OTT: Look elsewhere for more profits, group tells telcos

The Open Source Foundation for Nigeria (OSFON) has told the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) in the country to look elsewhere in effort to balance their books, instead of tinkering of how to block Nigerian telecom consumers from Over-The Top (OTT) platforms.

OTT refers to content from a third party that is delivered to an end-user, with the Internet Service Provider (ISP) basically transporting Internet Protocol (IP) packets.

OTT includes audio, video, and other media content delivered over the Internet without the involvement of a multiple-system operator (MSO) in the control or distribution of the content, which include WhatsApp, Skype and other Instant Messaging services as well as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).

OSFON’s National President, Mr. Dele Ajisomo, called for caution, noting that the news reports that MNOs are lobbying the government through the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in efforts to block the usage of OTT platforms among Nigerians, negates the values embedded in openness of technologies which paves the way for network neutrality.

According to him, the principle of network neutrality is that Internet service providers should enable access to all content and applications regardless of the source, and without favouring or blocking particular products or websites.