In a step forward for Abia State’s technological future, Governor Alex Otti has taken decisive action by signing the “Dig Once Policy,” a bold move that signifies the administration’s unwavering dedication to preparing the state for the next phase of technological advancement. 

The policy, now an official document of the Abia State Government, is expected to revolutionize the laying and installation of underground broadband technology assets, enabling widespread access to high-speed internet and other essential public utility infrastructure across urban and semi-urban areas.

The signing ceremony, held at the esteemed Government House in Umuahia, marked a pivotal moment in Abia’s trajectory towards digital empowerment. Governor Otti, in his remarks following the signing, noted the paramount importance of the policy in guiding various stakeholders, including technology companies and construction outfits, engaged in excavation and installation activities. 

By establishing clear regulations and guidelines, Otti emphasized the policy’s role in mitigating losses incurred from the destruction of underground cables and infrastructure, thereby ensuring the seamless provision of internet services to the populace.

“The focus is to make high-speed internet widely accessible to individuals and businesses in ways that support the adoption of smart enterprise initiatives, improved innovation, and expanded access to global markets,” he said, elucidating the overarching objectives of the policy. 

“Our target is the young people who are actively migrating to the digital space in pursuit of new opportunities. This policy will give them wings to fly as high-speed internet services become commonplace in all parts of the State.

“The Dig Once Policy is therefore looking beyond just laying of underground cables and pipes. The goal is more far-reaching as we hope to drive job creation for our young people through this policy, fight poverty, and make life better for everyone, no matter where they live.

“The Dig Once Policy will be our most effective tool of coordinating all excavation and trenching projects along utility corridors in ways that avoid duplication of efforts and also protect our road infrastructure from unintended consequences. Through the erection of underground ducts, service providers can seamlessly deploy their service infrastructure at reduced costs in finances and time.”

This visionary outlook is buoyed by the transformative potential of ubiquitous high-speed internet connectivity in driving socioeconomic development and fostering inclusive growth across the state.

Previously, Professor Kenneth Kalu, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), highlighted that the policy aims to safeguard Abia roads from frequent digging for cable or pipe installation, thus preventing their deterioration.

Otti also commended the collaborative efforts of various ministries, including Digital Economy and SMEs, Science and Technology, and Works, in crafting the policy. This inter-ministerial collaboration denotes the administration’s holistic approach to leveraging technology for economic empowerment and prosperity. 

He reiterated his administration’s unwavering commitment to supporting the burgeoning digital economy and empowering young entrepreneurs to thrive in the digital space.

Furthermore, he elaborated on the policy’s multifaceted objectives, emphasizing its pivotal role in coordinating excavation and trenching projects along utility corridors. By minimizing duplication of efforts and safeguarding road infrastructure, the policy aims to streamline project implementation while reducing costs and time. 

The signing ceremony also saw the inauguration of the implementation council of the policy, led by Deputy Governor Engr. Ikechukwu Emetu. 

This landmark event heralded a new era of coordinated action and concerted efforts toward realizing Abia State’s vision of technological transformation and sustainable development. With a clear roadmap in place, Abia is expected to emerge as a beacon of innovation in the Southeast, setting the pace for other states in the region.

One of the most amazing things about technology is that over time, many things become easier. I saved 100% of the money for my first car (Honda Accord) during NYSC. Then, it was easy to make tons of money buying computer motherboards, hard disks, RAMs, etc and coupling them together for a huge margin. The company, Ultinet Systems, which I registered with within two days of arriving at Jos NYSC Camp found open doors in that city. 

In such, I won the federal contract to lay the structured office wiring of the NYSC secretariat. That was the first time the government paid me. Connecting cables and RJ11 and RJ15 was like a geek-level job. It was like that when I got to Lagos, fixing computers, helping buy devices. Then, they took us out of business: computers became so easy to “install” that geeks were not needed to assemble anything! Today, it is buy, connect and use, with minimal help from any techie.

Yes, the boot diskette is gone and anyone can set up a PC or laptop; they do not even include manuals these days.

That trajectory is also happening in how companies assemble teams and create products: “…Google has made a significant reorganization, including the layoff of at least 200 employees from its “Core” teams”. Simply, the elite teams in Google are now largely plug and play; guys from Mexico and India will do those jobs at fractions of what Google could have paid the American workers! When you add AI into the mix, everyone becomes ordinary. This is how it is going to be in the next few years.

Google needs all the money it can save. The news is that Google’s Alphabet paid Apple $20 billion in 2022  to be the default search engine in the Safari web browser. That is a lot of money just to have a special seat on devices. Google controls 80% of the U.S. search market. Apple generates about 20% of its profit from such payments from Google. If you look at it carefully, this is a circle: Google pays Apple, Google gets funds from advertisers, and sends some to Apple, provided Apple does not allow another company into the party. Apple is happy since it is guaranteed a solid inflow. Government thinks that is illegal. 

Now, with that Apple-Google arrangement on shaky grounds (there is a court case playing with the US government), Google should be worried because if the government breaks that party, Apple will go into the search engine business, and can make its version the default search engine on Apple devices.

One of the most amazing things about technology is that over time, many things become easier. Those days, it was easy to make tons of money buying computer motherboards, hard disks, RAMs, etc and coupling them together for a huge margin. But over time, computers became so easy to… pic.twitter.com/JDz5wwKMfa

— Ndubuisi Ekekwe (@ndekekwe) May 3, 2024

Amid anticipation of its first-quarter earnings report, Google has made a significant reorganization, including the layoff of at least 200 employees from its “Core” teams, according to CNBC.

This restructuring revealed just ahead of the earnings release on April 25, underscores the tech giant’s strategic realignment aimed at optimizing operations and resource allocation.

The Core unit, responsible for building the technical foundation of Google’s flagship products and ensuring users’ online safety, bore the brunt of the layoffs. The affected teams encompassed crucial technical units such as information technology, Python development, technical infrastructure, security foundation, app platforms, core developers, and various engineering roles.

Notably, about 50 engineering positions were eliminated at the company’s Sunnyvale, California offices, signaling a significant shift in Google’s workforce distribution. Many of the eliminated roles will be relocated to Mexico and India, reflecting the company’s focus on expanding its global footprint while leveraging high-growth workforce locations.

Asim Husain, Vice President of Google Developer Ecosystem, conveyed news of the layoffs to his team through an email, citing it as the largest planned reduction for his team this year. He said the company is committed to maintaining its global presence while enhancing proximity to partners and developer communities.

“We intend to maintain our current global footprint while also expanding in high-growth global workforce locations so that we can operate closer to our partners and developer communities,” Husain wrote in the email.

The restructuring aligns with Alphabet’s ongoing efforts to streamline operations and optimize its workforce following a downturn in the online ad market. Despite recent growth in digital advertising, Alphabet has continued downsizing, with layoffs spanning multiple organizations. The company announced plans to eliminate about 12,000 jobs, or 6% of its workforce, early last year.

Chief Financial Officer Ruth Porat announced a restructuring of the finance department, including layoffs and relocations to Bangalore and Mexico City, as part of the broader realignment strategy. During an all-hands meeting in March, Prabhakar Raghavan, the company’s search chief, informed employees that Google intends to establish teams in key markets like India and Brazil, where labor costs are lower than in the U.S., bringing them closer to users.

The reorganization underscores Google’s proactive approach to adapting to evolving market dynamics and regulatory challenges. With heightened competition and a more challenging regulatory environment, the company is strategically positioning itself for long-term success while remaining responsive to escalating regulatory scrutiny and consumer expectations.

In a separate email, Pankaj Rohatgi, Google’s security engineering vice president, told his team, “In order to optimize for our business goals, we are expanding work to other locations, which will result in some role eliminations and proposed role eliminations.”

Google’s annual developer conference, Google I/O, slated for May 14, serves as a platform to unveil new developer products and tools. Against the backdrop of advancements in generative AI, including Google’s Gemini, the company is poised to redefine software development paradigms, ushering in a new era of innovation and efficiency.

The Core layoffs encompass the governance and protected data group, crucial in addressing regulatory challenges ahead, especially as global lawmakers increasingly scrutinize AI advancements. The European Union’s Digital Markets Act, effective since March, targets anti-competitive behaviors within the tech industry.

While the Core layoffs reflect a significant restructuring effort, Google said it remains committed to supporting affected employees through outplacement services and opportunities to apply for open roles within the company.

“As we’ve said, we’re responsibly investing in our company’s biggest priorities and the significant opportunities ahead,” the spokesperson said in an email. “A number of our teams made changes to become more efficient and work better, remove layers and align their resources to their biggest product priorities.”

Pay Paid Apple $20 billion for Default Search Box

From LinkedIn: Google parent Alphabet paid Apple $20 billion in 2022 for Google to be the default search engine in the Safari web browser. That’s according to newly unsealed court documents in the Justice Department’s antitrust case against Google, which heads into closing arguments Thursday and Friday. The feds argue that Google has illegally dominated the online search market and its related advertising. The case has revealed exactly how much Apple relies on those payments from Google, which made up more than 17% of the iPhone maker’s 2020 operating income. A decision is expected later this year.