NCC Spent N500m To Create 10 New ICT Prototypes Research Innovations – Dambatta

The Nigeria Telecommunications Commission, (NCC) Executive Vice Chairman, Professor Umar Garba Dambatta, has said that in order to boost the nation’s technological purview and improve the economic wellbeing of the country and her citizens, the Commission has spent about N500m to create ten new ICT prototypes research innovations across Nigeria.

He noted that with these prototype innovations, Nigeria’s ICT Global Ranking of 117 would in no small time move up while the nation’s economic wellbeing would be viable.

He said this on Wednesday in Kano, during a Regional Roundtable with Academia, Industry and Other Stakeholders, with the theme, “the Path from Innovation Research to Commercialization of viable Prototype.”

According to him, the growing interest in the field of non-contact measurements of Cardiac activities represents a highly interesting topic this results to them in the creation of vital signs monitoring using sparse representation based on smartphone video cameras.

He noted that the Commission, under its mandate, as stated in section 1(f) of the Communication Act 2003 is to deepen research in the field of information and communication technology and encourage the development of viable prototypes of communication-led products which would address the needs of the Industry, foster overall growth of the nation’s digital economy and facilitate the adoption and utilization of indigenous technology.

His words, “the prototype includes a Seamless Data and Voice Connection using Multiple Operators Enabled Sim (MOES) Cards.”

This, he added could be used in rural areas for effective coverages.

He further disclosed that others, the Fabrication of GSM Communication-based walking Cane Robot (GWCR) for enhancing Ambulation, the Project Design and Development of power line Communication Module for Domestic Lan.

This he also said has an application that includes Residential LANs, Internet of Things, Smart Grid, Energy metering, add Smart Homes, Telehealth, Industrial IoT and Smart Cities.

Other Prototypes innovation according to the NCC Executive Vice Chairman, includes the development of Home Grown Electrical Power Charger for Cellphones from Cooking Heat, Development of a low-Cost GSM Telephone system for Rural areas.

He noted that the Commission in collaboration with the Universities also developed another prototype, which is the designing of a wireless power transfer device based on Resonant Coupling for Charging Small CPEs.

The NCC Executive Vice Chairman added that the Commission also designed, and fabricated an experimental characterisation of plastic optical fibre cable and exploitation of its potential in the Nigerian Telecommunications Industry, including the development of a Wearable E-Band Tracking System and implementation of a software-based Nomadic Base Station.