03:14
The BBA Kenyan Rep came into the country a few days ago. The One Campaign ambassador will hold a press conference today, Wednesday 22nd August 2012 at "The Place" (45 Issac John street) in GRA, Ikeja. 12 noon prompt.
Wednesday, 22 August 2012
Omotola Shoots Reality Tv Show
Omotola Ekehinde is currently shooting a Reality Tv show tagged ‘The Real Omotola’. It will start showing in Nigeria and Uk in two months’ time. The reality show documents her day to day life and reveals what no one knows about her. It promises to be fun and exciting.
VIDEO: M.I Abaga Presents “OKAY” by Ruby
Ruby’s Video for the beautiful song “OKAY” is finally out. It’s a simple poignant portrayal of the struggle love often is: the passion, the pain, the pure madness it sometimes is. And those moments when you realize it hasn’t been worth it, and you’re better off alone.” Directed by Clarence Peters. Download and Enjoy!!
Download Video
Monday, 30 July 2012
Abacha family loses bid to recover $800m loot from FG
The family and 19 close associates of the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, have lost their bid to recover $800 million seized by the Federal Government.
Abba Abacha, son of late military Head of State, General Sani Abacha
The fund, allegedly looted by Abacha’s family, was recovered by the General Abdulsalami Abubakar – led government.
The family and 19 companies owned by the family had gone to the appellate court seeking to upturn the decision of the Federal High Court Abuja, which dismissed their suit, challenging the constitutionality of the letters written by the Federal Government to governments of some foreign countries.
Justice Suleiman Galadima, who delivered the lead judgment recently at the Supreme Court, threw out the appeal saying it is incompetent and lacking in merit.
The money was recovered by the government from Muhammed Sani Abacha and nineteen (19) other companies between 1999 and 2000.
The companies are Juinin Finance, Savard International, Venfold Investment, Sulgrave Holdings INC, Raw Materials Development and Trading Co. Ltd., Technical Management Service Ltd, Allied Network Ltd and Blue Rock Properties.
Others are Barven Holdings, Olmar Establishment, Peltora Establishment, Glotar establishment, KRH Capital establishment, Kurita Establishment, Tadil Overseas, Rike Limited, Warnbeck Holdings, Arwood Overseas and Larberidge Trading.
PHOTOS: Arsenal players take lessons on Azonto dance
Three of the Arsenal First team Players currently in Nigeria, Per Mertasacker, Bacary Sagna and new signing Lukas Podolski were put through their paces by Nigerian Dance Queen, Kaffy on Sunday in a fantastic show sponsored by Malta Guinness.
The energetic Kaffy gave the Arsenal players lessons on several Nigerian and African dance steps, including the popular “Azonto dance” and other routines.
Images: Courtesy of arsenalfc.com
Suicide bomb, explosion hit north Nigeria police
Two explosions have struck two police stations in a major northwestern Nigerian city in the latest attack to target authorities, witnesses said Monday.
Smoke rose over a compound containing a police station and regional police offices in the city of Sokoto Monday morning.
The head of the regional office, Assistant Inspector General of Police Mukhtar Ibrahim said two people had died in the attack, including "the suicide bomber."
An injured man at Specialist Hospital Sokoto who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter said he saw a car race into the main gate of the compound. He was on a bicycle when the blast went off. He said the impact of the blast threw him off his bicycle and that he hurt his hand in the fall.
An Associated Press reporter heard another blast at the same time about two miles (four kilometers) away. Police then sealed off a road leading to a police station. Witnesses said that the station had also been hit.
It was not immediately clear what the cause if that explosion was or if there were casualties.
A Sokoto state police spokesman could not be immediately reached for comment.
The explosions come as Nigeria faces an increasing threat from a radical Islamist sect known as Boko Haram.
There has also been a spate of recent attacks targeting uniformed officers, some of which has been blamed on the sect.
Air Commodore Sani Ahmed, a Nigerian air force official in Kano, said motorcycle-mounted gunmen killed two air force officers Sunday.
The violence follows a Friday night clash in the northeastern city of Damaturu that left a policeman and a soldier dead.
Yobe state police spokesman Toyin Gbadagesin said police blamed members of Boko Haram for the Damaturu attack.
He said security officers then razed a house believed to be harboring sect members.
Witness Yau Zadawa said gunmen killed a policeman in the northeastern Nigerian city of Bauchi Saturday.
He said two motorcycle-mounted gunmen shot the policeman outside his house late Friday after he had closed from a shift guarding a local politician.
Meanwhile, army spokesman Lt. Col. Sagir Musa said suspected members of the Boko Haram sect shot dead a soldier in Maiduguri, a northeastern city 280 miles (460 kilometers) from Bauchi last week.
He said soldiers killed two of the assailants while fighting back.
Security officials are frequently targeted in violence in Nigeria's arid northeast. They have also been criticized for killing suspects in their attempt to stop spiraling sectarian violence
Friday, 27 July 2012
Queen opens London Games
Seven promising young British athletes lit the Olympic cauldron early Saturday, capping the Games' festive opening ceremony in east London.
The torch, which minutes earlier had been on a boat driven by football star David Beckham down the River Thames, had been carried into the stadium by five-time Olympic gold medalist Steve Redgrave.
The retired rower then passed it to the young athletes, who lit part of the outer rim of the torch, setting off a domino effect as fire methodically engulfed the cauldron. The small flames eventually rose and converged into the sky at the stadium.
A short time earlier, Queen Elizabeth II formally pronounced the Olympics open for business, saying, "I declare open the Games of London, celebrating the 30th Olympiad of the modern era."
Organizers had said they expected a billion people worldwide to watch the opening ceremony -- which was created by Danny Boyle, best known for directing the Oscar-winning film "Slumdog Millionaire" -- on television.
Patient vomits live lizards on hospital bed
A strange incident is scaring the residents of a community near the Federal Capital Territory, writes FRIDAY OLOKOR
The residents of Kubwa, a community on the outskirts of Abuja, got the shock of their lives when an unusual incident involving a businessman occurred about two weeks ago.
The businessman, Edward Asuelimen, had woken up in the morning of July 16 with severe pain in his stomach.
“I woke up a few minutes after 5 am. In less than two hours, I had visited the toilet four times. Then I felt excruciating pain in my stomach. It got to a point where I could hardly prepare my children for school,” Asuelimen recounts.
Even his wife was very worried. But he managed to pull himself together and left their home with the children.
Halfway to the children’s school, the pain became unbearable and he decided to get some drugs from a store on the way.
Yet, a few minutes later, Asuelimen barely managed to walk out of the store by gripping the walls for support.
“I prayed hard to get back home. Anybody who saw me at that point wouldn’t have believed that there was something wrong with me,” he says.
He kept praying and fighting the pain raging in his stomach until he got home. He was so weak that he could not step out of his car.
Asuelimen’s wife was alarmed at his condition. She suggested that he should seek medical attention in a hospital after he gasped and said, “Help me quickly, I can’t breathe.”
The businessman had no choice other than to listen to his wife. Eventually, he was admitted at Unity Clinic and Maternity Home, which was nearby.
At intervals, his panic-stricken wife called out his name just to be sure that he was still alive.
“I had never experienced that kind of pain before. I was merely hanging on with all my strength and faith in God. At the hospital, the medical director and his staff were already having their morning devotion.
“When my wife called the doctor and he helped me to come out of my car, the only thing I could say was, ‘my tommy, my tummy’ I was given an injection and somebody stayed with me, all the while praying as the rest continued the morning devotion.
“The Holy Spirit pushed me to speaking in tongues at that point. Not long afterwards, I felt a strong urge to vomit and I did.”
Asuelimen vomited two live lizards in the hospital. The incident however caused consternation among members of the staff of the hospital and other patients present.
“When my wife tried to get something to clean my mouth and pack it, I saw a lizard crawling out from the vomit on the ground. The nurse that attended to me saw another one and wanted to kill it,” he says.
When he saw the lizards, the first thought that struck him was that he had been poisoned. But the pain ceased after he vomited the reptiles. The doctor told him that he had just received divine healing.
“I got well almost instantly. Even I joined the hospital staff in burning the lizards. I went home had my bath and continued the day’s business as if nothing had happened to me,” he says.
The news of the event spread like wildfire. Soon Asuelimen started receiving phone calls from his friends, relatives, neighbours and associates. They congratulated him for surviving a close shave with death.
Eventually, the incident became the talk among the residents of Kubwa. Everybody seemed to be mystified and for some time, they discussed the incident in hushed tones.
The lizards are sstill the subject of debate in the community and the residents are torn between accepting the mystery and waving it aside, since they are convinced that it cannot be proved scientifically.
But Asuelimen says, “I am not a medical doctor, and I know that it cannot be proved scientifically. I know that faith is older and stronger than science. The faith we are talking about is God himself. God is the creator of the universe, so invention and science itself is dependent on God.
“Some things are real and beyond proof. We don’t have to subject God’s miracle and existence to scrutiny. It does not make sense because I know there are many things that God can do, which science cannot prove. I am talking about divine healing and miracles in particular. The fact that science cannot prove it does not mean they are not real.”
The Medical Director of Unity Clinic and Maternity, Dr. Stephen Nwaedozie, confirmed the incident. He says, “When I got to the car, I saw Edward writhing in pain. I brought him out of the vehicle and attended to him. We started praying for him. Not long afterwards, my nurses told me that he had vomited lizards.
“I personally burnt the lizards and poured anointing oil on them and buried the carcasses. As soon as we did that, the man recovered from the stomach pain. He is a child of God and with faith he told them to bring him to my hospital and when he came here, God delivered him. So we praise God.”
Nwaedozie admitted that there was no way science could explain the appearance of the lizards in Asuelimen’s vomit. “If I was not there and it didn’t happen right before me, I won’t believe. So that is why we have to tell the world the truth,” he says.
Pirates attack Agip workers, kill three in Bayelsa
Tragedy has befallen the Nigerian Agip Oil Company as pirates attacked and killed three of its workers around the Clough Creek waterways, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, Bayelsa State.
Our correspondent gathered that one of the deceased, Mr. Hector Abbey, drowned after jumping into the water in a bid to escape from the bandits.
The boat of the workers, identified as MV Terra, was said to have been ambushed by the gunmen when it was heading for the firm’s Clough Creek flow station.
It was gathered that the boat was not being escorted by security operatives when it was attacked.
The remains of Abbey have been deposited at a private mortuary in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, while the driver of the boat was said to be receiving medical treatment in an undisclosed hospital.
The assailants were said to have attacked their victims at about 6 pm on Thursday.
They were said to have double-crossed the workers, who were travelling in a speedboat and opened fire on the driver.
Abey, 42, out of panic, was said to have jumped into the water, but was unable to swim safely to the shores.
While his remains were later recovered later by local divers, two other persons have been declared missing.
The Joint Task Force codenamed, Operation Pulo Shield, confirmed the incident to our correspondent.
JTF’s Media Coordinator, Lt.-Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, said the workers were travelling without an escort when the incident happened.
He, however, said only one person drowned while trying to escape from the bandits.
Oil marketers continue strike despite FG’s promises
Oil marketers in the country are still on strike despite the promises by the Federal Government on Thursday that verified subsidy arrears would soon be paid to them.
The marketers, who spoke to our correspondent on Friday, confirmed that the government had yet to contact them for deliberations.
The FG on Thursday, through the Ministry of Finance, directed the Debt Management Office to pay marketers all subsidy claims that had been verified.
The Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, had said the claims would be paid as soon as the Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency provided the supporting Sovereign Debt Notes. But she did not disclose the total amount to be paid to the marketers.
The minister, in a statement by her Senior Special Assistant on Communication, Mr. Paul Nwabuiku, had said there was no need for the marketers to go on strike since the government was already addressing the subsidy payment issue.
Confirming the position of the marketers on Friday, the President, Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association, Chief Dapo Abiodun, said, “Of course we are still on strike. We have not heard from the government yet. There has been no meeting between us and government.”
He said officially, neither the association nor its members had been communicated to in that regard.
He said, “What we hear are just rumours that we’ll be paid.”
Our correspondent learnt from some members of the Jetty and Petroleum Tank Farm Owners of Nigeria that the government had yet to reach them on the development.
Marketers had said on Wednesday that they were awaiting proof from the government that it would actually pay the claims.
When asked if the current strike would be called off following the promise by the government to pay, they had said, “We will wait until we have a proof of that. Nobody has told us that.”
DAPPMA had said it would wait until the government’s intention to pay the verified subsidy arrears was formally communicated to it.
Abiodun, who spoke on behalf of the association, also said if the development was confirmed, the association might do some reconsiderations as regards the current strike embarked upon by its members.
The Chairman, Jetty and Petroleum Tank Farm Owners of Nigeria, Mr. Ifeanyi Uba, had said before the association would call off its strike, the government must meet its conditions.
He said, “We must have a Memorandum of Understanding with the government on how this business will be run. The government should settle the subsidy claims and design the future of this industry.”
In the same vein, the Executive Secretary, Major Marketers Association of Nigeria, Mr. Obafemi Olawore, had told our correspondent that, “Let the government pay; we are waiting.
“We don’t expect them to pay unverified claims; but they should be fast in verifying all the claims.”
Thursday, 26 July 2012
How PDP chieftain’s sons allegedly defrauded subsidy treasury – EFCC
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday arraigned two sons of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftains before the Lagos High Court over Lagos for alleged fuel subsidy fraud.
The duo was Mahmud Tukur, son of PDP National Chairman Bamanga Tukur, Nasamu Ali, son of the party’s former National Chairman, Alhaji Ahmadu Ali and others, including Christian Taylor, a foreigner.
But, Abdullahi Arisekola, son of Ibadan frontline businessman Alhaji AbdulAzeez Arisekola-Alao, arraigned for two sets of charges before two judges, was remanded in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) till Wednesday when his bail application will be heard.
These PDP leaders’ sons were among the 20 supects who allegedly defraud the treasury of N13 billion.
“The Nation” reported that Tukur was arraigned alongside Alao, Ochonogor Alex and Eternal Oil and Gas Plc. before Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo.
The accused persons are facing a nine-count charge of conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretence, forgery and use of false documents.
EFCC prosecutor Mr Rotimi Jacobs, alleged that they had between January and April, last year in Lagos, fraudulently obtained the sum of N1.8 billion from the Federal Government.
He alleged that the accused persons obtained the money from the Petroleum Support Fund for a purported importation of 80.3 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit.
The accused persons were also alleged to have forged a Bill of lading dated April 28, 2011, which they used in facilitating the fraud.
Jacobs said their alleged offences contravened Sections 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act of 2006.
According to him, they also contravene Sections 467 and 468 of the Criminal Code Laws of Lagos State 2003.
All the accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Justice Onigbanjo, ruling on the bail applications filed by their counsel, Wole Olanipekun (SAN) and Olawale Akoni, granted them bail in the sum of N20 million each with two sureties in like sum.
The judge said one of the sureties must be a blood relative of the accused with a landed property in Lagos worth not less than N100 million, also with a verifiable title document.
He added: “The other surety must be a level 16 officer in the Lagos State or Federal Civil Service.
“The sureties must produce three years tax clearance and they must be verified by the chief registrar of the high court.
“The accused persons are to deposit their international passports with the EFCC, which must not be released without the express permission of the court”.
Justice Onigbanjo adjourned the matter till November 13 for trial.
Ali, Taylor and Nasaman Oil Services were arraigned before Justice Onigbanjo on a three-count charge of conspiracy and obtaining by false pretence.
Jacobs alleged that the accused persons between January and April 2012, fraudulently obtained N4.4 billion from the Federal Government.
He said the money was obtained as subsidy payments from the Petroleum Support Fund for the purported importation of 30.5million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) from SEATAC Petroleum Limited of British Virgin Islands.
The accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges and were granted bail on the same terms earlier granted to the other accused persons.
The matter was adjourned to October 30 for trial.
Alao, alongside his company, Axenergy Ltd., was also arraigned before Justice Habeeb Abiru on another seven-count charge of obtaining money by false pretence, forgery and use of false documents.
Alao, alongside his company, Axenergy Ltd., was also arraigned before Justice Habeeb Abiru on another seven-count charge of obtaining money by false pretence, forgery and use of false documents.
He is accused of fraudulently obtaining N2.6 billion in December 2010 from the Federal Government as subsidy payments for the purported importation of 33.3 million litres of PMS from Ex-MT Gavros and Ex-MT Nippon Princess.
The prosecution alleged that Alao forged a bill of lading dated October 13, 2011, which he allegedly used in perpetrating the fraud.
According to Jacobs, Alao’s alleged offences contravene Sections 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act of 2006.
He said it also contravened Sections 467 and 468 of the Criminal Code Laws of Lagos State 2003. The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge and the judge ordered him to be remanded in EFCC custody, pending the hearing and determination of his bail application on August 1.
The court also fixed Aug. 1 for the arraignment of Walter Wagbatsoma, Adaoha Ugo-Ngadi, Fakuade Babafemi, Ezekiel Ejidele and Ontario Oil and Gas Plc.
The matter was adjourned following the absence of Wagbatsoma in court. His lawyer, Mr Babajide Koku (SAN), promised to produce him in court at the next adjournment date.
Koku said: “We have spoken to him and he’s making arrangment to appear in court to defend the charges against him.
“He would have been here this morning but he has problem with his flight but he promised to get a connecting flight and should be back by Monday.”
Counsel for Ugo-Ngadi, Ebenezer and Ejide, the 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants, Mr. Wale Akoni (SAN), Abimbola Odeyemi and James Ogunyemi objected to the request on the grounds that it would delay the liberty of their clients.
They urged the court to allow separate trials for the defendants so that they could argue bail terms for their clients.
The judge rejected their request, describing it as premature.
Justice Abiru granted the request of Mr. Koku, counsel to the 1st and 5th defendants, for an adjournment.
He ordered that all the other defendants be remanded in EFCC custody, pending when they will be properly arraigned on August 1.
He ordered that all the other defendants be remanded in EFCC custody, pending when they will be properly arraigned on August 1.
FG orders payment of subsidy arrears to marketers
The Federal Government on Thursday moved to avert a nationwide fuel scarcity as it directed the Debt Management Office to pay marketers all subsidy claims that had been verified.
The Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, said the claims would be paid as soon as the Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency provided the supporting Sovereign Debt Notes.
She, however, did not disclose the total amount to be paid to the marketers.
The oil marketers, operating under the aegis of Depot and Petroleum Product Marketers Association, had threatened to go on strike if their claims were not paid by Thursday.
Specifically, they vowed to suspend fuel loading at the depots in Lagos and other parts of the country.
But the minister, in a statement by her Senior Special Assistant on Communication, Mr. Paul Nwabuiku, on Thursday, said there was no need for the marketers to go on strike since the government was already addressing the subsidy payment issue.
The statement reads, “The Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has directed the Debt Management Office to pay marketers with verified claims as soon as supporting Sovereign Debt Notes are provided by the Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency.
“The directive is to reinforce the Federal Government’s determination to ensure that there is no disruption in fuel supplies across the country.”
The statement recalled that payments based on verified claims resumed after a meeting of the Federation Accounts Allocations Committee in June this year, and payments totalling N17bn were made.
It also said, “To prevent overpayments, verification of claims is a cornerstone of the procedures adopted by the Federal Ministry of Finance for managing fuel subsidy payments.
“The minister clarified that following the report of the Presidential Committee headed by Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, it is clear that some marketers also owe government significant sums of money and that government expects that these will be paid.”
The minister also said that the review had produced a lot of useful details on what went wrong with the system and what needed to be done to ensure improvement.
The review process started in February when the Ministry of Finance and other relevant government agencies held a meeting with bankers and marketers at the instance of President Goodluck Jonathan.
This was followed by a session with the accounting and auditing firms to re-evaluate their work.
It said, based on the review, the services of the two audit and accounting firms responsible for certifying the documents and claims of the marketers before payment were terminated.
Subsequently, a committee was set up to verify oil subsidy claims, it added.
The Presidential Committee on Verification and Reconciliation of Fuel Subsidy Payment, in its report, which was submitted on Monday, revealed that 21 companies that participated in subsidy payments were found culpable of fraudulent claims.
The report said that N21bn was cleared leaving N382bn as the sum in contention, the basis for which the committee recommended the process of recovery.
Olympics: Games start today
IOC president Jacques Rogge
| credits: bbc.co.uk
| credits: bbc.co.uk
The eyes of the world will be on London for the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games today with Nigeria taking part in the event.
The ceremony will provide an opportunity for the world to view the culture of the host city and the UK and that of all participating countries including Nigeria.
Certain elements must feature in every Olympic opening ceremony, as outlined in the International Olympic Committee charter and today in London, there is expectation that the hosts will go beyond what the world witnessed in Beijing.
For the London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony, Her Majesty the Queen will be greeted by Jacques Rogge, President of IOC.
A procession of the participating teams will follow which will be done in alphabetical order, after which speeches will be delivered. The session ends with the invitation of the Queen to officially declare the Games open.
A total of 15,000 people will perform in the London 2012 opening ceremony, which will be watched by an estimated audience of four billion.
The Team Nigeria ended its preparation for the ceremony on Thursday with the position of flag bearer changing hands. Instead of Usman Maryam, Boltic Sinivie – a 96kg freestyle wrestler-will carry Nigerian flag later today.
The change came after a meeting held Thursday afternoon at the Games Village. Deputy Chef de Mission for the country, Al-Hassan Yakmut, said the change became necessary after Maryam’s coach suggested that she was better off not playing that role in view of her early competition on Saturday following the opening event .
Yakmut said, “The opening ceremony is going to stretch into the early morning of Saturday and Maryam will be fighting soon after the ceremony. It is for strategic reasons. We don’t want to wear her out in the ceremonies.
“Boltic is not new to events like this. He has been around and has won several medals for Nigeria at international events’’ he said.
The change is limited to that of the flag bearer for the march past. Team Captain remains the same as the Beijing Olympics bronze medallist, Chika Chukwumerije.
Enyimba suspend Eguavoen
The management of former African champions, Enyimba of Aba has suspended the club’s technical adviser, Augustine Eguavoen, indefinitely for poor performance and anti-club activities.
Chairman of the club, Felix Anyansi-Agwu, in a statement said the former Super Eagles coach has displayed unprofessional attitude since the team was eliminated from the Federation Cup in Ibadan by Prime of Osogbo.
According to Anyansi-Agwu, since the team returned to Aba after the Federation Cup elimination, Eguavoen has refused to return to work and his action negates the contract agreement he signed with the club.
“I am confirming that Eguavoen has been placed on an indefinite suspension with immediate effect. He has flouted our contractual agreement by refusing to work and we have no option than to suspend him pending the conclusion of our investigation on his anti-club activities”, the chairman said.
Google unveils ultrafast Internet-TV
Google Inc made its foray into the market for bundled Internet and television services on Thursday, promising access speeds more than 100 times faster than those of traditional U.S. cable and telecommunications companies.
The Web search leader unveiled its ultra-high speed Google Fiber service in Kansas City, Missouri, and could start installations in September, executives said. Google hopes to roll out the service to other cities later.
“Access is the next frontier that needs to be opened,” Google Chief Financial Officer Patrick Pichette said. “We’re going to do it profitably. That is our plan.”
“We are at a crossroad,” he added, noting that Internet speeds had leveled out for broadband since around 2000. “We at Google we believe there is no need to wait.”
Google Fiber’s ultra high-speed connections and television offerings are aimed at surpassing those of current providers, allowing users to search live channels, Netflix, YouTube, recorded shows and tens of thousands of hours of on-demand programming. However, no phone service is available.
“The phone is really a 1940s thing. Why have a landline? It’s sitting there, you use it once every two weeks,” Pichette said.
Google said it also intends to roll out product packages for businesses, but would not provide details.
Google Fiber includes more than 100 networks and costs $120 a month for a package of TV, 1 gigabyte per second Internet speeds and 1 terabyte of cloud storage.
The package includes popular networks owned by major media companies such as Comcast Corp’s NBC Universal, Discovery Communications and Viacom Inc. Premium movie networks are available from Liberty Media’s Starz for an extra fee.
But it excludes several major TV names, such as News Corp’s Fox cable channels; Time Warner networks like CNN, TNT and TBS, as well as Walt Disney Co cable channels like ESPN and Disney children networks.
Google executives said the company is still in negotiations to add more content.
“They need to be able to offer something that is everything people have now and more,” said Ben Schachter, an analyst with Macquarie Research.
“People are going to have high expectations for this. The worst thing they can do is come out and disappoint.”
Google is also offering an Internet-only package priced at $70 a month. The download speeds would be around 1 gigabyte a second, according to Google executives.
Google is charging a $300 installation fee, saying consumers should treat it as a “home improvement” cost.
The initial service area includes central Kansas City, Missouri and all of the city of neighboring Kansas City, Kansas.
This market is dominated by Time Warner Cable Inc, which charges $99.95 for its fastest Internet-only service there. Google Fiber would be 20 times faster.
Time Warner spokesman Justin Venech said the second largest U.S. cable operator had a “robust and adaptable network” and welcomed the competition.
FEATURES AND FREEBIE
Google Fiber includes such features as the ability to record eight TV shows at a time and store up to 500 hours of high definition programming. Users can choose to use a tablet or smartphone as a voice-activated remote control.
Google is offering its Nexus 7 tablet with the Google TV app to early users of the service.
Google said it is setting up a 6-week “rally” for consumers to vote on where the first fiber communities, or “fiberhoods,” should be installed in the Kansas City area.
Consumers must pay $10 to register their household online for service. About 50 “neighbors” will need to register in order for their area to be eligible for installation services, according to Google executives.
Whether or not consumers will embrace the new offerings remains to be seen. But officials said they are confident Kansas City will be a showcase of success for a larger rollout.
“Google is a very different company,” said Kevin Lo, general manager of Google Access. “And this is not a short-term project.”
