Nigerian telecommunications companies said they proposed a 100 per cent tariff hike to the regulator, the NCC, across voice, data and digital and are awaiting approval.

The proposal, which has been submitted, aims to address rising operational costs, including inflation and increased service delivery expenses.

The disclosure was made by the Chief Executive Officer, MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola, during an interview on Arise TV on Thursday.

However, the CEO said that it remains uncertain whether the Nigerian Communications Commission will approve the proposal.

According to Toriola, the proposed tariff hike is necessary for the sustainability of the industry, which has been facing significant financial pressures due to rising operational costs.

“We’ve put forward requests of approximately 100 per cent tariff increases to regulators. I doubt they’re going to approve that quantum of increases because they are very, very sensitive to the current economic situation in the country,” Toriola said.

Despite the challenges, Toriola expressed optimism that regulators would make the right decision, taking into account the realities of the sector.

The CEO emphasised that the focus is on ensuring the long-term sustainability of the industry, rather than short-term profitability.

“I believe we’re all on the same side, the policymakers, the regulators, our Chairman of ALTON, Gbenga Adebayo, and the industry. We’re united because we share concerns about a few fundamental issues. First, human rights, are critical to driving any economy. Without a sustainable industry, the broader economy and the well-being of the people will be negatively impacted.”

A top secret lab is developing a super-precise ‘quantum clock’ that could revolutionize British intelligence.

This super-accurate timekeeping device, to be rolled out by 2029, will allow more precise navigation and surveillance on Royal Navy ships and RAF planes.

It will also ‘enhance the accuracy of advanced weapons’ like guided missiles and give British computer boffins the edge over online adversaries like cyber criminals.

The clock’s precision will be so refined that it will lose less than one second over billions of years, allowing scientists to measure time at an unprecedented scale.

It is the first device of its kind to be built in the UK and will be deployable on military operations in the next five years, according to Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL).

‘This first trial of advanced atomic clock represents a significant achievement in the UK’s quantum technology capabilities,’ said DSTL chief executive Paul Hollinshead.

‘The data gathered will not only shape future defence effort but is also a signal to industry and academia that we are serious about exploring quantum technologies for secure and resilient operational advantage.’

Quantum clocks use quantum mechanics – the physics of matter and energy at the atomic and subatomic scale – to keep time with unprecedented accuracy by measuring energy fluctuations within atoms.

Developed at the top-secret Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, (Dstl) the quantum clock will improve British intelligence and surveillance by decreasing the reliance on GPS technology, which can be disrupted and blocked by adversaries

To be rolled out by 2029, the quantum clock will allow more precise navigation and surveillance on Royal Navy ships and RAF planes. Pictured, Royal Navy Duke class Type 23 anti-submarine frigate HMS Portland

Quantum clocks are even more accurate that the ‘atomic clocks’, of which there are approximately 400 already in operation around the world.

The UK already has an atomic clock at the National Physical Laboratory in London, but this quantum clock will be the country’s first.

Nick France, CTO of Sectigo, told MailOnline: ‘A quantum clock is a type of atomic clock – essentially a super-accurate timekeeping device.

‘Atomic clocks work by measuring the resonant frequency of atoms, whereas quantum clocks measure very small energy changes (‘quantum fluctuations’) in these atoms, leading to increased accuracy even over super-accurate atomic clocks.

‘Atomic clocks currently are incredibly accurate anyway, but a quantum clock has accuracy levels where only a single second is lost in billions of years of operation.’

The British quantum clock will be ‘the first device of its kind to be built in the UK’, said the UK government in a statement, but it will not be a world first.

Back in 2010, the University of Colorado at Boulder developed a quantum clock with the US National Institute of Standards and Technology.

However, key barriers to deploying quantum clocks are their size – current models come in a van or in a car trailer and are about 1,500 litres in volume.

Atomic clocks use certain resonance frequencies of atoms to keep time with extreme accuracy. Pictured, atomic clock at the University of Colorado Boulder in the US

Back in 2010, the University of Colorado at Boulder developed a quantum clock with the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (pictured)

Pictured, NIST-F1, source of the official time of the USA

Just like most quantum equipment, quantum also have sensitivity to environmental factors such as heat and air molecules, limiting their transport between different places.

‘Quantum clocks are not small like watches or alarm clocks,’ France added.

‘These are devices that in current implementations can be large, even room-sized devices.

‘However, improvements in technology will decrease the size of these devices making them more portable.’

Apart from just ultra-precise timekeeping, quantum clocks could transform global navigation systems by helping satellite communications and aircraft navigation.

According to DSTL, their quantum clock will enable more precise and independent navigation systems, reducing reliance on GPS satellites, which are vulnerable to jamming or destruction in conflict scenarios.

It will improve communications systems, such as encrypted military networks, which depend on highly synchronised timekeeping, as well as boosting the accuracy of advanced weapon systems like guided missiles, which rely on accurate timing to calculate trajectories and coordinate attacks.

What’s more, British Armed Forces will get an edge over adversaries in ‘timing-critical operations’, such as cyber warfare, where milliseconds can make a difference.

Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is defined by sophisticated, ultra-precise ‘atomic clocks’ around the world, which tick precisely and continuously. Experts are pictured here with the NIST-F2 atomic clock in the US

Cyber warfare refers to the actions by a nation-state or international organization to attack and attempt to damage another nation’s computers or information networks.

France told MailOnline: ‘Super-accurate timekeeping is important to governments and militaries to enable accurate navigation (using GPS or similar technologies) of planes and ships, but also guidance of weapons systems such as missiles.

‘Equally important to the military as well as civilians is secure communications.

‘Much of the secure communications for governments and the military relies on accurate time sources to function.

‘But equally these accurate clocks are useful for more civilian applications and general internet security, even securing your personal data as it’s transmitted around the internet.’

Companies and governments around the world are keen to cash in on the huge potential benefits that the spooky effects of quantum technology could bring.

Google last month unveiled a new quantum computing chip it said could do in minutes what it would take leading supercomputers 10 septillion years to complete.

Eventually, such a chip could power a ‘commercial’ quantum computer that could be purchased by members of the public and used in labs, offices and even homes.

These ultra-powerful machines, which use the spooky effects of quantum physics, could do everything from speed up AI, solve climate changeand discover lifesaving drugs.

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Multichoice has announced that it is giving all DStv customers free access to all channels for 72 hours starting from Friday, 27th December 2024 till Sunday the 29th of December 2024.

It said, “As we wind down the year and celebrate the holidays, DStv is happy to announce that we are making this December one to remember.

According to a statement by the TV operator, customers who have been disconnected can also benefit from the offer.

“From Friday, Dec. 27, to Sunday, Dec. 29, we’re giving all DStv customers, connected and disconnected, regardless of their current package, access to every channel and every show at no extra cost,” it said.

In November, BusinessDay reported that the service had become too expensive for 243,000 Nigerians as its prices have been raised three times in the last 12 months.

Read also: Nigerians berate MultiChoice over declared loss of 243,000 DStv, Gotv, subscribers

According to the firm’s report, the high inflation in Nigeria driven by the high cost of food, electricity, and fuel forced many of its customers to disconnect their decoders and resort to other sources of entertainment.

MultiChoice added however that the seasonal offer is open to all DStv subscribers but excludes GOtv subscribers.

“Whatever package you’re on, connected or not, this is your chance to unlock the full power of DStv Premium and revel in a world of endless entertainment and authenticity.

“For 72 hours, the only thing standing between you and the best in sports, kids’ programming, movies, and local dramas is your decoder. No payments or calls required,” it said.