Where's That Invented Sim-less, Credit-Free Phone? (Technology)
Maintaining a cellphone is becoming an expensive acquisition nowadays.
Though, obtaining a cellphone in Nigeria started out being very expensive. In 2002, it costs N18,000 to purchase an Econet sim, and N20,000 to get its MTN equivalent. That's minus purchase of a cellphone to operate the sim. The cheapest phone in Nigeria then was Sagem at N10,000. And, it was a per.mijute billing of N50 per minute.
Later, GlLO's entrance into.the telcos marker crashed the price to over second billing, not minute and almost literally gave its sins away for free.
That's the Golden Era of telcos in Niger.is.
With the advent of internet services and smartphones, cellphones added new functions of as messing the Internet at a cost.
This use to be cheap. But, its cost has spiked in recent years to an all time high in 2025.
Petrus, middle, with his innovative phone invention in 2016. (C)Google
So, how joyous it was when reports filtered in that a teenager in, Namibia, Simon Petrus, invented a phone that operates with radio frequencies, requires no sim card and zero airtime credit to make calls.. Calls can be made to anyone, anywhere, without interruptions.
Even though the inventory is a Namibia but Nigerians also rejoiced because it is a certainty that such invention would definitely make its way to Nigeria eventually.
But, exactly ten years after this invention, it has not translated to getting o patent or got interest from investors. It remains the result of a 2016 science class assignment till date.
It is not unconnected to the fact that several telcos would be put out of business if the invention gets patented for mass production. According to Big Business across the world, this must not happen.
So, the invention remains just that. An invention.
Comments