniyi D. Ajao.

5. Shared Office
Though Aero maintains a full office inside MMIA fully manned by its own staff, it shares a ticketing cubicle with Arik Air inside the departure hall of KIA.

6. Tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable
Aero offers no refunds or transfers to later flights in the event of missed flights, i.e. if the aircraft leaves on time without a passenger who arrived late, he will have to buy a wholly new ticket for the next flight.

7. No frequent flyer programme
Unlike Nigerian Eagle, Aero does not offer any frequent flyer programme and thus all the money that would have been invested in running such a programme are saved. The passenger can thus apply the saved funds to other things.

It is also important to note that Aero’s fares typically increase as the plane fills up. Thus, the low fares are only guaranteed for early reservations. Also, the GHC25 airfare Aero is presently advertising in Ghanaian newspapers exclude taxes and so many other fees.

Should you have additions or questions, do well to leave your comments in the comments area.

Related posts:

1. 3 ways to fly smart in Nigeria Nigeria’s aviation industry is amongst the largest in Africa....
2. Graphcard Offers Online Payment Solutions To Africa Within a span of just 15 years since its...
3. Are things falling apart at Virgin Nigeria? Clearly, all is not well with Virgin Nigeria. Being...
4. Text2fly.com.ng: Check domestic flights availability in Nigeria by SMS Each time I had a tough time travelling within...
5. Nigerian Eagle Airline: Here comes the Eagle Virgin Nigeria has been re-branded to Nigerian Eagle Airline....
6. Etranzact Cardholders can use their cards in Ghana and Nigeria A news item on Vanguard’s website indicates that Nigerian-issued...
7. ChamsCity: World’s Largest Cyber Centre is in Lagos Nigeria ChamsCity is a new subsidiary of Chams Plc and...
8. My Location on Google Maps I discovered a Google Maps beta feature that had...
9. Nospetco, Sefteg etc are not registered Fund Managers, says SEC Security and Exchanges Commission (SEC) is the apex regulator...
10. Nigerians and Crash Helmets My arrival in Lagos Nigeria a few days ago...

Whilst in Nairobi Kenya on 3rd February 2010, I was invited by the BBC World Service to join a discussion on “Is the Internet constraining how we develop as individuals?”. The week day radio show was “World Have Your Say” and that happened to be my second time on the programme. That day’s programme was based on a book by Jaron Lanier which is titled You Are Not a Gadget.

Left: The book cover of You Are Not a Gadget. Right: The author, Jaron Lanier.

From Amazon.com book review:

For the most part, Web 2.0–Internet technologies that encourage interactivity, customization, and participation–is hailed as an emerging Golden Age of information sharing and collaborative achievement, the strength of democratized wisdom. Jaron Lanier isn’t buying it. In You Are Not a Gadget, the longtime tech guru/visionary/dreadlocked genius (and progenitor of virtual reality) argues the opposite: that unfettered–and anonymous–ability to comment results in cynical mob behavior, the shouting-down of reasoned argument, and the devaluation of individual accomplishment. Lanier traces the roots of today’s Web 2.0 philosophies and architectures (e.g. he posits that Web anonymity is the result of ’60s paranoia), persuasively documents their shortcomings, and provides alternate paths to “locked-in” paradigms. Though its strongly-stated opinions run against the bias of popular assumptions, You Are Not a Gadget is a manifesto, not a screed; Lanier seeks a useful, respectful dialogue about how we can shape technology to fit culture’s needs, rather than the way technology currently shapes us.

The conversation we had on the BBC World Service’ World Have Your Say platform was interesting and touched on many of the new technological influences on our culture & lifestyle.

You may stream the audio below:

Alternatively, you can download the MP3 audio file. *Note: I am featured in the last 10 minutes of the programme.

Is the Internet constraining how we develop as individuals? Share your thoughts in the comment area.

Related posts:

1. West Africa Internet Governance Forum (WAIGF) starts off I’m live at the West Africa Internet Governance Forum...
2. Is Kenya beating Nigeria in Internet Business Opportunities? This blog post is in reaction to The 3...
3. Woes of a Nigerian Internet Banking Customer Scam emails have been circulating the Internet for sometime...
4. Internet Governance Forum (IGF) Accra Remote Hub Participation I am participating remotely in the Internet Governance Forum...
5. Poor Internet Service delivery in Nigeria. The need to take on the ISPs. I do not know why the government or its...
6. Another Fibre Optic Cable Internet Connectivity for Africa It appears Internet connectivity on the African continent especially...
7. iBurst in Ghana iBurst, a mobile broadband internet service has been introduced...

Africa Magic Yoruba and Africa Magic Hausa launched today Monday 1st March 2010. However, this blog post would focus on the journey of how the Yoruba channel came to be.

Africa Magic

There is no doubt that the country Nigeria is a very important market for Multichoice. Being Africa’s largest population and home to Nollywood, it not only offers most of the movies on Africa Magic, but also offers a ready consumer market for the direct-to-home digital satellite TV service called DStv.

Africa Magic had grown from a channel that only broadcasts for a few hours daily in 2005 to the 24-hour channels available today, in four favours:

1. Africa Magic – mainly broadcasts Nollywood movies and some general entertainment programmes, mostly Nigerian.
2. Africa Magis Plus – attempts to cater for East Africa, by offering movies & general entertainment from East African countries as well as from Ghana.
3. Africa Magic Hausa – movies and general entertainment in Hausa language.
4. Africa Magic Yoruba – movies and general entertainment in Yoruba language.

The two factors that must have brought about Africa Magic Yoruba would be demand and competition.

The Demand

Screening Yoruba movies has been a popular move for Multichoice, especially in Nigeria. Yoruba movies are screened on Africa Magic on weekends with at least two Yoruba movies screened on Saturdays and Sundays.

Multichoice soon started screening Yoruba movies on another of its channels Magic World, daily. Perhaps due to more demand, the pay TV provider has now created an entire channel focused on Yoruba programming.

The Competition

Competition exists for Multichoice, in Nigeria. HiTV and DaarSat are the leading competition. Both are indigenous Nigerian services focused on the Nigerian populace. In a bid to better meet the needs of their audience, both HiTV and DaarSat offer Yoruba channels.

HiTV offers Amuludun TV. From hitv.com.ng:

Nigeria’s first satellite 24hours Yoruba Language general entertainment channel. Giving you a blend of the very best of Yoruba movies, music, talkshows and lots more!

DaarSat on the other hand, offers Faaji Television, a Yoruba lifestyle channel.

With the competition offering dedicated Yoruba programming channels respectively, it is only natural that Multichoice being the market leader is under pressure to do same.

In addition to the multiple of Yoruba programming, what makes the idea of a 24/7 Yoruba channel even more feasible is that Yoruba language is the native tongue of the approximately 60 million Yoruba people in West Africa. It is spoken, among other languages, in Nigeria, Benin, and Togo.

Africa Magic Hausa and Africa Magic Yoruba are available on channels 117 and 118 respectively.

Related posts:

1. Africa Magic Plus – Multichoice’s newest channel I have often wondered why Multichoice did not name...
2. CNBC Africa now on DSTV West Africa I was quite excited to see CNBC Africa beamed...
3. New TV Channel for Africa This is interesting. An AFP report: Africa is mulling...
4. GTV on DStv GTV (Ghana TV) would soon be among the list...
5. Ecobank launches Naira-denominated credit card Ecobank Nigeria Limited has launched a Mastercard-backed credit card....
6. Maksi Clothing: A Fresh Fashion House launches in Accra It was a night of glitz and glamour. Last...
7. Multi TV Ghana, a new free digital satellite TV service [updated] Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah, the host of Joy FM’s Super Morning...
8. Why I blog about Africa I recently got tagged by a fellow blogger at...
9. Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana top cybercrime in Africa The verdict is out: Nigeria is still among the...
10. How to add more TV & Radio channels to your Multi TV decoder Before reading, I assume you already have a Multi...

I heard about Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong for the first time a few years ago when he was being interviewed on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show about his skiing efforts. It was an odd story and his dreams of setting-up artificial snow scapes in Ghana sounded unrealistic. I remember some listeners sending text messages that appeared to mock the idea of ski training in Ghana.

Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong (born 19 December, 1974)  nicknamed “The Snow Leopard”, is a Ghanaian skiier and is the first person from Ghana to take part in the Winter Olympics, at the 2010 Games held in Vancouver, Canada,  taking part in the slalom and giant slalom.

Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong training in Italy. Source: ghanaskiteam.com

Kwame, first skied just over six years ago when he got a job as a receptionist at a snow centre in the UK.

Two years later he skied for the first time outdoors on a real mountain in Val D’Isere, France. His talent shone through in some indoor races and that natural skill subsequently took him to competing in FIS races in Europe and ultimately Olympic qualification.

Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong "the Snow Leopard", is sponsored by Paddy Power. Paddy Power is Ireland’s largest bookmaker. Source: ghanaskiteam.com

However, his quest for Olympic glory has been far from easy with limited funds and the nagging concern about the cost of actually competing at an Olympic games.

Considering his underdog status, he has gained a lot of international publicity. I have seen extensive coverage about him on CNN and CCTV9. What makes his story inspiring is that he grew up in Ghana, (spent years in Nigeria and Zambia too) where there is no snow and only started training about six years ago.

He competes tomorrow 27th February 2010 and needs all the support he can get: moral, financial and prayers.

• Website: www.ghanaskiteam.com
• Group: “Kwame’s Army” on Facebook
• Twitter: @thesnowleop

Related posts:

1. MFA 2009: The Mozilla Team I consider myself a strong Mozilla fan and was...
2. Earthquake scare in Ghana. Is Ghana prepared? I woke up to a news report about an...
3. Zain Ghana: How to Pre-Register Your Dream Phone Number Due to the overwhelming interest in my previous blog...
4. Angola 2010: Ghana vrs Nigeria match. Who would dominate? This year’s African Cup of Nations tournament – Angola...
5. MTN Ghana, stop the spamming! MTN Ghana is annoying a lot of their subscribers...
6. Ghana: 50 Years of Freedom Ghana, the first sub-Saharan African country to gain independence,...

I picked-up an MTN Nigeria mobile broadband kit recently and have used it heavily, since then. Find below my review of the service.

The entire kit cost N18,650:

• HSDPA USB stick: N8,500
• MTN SIM: N150
• Airtime: N10,000 (24/7 monthly plan)

The MTN agent asked for an ID and passport photo. As I had no prior knowledge they would demand this, I was only fortunate that I always carried a driving licence and spare passport photos in my wallet everywhere I go, for times like this. Be informed. Also, I was made to sign a fine print containing their terms of service.

The MTN F@stlink modem pack

The device
Branded as MTN F@stlink E156G, the USB stick is essentially a Huawei E156G with the following specifications:

• HSDPA/UMTS 2100MHz – it can connect to just about any 3.5G cellular network in the world if it were unlocked.
• EDGE/GPRS/GSM 1900/1800/900/850 MHz – it can connect to just about any GSM cellular network in the world if it were unlocked.
• HSDPA service data rate up to 3.6Mbps – real life speeds would vary
• SMS service – users can send and receive text messages when using the bundled software
• Micro SD card slot – it can take a Micro SD of up to 4GB capacity and thus double as a USB drive
• Plug and play – there is no need to install software from a CD. The software bundled on the device would have to be installed though, for PCs and Macs.

Before you decide to buy, the device has the following system requirements:

• Windows 2000 SP4, Windows XP SP2, Windows Vista. I am safely assuming it would work well on Windows 7. Also, I got it to work on Ubuntu 9.10
• Mac OS X 10.4 and 10.5 with latest upgrades
• Hardware system should meet the recommended requirements for the installed OS version
• Display resolution: 800 x 600 and above
• Standard USB interface

MTN F@stlink software interface

The software
Branded MTN F@stlink, it offers 7 tabs, namely:

• Connection: this is where the user initiates a connection or disconnection to/from the MTN network
• Statistics: offers a detailed break-down of data usage and includes a graph
• Message: enables the user to send/receive text messages and manage existing messages
• Phonebook: an address book that saves contact details.. Record include Name, Mobile Number, Office Number, Home Number, Email address and Remarks.
• Airtime: enables the user to check and load airtime. It is divided into postpaid and prepaid, to cater for both market segments.
• Internet: a click on this loads the default web browser
• Bundle plan: enables the user to select which of the bundle plans to subscribe to, and check the status of an existing bundle. This service is for prepaid subscribers only. The confirmation is via a text message.

The bundles
MTN Nigeria offers 3 data bundles:

• 24/7 Monthly Plan: this is the ultimate plan from MTN and comes with a 3GB data cap but is available 24 hours every day within a 30 days period. It goes for N10,000 per month. This bundle is ideal for heavy users.
• Nite Plan: this is usable only from 10pm to 5am and also comes with a 3GB data limit but costs only N2,500 monthly. This bundle is ideal for surfers who have a day job and can afford to stay awake all night.
• 24 hours Daily: this is clearly targetted at the occasional web surfer and comes with a meagre 50MB data cap. It costs only N500.

The service
I subjected the mobile broadband service to a speed test at the time of writing using speedtest.net; the following screenshot shows the highest speed I got. Note that speedtest.com used Vodafone Ghana’s server for the test.

A screenshot of MTN Nigeria speed test as taken on 18th February 2010 using speedtest.net

The results shown in the screenshot above just about represent an average of the several tests I carried out. It shows that MTN Nigeria offers a download speed of about 0.43 Mb/s and a miserable upload speed of 0.06Mb/s as well as a high latency of 366ms.

This means, upload heavy data using the mobile broadband service would be a slow experience and making phone/video calls  via the Internet would be less than ideal due to the high latency as seen from the ping test.

The coverage
It is critical to confirm 3G coverage in your locality before opting for MTN’s mobile broadband service for therein lies the key to the advertised speeds. From the marketing flyer attached to the kit:

3G service is currently available in most part of Lagos, Abuja, Enugu, Port Harcourt, Kano, Benin, Ibadan, Kaduna, Onitsha, Aba, Asaba.

MTN also offers an extensive EDGE coverage that is even more nationwide. EDGE which offers a fairly fast connectivity is available where there is no 3G coverage.

The bad
The MTN mobile broadband service was not without hiccups, at the time of extensive use.

• Intermittent disconnections: The service simply went off occasionally and connection could be re-established by disconnecting and re-connecting from the network. At other times, the downtime lasted over an hour.
• SSL traffic: Occasionally, it was impossible to access secured websites. All access to URLs starting with https:// were in possible and thus secured chatting programs like Yahoo Messenger and Skype failed to connect too. This error typically occurred at mid-mornings.
• Not all websites were accessible: Even when the mobile broadband service was at its peak of performance, some websites were not accessible despite repeated attempts. The persistent error message was: “No suitable nodes are available to serve your request.” A work-around this was to use a proxy server.
• The offered data bundles are not very flexible as users’ choices are limited. Heavy users are forced to subscribed to the 24/7 monthly plan for N10,000 even if they would need less than 3GB monthly.
• It is difficult to know the status of usage after crossing the 1GB milestone. Checking your data usage via SMS thereafter does not offer an exact figure of used data but simply states that 2GB has been used. It is thus difficult for the user to know when usage is getting close to the 3GB limit.

The verdict
MTN Nigeria’s mobile broadband service offers high-speed internet connectivity much of the time and is worth buying where mobile connectivity is needed or fixed broadband options are not available provided the user can live with the few annoyances highlighted above.

Note: it is possible to enjoy the broadband service from MTN without buying their F@stlink modem. One could either browse on the (smart)phone itself or use it as a modem. When using the phone as a modem, the user would need the following:

• a 3.5G-capable mobile phone
• modem driver &  dialling software: these are typically provided on a CD bundled with the phone, by the phone manufacturer, or can be downloaded via the Internet
• a means of connectivity the phone to a computer: whilst bluetooth is usable, USB is ideal. Infrared is archaic.
• an MTN data bundle subscription

Backstory*:

• I have used the MTN Mobile Broadband service extensively before buying their F@stlink modem, using Nokia smartphones as modem and have experienced the high speed in Lagos, Ibadan and Kaduna. EDGE worked in Zaria.
• MTN branded complimentary gift items accompanied the broadband kit: a pen and a writing pad.
• I did not have enough time to read the terms before signing and so not sure about what it contains.

*The info in the “backstory” section, are what I considered too trivial to add into the main body of the review but useful enough to share with you.

Did you find this review useful, feel free to share this blog with others. Do you have an additions or questions about this review, add these using the comments area.

Related posts:

1. A review of MTN Ghana Mobile Broadband service With over 7.4 million subscribers as of September 2009,...
2. Poor Internet Service delivery in Nigeria. The need to take on the ISPs. I do not know why the government or its...
3. Nigeria Customs Service website review I came across the Nigeria Customs Service website a...
4. Nigeria: Beware of Fake Nigeria Immigration Service, Central Bank, oil company websites Another common form of cybercrime is phishing. As a...
5. My expectations of Glo Mobile Ghana Glo Mobile is very likely to be launched in...
6. African Mobile Marketing & Advertising Summit 2008 Lagos is playing host to Africa’s first Mobile Marketing...
7. Paypal Nigeria. A request for Paypal service in Nigeria. Paypal Nigeria: How to open a paypal account in Nigeria?...
8. Is Kenya beating Nigeria in Internet Business Opportunities? This blog post is in reaction to The 3...
9. Mobile TV in Ghana A terrestrial digital mobile TV service has been launched...
10. Prepaid Mobile Phone SIM Cards in Ghana to be registered Prepaid Mobile Phone SIM Cards in Ghana to be registered....

We were cruising at an altitude of about  34,000 feet from the coastal town of Mombasa headed for Nairobi when the voice of the Kenya Airways pilot broke into the quietness of the flight. I took it to be another routine announcement but it  turned out to be different:

‘…for those seated on the left side of the plane, if you look out through the window, you would see Mount Kilimanjaro…’

Mount Kilimanjaro, as seen from a flight between Mombasa and Nairobi. Photo by Oluniyi D. Ajao.

“Kili-what? Did he say left side of the plane?” I wondered as I didn’t believe my ears. I was on a window sit on the left side of the plane and it sounded too good to be true but I looked out all the same. Out there in its majesty, stood Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. The same mountain I learnt about severally in my childhood days and have fantasied climbing.

It was such a thrill to have sighted it, albeit from a safe distance & the comfort of a Boeing 767-300ER jet. Since I had my Nikon D60 camera between my laps, I quickly started taking shots of Africa’s tallest landmark.

While tourists on the flight scrambled to the left side of the plane to catch a glimpse, the Kenyans sat on, unperturbed. Obviously, they’re used to the beautiful sight.

Mount Kilimanjaro as seen from the clouds. Photo by Oluniyi D. Ajao.

It stands tall with a little cap of snow atop it. This made me re-think my dream of climbing that mountain. Rather than scare me off, it gives me a more realistic sense of the mount called Kilimanjaro and helps me to calibrate my fantasy of climbing it.

Kilimanjaro, is the highest peak in Africa at 5,895 metres (19,341 ft) and most of it is in Tanzania with only a part of it in Kenya.

As the aircraft gently descends down into Nairobi, I am elated to have seen Mount Kilimanjaro with my own eyes. Not from a photo, nor TV. How many of my peers would have the same opportunity? I thought to myself.

This is an exciting way to end a fulfilling week. I would share some details of the Mombasa weekend thrill, later.

Note: I wrote most of this mid-flight on a smartphone in offline mode.

As always, comments are welcome.

Related posts:

1. Kenya’s Tourism Industry is back & a trip to Nairobi National Park Kenya’s tourism industry is back at full steam with...
2. Erik introduces iHub @ Skunkworks in Nairobi, Kenya I was privileged to be at last night’s Skunkworks...
3. Is Kenya beating Nigeria in Internet Business Opportunities? This blog post is in reaction to The 3...
4. Kenya: Mobile Web East Africa 2010. Free MobileWorld magazines. Nairobi, Kenya – Mobile Web East Africa, an event...
5. 3 ways to fly smart in Nigeria Nigeria’s aviation industry is amongst the largest in Africa....
6. Earthquake in East Africa: Congo DR, Tanzania, Kenya, Burundi affected Earthquake in East Africa: Congo DR, Tanzania, Kenya, Burundi affected...
7. Text2fly.com.ng: Check domestic flights availability in Nigeria by SMS Each time I had a tough time travelling within...
8. Earthquake scare in Ghana. Is Ghana prepared? I woke up to a news report about an...

Mobile Web East Africa 2010 conference photos. Click on the photos for a larger view. Some rights reserved.

Related posts:

1. Mobile Web East Africa 2010 for Nairobi Kenya Mobile Web East Africa takes place between 3rd and...
2. Kenya: Mobile Web East Africa 2010. Free MobileWorld magazines. Nairobi, Kenya – Mobile Web East Africa, an event...
3. MFA 2009: Maker Faire Africa 2009 Photos I managed to take over a 100 photos last...
4. Audio Streaming on Mobile Africa Audio streaming has now been enabled on Mobile Africa....
5. BarCamp Nigeria 2009: Overview, Photos & Videos 25th April 2009 was the day and Tom Associates...
6. Mobile TV in Ghana A terrestrial digital mobile TV service has been launched...
7. Google News for Mobile A few hours ago, I went to news.google.com as...
8. African Mobile Marketing & Advertising Summit 2008 Lagos is playing host to Africa’s first Mobile Marketing...
9. How I found my way to MEST Accra on Google Maps Mobile Meltwater Entrepreneural School of Technology (MEST) in East Legon...
10. Maker Faire Africa 2009: Summary The first edition of Maker Faire Africa was successful...

I was privileged to be at last night’s Skunkworks meeting. The 2-hour meeting held at KCCT Teleposta Towers focused on a new project aimed at physically bringing the tech community in Nairobi & environs together.

The audience included staff from Kenyan Youth Fund, staff from Kenyan ICT Board, freelancers, application developers, 4 members of the iHub project, a journalist amongst others.

Erik making a point @ Skunkworks where the discussion focused on iHub

Erik of Ushaidi spoke at lenght about the new iHub project. The following were extracted from his answers to questions to the audience. iHub would amongst other things:

• serve as an incubator for entrepreneurs, in a secured environment
• offer basic infrastructure
• link Venture Capitalists with potential entrepreneurs
• both open-source and proprietary projects are welcome
• serve as a platform for problem-solving
• focused on techies
• be based on meritocracy, guys doing cool stuff would be given preferential treatment
• host IT-related events and meetings
• bring people interested in tech together, around Nairobi

More soon….

Related posts:

1. Mobile Web East Africa 2010 for Nairobi Kenya Mobile Web East Africa takes place between 3rd and...
2. Kenya’s Tourism Industry is back & a trip to Nairobi National Park Kenya’s tourism industry is back at full steam with...
3. Kenya: Mobile Web East Africa 2010. Free MobileWorld magazines. Nairobi, Kenya – Mobile Web East Africa, an event...
4. Is Kenya beating Nigeria in Internet Business Opportunities? This blog post is in reaction to The 3...
5. Earthquake in East Africa: Congo DR, Tanzania, Kenya, Burundi affected Earthquake in East Africa: Congo DR, Tanzania, Kenya, Burundi affected...
6. Sighting Mount Kilimanjaro We were cruising at an altitude of about  34,000...