By Dwelleth Morountodun
In an effort to curtail the spread of the CoronaVirus pandemic, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Mr. Ibrahim Pantami,
has stated that about 16,000 units of have IP voice and video telephony services have been deployed to provide users secure free voice and video communications over Galaxy’s network using physical handsets and software-based endpoints.
The Minister said that it has become imperative to exercise social distancing as a necessary precaution towards curbing the spread of the deadly and highly infectious virus.
With the disease known to spread primarily through contact with infected persons, surfaces or environments, there is a need for civil servants and the workforce in the country to minimize physical and face-to-face meetings, he added.
In light of this, Mrs. Uwa Suleiman, the Minister’s Spokesperson in a statement said the ministry encourages Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and civil servants to use the federal government’s Unified Communication Services (UCS) platform available to provide reliable and secure audio and video communication within the 1Gov network.
She assures that through one of its parastatals, Galaxy Backbone has provided video conferencing, telepresence and video IP phone facilities in most MDAs within its Abuja metro Fiber network, to provide a smart means of communication and collaboration within the public sector.
Platforms available to minimize the need for physical meetings while performing the day to day functions of government are:
Also, she said, IP Voice and Video Telephony Services: About 16,000 unit have been deployed to provide users secure free voice & video communications over Galaxy’s network using physical handsets and software-based endpoints; and
On video conferencing/ tele-presence services, she said about 120 terminals have been deployed to provide real-time video conferencing for users to meet and collaborate with colleagues and partners across various locations nationwide and internationally.