Author: Mfidie

The Ministry of Communication has announced that, from 1^st January to 30^th June 2020, all mobile phone users must re-register their SIM cards to prevent them from losing their existing numbers.

According to the Minister, Mrs Ursula Owusu, this exercise will help reduce mobile phone related crimes such as mobile money fraud, cyber-crime, prank calls, etc.

This will help track down criminals who use phones for illegal activities because persons will only be allowed to re-register their SIM cards with an approved National Biometric Identification cards.

Furthermore, it will help law enforcement agencies to Identify SIM card owners and track down criminals who use phones for illegal activities.

She said, ‘’ SIM registration also enables subscribers to be properly identified for use of value-added services such as Mobile Banking, Mobile Money and Electronic Payment Services. Due to the crucial nature of SIM registration and its security implications for the country, MNOs were required to ensure SIM’s were registered properly before activation on the mobile network to avoid inconsistencies and fake subscriber identity.

She made it known that, even though the previous registration was accepted by law, it is not being enforced due to unacceptable and fake identification cards which were used in the previous registrations.

‘’Currently, there is no solution in place to integrate all the database of Card Issuing Agencies for the seamless verification of identification cards used for registration of SIM’s to be effectively conducted.’’ She added.

She said in addition to the challenges enumerated, her outfit had noted other deficiencies with the existing SIM card registration regime in the country including the sale of pre-registered SIM cards, the use of pre-registered SIM cards and fraudulent registration of SIM cards.

She continued by saying, “It is quite clear that the current SIM card registration regime is deficient and fraught with many challenges, defeating the purpose of the SIM registration regulations. Mindful of this, the cabinet earlier this year directed the Minister for Communications to instruct all telecommunication companies to fully comply with the law governing SIM card acquisition which requires the presentation of a valid ID document prior to registration. we’re clamping down on crime associated with the use of these SIM cards, the Ministry has consulted all relevant stakeholders and thereby announces that from January 2020 we will all be required to re-register our SIM cards, any SIM card that is not registered will be deactivated by June 2020, given a 6month time frame for this exercise.”

Mindful of this, she said cabinet had directed that all telecommunications fully complied with the law governing SIM card acquisition which required the presentation of a valid identity document prior to registration.

Touching on the implementation of the 3% increment in Communication Service Tax (CST) which has been generated over the last few weeks, She said it was wrong for Mobile Network Operators (MNOS) in the century to depart from what was the usual experience with the implementation of the tax.

She, therefore, called on the MNOS to resist from charging the Communication Service Tax upfront and treat it the same way VAT, GETFUND and NHIS levy are treated.

According to her, it was wrong for the MNOS to depart from what has been the usual practice in connection with how the CST was treated.

She said, ‘’ It must be said that from 2008 to September 30, 2019, MNOS has been answering the 6% CST and as far as the subscribers experience was concerned, and they suddenly decided to stop  that practice when nothing has changed apart from the 3% increase in the rate of the existing tax.’’

Startups and small businesses are among those that are looking for the cheapest, yet very workable solutions for their everyday needs. With the advancement of the internet, cloud computing and its associations have become very necessary.

However, startups and small businesses are among those that are still not adopting such solutions, especially here in Ghana.

Cloud hosting simply means the resources that you use to run your email, website and other infrastructure are on a web server or servers which is/are not physically present in your office or a location that you directly control.

Because of this, cloud hosting plans offer a wide range of benefits.

This is why startups and small businesses should use cloud hosting solutions:

Scalability

Scalability should be the biggest reason why startups and businesses should opt for cloud hosting in the first place. The ability to grow without breaking a finger or having to cope with any complex configurations should be the focus of the small business as there are more “pressing needs” to deal with.

Some of the scalability options like that which is offered by Digital Ocean means that business can reverse to smaller plans if there is no need for the additional resources that they may have brought on.

AWS and Google Cloud offer automatic scalability, so all the businesses need to do is to relax and focus on satisfying their customers as their servers may not reach a point where the load is difficult to take.

Increased Performance

Shared hosting (which is the closest alternative for website hosting if you are not considering cloud) is an example of how hosting should not be.

Multiple restrictions and caps make websites slow, sometimes leading to a lot of unplanned downtimes. What’s most annoying is that, on shared hosting, someone else on the same host as you could be causing everyone else to suffer because they are abusing the shared resources.

Hosting companies continue to crack down those who abuse the shared servers but this is largely ineffective because most often than not, the harm (downtime and slow loading sites) has already been caused.

Conclusion

Although setting up a cloud infrastructure for your business might seem tedious, the advantages are so great that it pays to. Do well to contact a cloud computing expert if you need advice.

Paah Paah Paah! Infinix Mobile, a premium online-driven smartphone brand which has presence in more than 30 emerging markets around the world, today announced to join hands with the African Dancehall King; Shatta Wale to rock Ghana with its latest device – HOT 8!

HOT is Infinix’s entertainment series designed for young people who are passionate about entertainment in an interconnected world. Coming in with a 5,000mAh battery, a 6.6-inch HD+ waterdrop display, a triple rear camera, and a DIRAC Sound & Party Mode as the key features, the HOT 8 will allow consumers to enjoy a world of entertainment at their fingertips.

Targeting at the young generations, Infinix has been committed to providing them with devices incorporated with the latest technologies and stylish design. Inheriting Infinix’s brand spirt, the HOT series has been committed to breaking the boundaries of combining the most relevant features in one device, letting customers amplify their entertainment experience in the digital space.

Speaking of the partnership with Shatta Wale, Benjamin Jiang, and Managing Director of Infinix Mobile commented: ”Shatta Wale’s fans are a group of young people across the country, Africa and even the world at large who are enthusiastic about entertainment, especially music and dancing. They are also an important target consumer group for Infinix. By engaging Shatta Wale as the ambassador for HOT 8, we aim to empower this community of young people with more entertainment experience and a world of excitement.”

Under this partnership, Infinix and Shatta Wale will initiate a range of online and offline programs to engage with fans and fuel them to enjoy the world of entertainment with their creativity. Fans in Ghana will have the chance to shake with Shatta Wale to the fullest in exciting offline events. Besides this, fans across Africa and the world will also be able to interact with Shatta Wale through creative brand and product campaigns as well as online content.

Talking about the cooperation with Infinix, Shatta Wale said: “I’m very excited to have the opportunity to work with Infinix. I love the brand’s spirit and HOT 8’s endeavor of empowering young customers, while amplifying their entertainment experience through breaking the boundaries of technology. With the integration of a 5,000mAh battery, a 6.6-inch display and other key functions, Infinix fans will be able to indulge themselves in boundless entertainment. HOT 8’s commitment coincides with what I have been living up to, that is to flame my fans up in the world of dancehall through breaking the boundaries of music and dancing and innovative artwork. In the coming months, I will work with Infinix to make Ghana, Africa and the world dance!”