STUDENT INDUSTRIAL WORK EXPERIENCE SCHEME

(SIWES)

OFFICIAL TECHNICAL REPORT

(7TH MARCH, 2022- 21ST AUGUST, 2022)

AT

MTN NIGERIA ABUJA SWITCH

BLANTYRE STREET, WUSE 2, ABUJA, NIGERIA.

BY

ATU KENECHUKWU GOSPEL

MATRIC NO.-------- 19CG026409

THIS REPORT IS SUBMITTED TO

THE DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER AND INFORMATION

SCIENCES, IN THE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY

1
 COVENANT UNIVERSITY

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT FOR THE AWARD OF THE

DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (B.Sc.),
COMPUTER & INFORMATION SCIENCE

COVENANT UNIVERSITY, OTA, OGUN STATE,

NIGERIA

AUGUST 2022

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS
DEDICATION..................................................................................................7

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT...............................................................................8

ABSTRACT......................................................................................................9

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION..................................................................10

UNIT I: ABOUT THE STUDENT INDUSTRIAL WORK EXPERIENCE

THEME (SIWES)................................................................................................11

UNIT II: COLLECTION OF SIWES LETTER OF PLACEMENT AND

ENGAGEMENT.....................................................................................................12

UNIT III: ABOUT COMPANY OF ENGAGEMENT.................................14

CHAPTER 2...................................................................................................18

UNIT I: INTRODUCTION..........................................................................19

UNIT II: FACILITIES AND USED IN COMPANY OF ENGAGEMENT..19

UNIT III: FACILITIES USED FOR PERSONAL STUDY.......................26

UNIT IV: QUALITY OF SUPERVISION...................................................30

UNIT V: KNOWLEDGE GAINED ............................................................31

CHAPTER III: CHALLENGES AND CONTRIBUTIONS......................43

UNIT I: APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE TO INDIVIDUAL AND

SOCIETAL DEVELOPMENT...............................................................................44

UNIT II: BRIDGING KNOWLEDGE GAP.................................................48

UNIT III: CULTURE SHOCK......................................................................49

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 UNIT IV: CHALLENGES.............................................................................50

UNIT V: PROJECTS.....................................................................................51

CHAPTER IV: CONCLUSION....................................................................55

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 TABLE OF FIGURES
Fig 1.1 image of email from MTN..........................................................................12
Fig 1.2 old MTN logo..............................................................................................14
Fig 1.3 New MTN logo...........................................................................................14
Fig 1.4 CEO of MTN Nigeria Engr. Karl Toriola...................................................15
Fig 2.1 logo of Pathloss ..........................................................................................20
Fig Image of Pathloss 5.0 being used......................................................................20
Fig 2.3 image of iMaster NCE being used to monitor the performance of a site....21
Fig 2.4 Microsoft excel logo...................................................................................22
Fig 2.5 image of a link cluster being created using excel.......................................22
Fig 2.6 outlook logo................................................................................................23
Fig 2.7 Image above shows how outlook is used....................................................23
Fig 2.8 Microsoft teams logo...................................................................................24
Fig 2.9 image showing how google earth is used to get the distance from one point
to another.................................................................................................................25
Fig 2.10 logo of figma.............................................................................................26
Fig 2.11 Image of a webpage i created using figma ...............................................26
Fig 2.12 Visual studio code logo.............................................................................27
Fig 2.13 Website made using visual studio.............................................................27
Fig 2.14 Starting point of animation........................................................................28
Fig 2.15 Ending point of animation.........................................................................28
Fig 2.16 Canva logo................................................................................................29
Fig 2.17 Image showing satellite communication...................................................32
Fig 2.18 Image of mobile stations/phone................................................................33

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Fig 2.19 Image of base transceiver station..............................................................34
Fig 2.20 Image of base station controller................................................................35
Fig 2.21 Image of a mobile switching center..........................................................35
Fig 2.22 Image showing the relationship of the above components.......................36
Fig 2.23 Image illustrating line of sight and fresnel zone.......................................38
Fig 3.1 Image of supercomputers found in a base station.......................................45
Fig 3.2 Image showing desktop design of website..................................................51
Fig 3.3 Code for desktop design..............................................................................52
Fig 3.4 Image showing mobile design of website...................................................52
Fig 3.5 Code for mobile design...............................................................................53
Fig 3.6 Image showing tablet design of website.....................................................53
Fig 3.7 Code for tablet design.................................................................................54

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 DEDICATION

T his report is first dedicated to Lord God Almighty for giving us life, sustaining
me, my family, and my colleagues wherever they were, and granting me success
and prosperity in all I engaged myself to do in this Internship experience program.

I also dedicate it to my Parents Mr. and Mrs. Sunday and Adaeze Atu for their
continuous support and provision for me all through this IT period. The advice and
information they have given me will never be taken for granted and I pray to God
Almighty that his Everlasting Hand of Grace and Mercy will never be removed
from their lives in Jesus’ Name.

And Lastly, I want to dedicate this report to my colleagues and Supervisors at

MTN Nigeria Abuja Switch for the continuous support and care they have shown
me through my IT. It was truly an unforgettable experience.

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 ACKNOWLEDGMENT

All Praise and Glory Must go to Our Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus for granting me
favour, wisdom, and safety all through my IT period. Thank You, Lord.

I also want to thank everyone in the CIS (Computer and Information Sciences)
department for the opportunity to participate in this year’s SIWES program

And A very big Thank you to everyone at MTN Nigeria Abuja Switch and regional
station for choosing me and handing me an opportunity to undergo my industrial
training in the biggest mobile telecommunication industry in Nigeria even though
there were other people just as or even more qualified as I am but were not given
this opportunity. Thank you MTN

I cannot go on with this report without acknowledging my Industrial supervisor

Engr. Abdulahi Mohammed-Chubado as well as Engr. Daniel Achema, Engr.
Onyedoyin Oluwadare, Engr. Abbas Abdulafeez, Mrs. Osaze Happiness, Engr.
Anas Danbila and all other members of staff for the continuous support and
assistance that was given to me all through This IT period. Thank you and God
bless all of you.

Lastly, I want to acknowledge every single person who contributed to my growth

and professional development in various ways during this period.

God bless you all.

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 ABSTRACT

This report is a summary of my industrial experience at MTN Nigeria Switch

Abuja. It contains information in regards to the collection of my SIWES letter of
placement, submission of SCAF form to ITF office, the recruitment procedure, the
date of commencement, and also the submission of that letter to the place I worked
in.

It also contains some information about my place of work such as the date of
establishment and the number of departments within the organization and their
respective functions. Lastly, this report will consist of my overall engagement and
contribution as well as the values and cultures I learned along the way

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CHAPTER I: INTRODUTION

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 UNIT I: ABOUT STUDENTS INDUSTRIAL WORK EXPERIENCE
SCHEME (SIWES)

The Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) is a programme done

in an industrial attachment where by students of tertiary institutions are expected to
have a practical experience and see a live application of the theories and principles
that they have learned in school. The Students industrial work experience scheme
(SIWES) is a commendable skills acquisition programme which is geared towards
individual development of students all over the nation.

Aims of SIWES

 To equip students with the industrial skills needed for a working

environment while still undergoing their course of study.
 To help students experience the conditions and circumstances found in
workplaces, which can be as close as possible to the actual workflow.
 To prepare the mindset of students who will be ready for any working
situations immediately after graduation.
 To teach students the techniques and methods of working with facilities and
equipment that may not be available within the walls of an educational
institution.
 To give students the ability to try and apply the given knowledge they have
learned in school.

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 UNIT II: COLLECTION OF SIWES LETTER OF PLACEMENT AND
ENGAGEMENT

Recruitment Process:

On the 1st of March 2022, I was invited to an interview where I was asked some
questions in regards to why I chose MTN as the place I would like to spend my six
months industrial Training with them and also what I aim to learn and contribute to
them. I was also asked about the skills I possessed at that time and how I can use
them to the benefit of the organization.

To the glory of God, the interview went very well

Collection of SIWES letter of placement:

About a week later on the 2nd

of march, I was sent the letter
of placement via Email and
was told to report to work as
early as Wednesday the 9th of
March by 7:30 am. Along the
Letter also came some forms
that I had to fill and submit
before that day.

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Submission of SCAF Form to ITF Office:

On Tuesday the 15th of march 2022, I submitted my SCAF form to the nearest ITF
office in my area, the ITF office in Maitama. It turns out that that ITF office was
the only one in Abuja so there was no other option for any IT student in Abuja. As
I went in, I asked the receptionist where I could submit my SCAF form and she
directed me to the 3rd floor of the building. Upon getting there one of the faculty
members asked me if I was here to submit my SCAF form and I told her yes. I
handed my SCAF form over to her and she told me I can be on my way.

Visit from school supervisor:

On the 31st of august 2022 Dr. Adeyinka Adewale, from the department of
electrical electronics engineering, came to visit me in my place of work to see how
I was performing there. He asked me some questions about my experience there
and after that he signed my documents. My industry supervisor was not on ground
as of when he arrived but someone else stood for him in his stead. Dr. Adewale
had a little chat with him about me and was pleased with the response he got about
me. He then took his things and left as he had other places to be.

Fig 1.1 Image of email from MTN

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 UNIT III: ABOUT COMPANY OF ENGAGEMENT

History of mtn:

MTN is a privately owned network organization originally founded in 1994 as

M-Cell. It was one of the first telecom industries ever established in Africa. Their
primary goal was to bridge the digital divide, further financial inclusion, and
advance the attainment of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in
Africa. With assistance from the government in Johannesburg, South Africa, it is
currently the largest telecom industry in Africa and the 8th largest in the world
currently operating in over 20 countries worldwide as of today.

Fig 1.2. Old MTN logo Fig 1.3. New MTN logo

Arrival in Nigeria:

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On May 16, 2001, MTN
became the first GSM
network to make a call
following the globally lauded
Nigerian GSM auction
conducted by the Nigerian
Communications Commission
earlier in the year. Thereafter
the company launched full
commercial operations
beginning with Lagos, Abuja,
and Port Harcourt.MTN paid
$285m for one of four GSM
licenses in Nigeria in January
2001. To date, in excess of
US$1.8 billion has been
invested building mobile Fig 1.4. CEO of MTN Nigeria, Engr. Karl Toriola

telecommunications
infrastructure in Nigeria.

Since its launch in August 2001, MTN has steadily deployed its services across
Nigeria. It now provides services in 223 cities and towns, more than 10,000
villages and communities, and a growing number of highways across the country,
spanning the 36 states of Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja with
many of these villages and communities being connected to the world of
telecommunications for the first time ever.

Details About Company of Engagement:

15
2 Major offices were built in Abuja after it was brought to Nigeria and they were
the MTN regional Office, Maitama and the MTN Switch station in Blantyre street,
WUSE 2, Abuja which was the place I worked in.

MTN Switch Abuja was built in 2003 and currently has about 8 Different
departments within it. It functions as the Central hub of all sites and offices within
the north-central region of Nigeria. Some states that the Abuja Switch covers
includes Niger state, Kogi state, Nasarawa State, Plateau State, Benue State, and
Taraba State.

All site data around the north-central is collected and monitored by the switch in
order to ensure that all of these sites are working in full condition and also
servicing the sites that require repair or improvement. Abuja switch Also handles
the planning and optimization of new sites in regions that don’t have as much
connectivity as some other places. The procedures that are taken when planning a
new site will be discussed within this report.

Student Policy:

Here at MTN Switch Abuja, there is a very strict internship policy that all interns
must adhere to and they are majorly based on attitude, behavior, and organization
while at work. Some of these policies include:

 Interns are expected to maintain MTN values, such as leadership,

innovation, relationship, integrity, and a can-do mindset while engaging in
an activity.
 Interns are to abide according to the provisions of the company’s condition
of service manual
 Interns are to maintain a cordial relationship with their industrial supervisor,
colleagues, and staff members.

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Number of Units:

As stated earlier there are about 8 units/departments within the MTN switch and
each one of them has its due part to play to ensure that all the customer needs are
met.

Some of them include:

 Power unit
 Switch operations unit
 Transmission access planning and optimization unit
 Network Enterprise Unit
 Network Infrastructure and Development unit
 Safety and Health enterprise unit
 Transmission Edge and data unit
 Operations Division

Out of all these the ones I worked with were the Power and transmission access
planning units.

I spent a total of 5 weeks with power but later moved to Transmission access
planning (TAP) and spent the rest of my IT period about (19 weeks in total) with
them since the work that is done by TAP was more in line with the course I am
studying at Covenant University

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18
CHAPTER I: INTRODUTION

CHAPTER II: FACILITIES

AND EQUIPMENT

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UNIT I: INTRODUCTION

Within this section, I will discuss about the facilities, equipment and applications I
made use of during my IT engagement. I made use of a variety of equipment and
applications, some of which I was familiar with and some of which I was making
use of for the first time. Some of the facilities that I used Differ according to the
unit I was working with meaning that there are some of the facilities and
equipment that I used while working with the power unit that I did not use while
working with the transmission access planning unit and also there are some
facilities I used while working with Transmission access planning that I did not use
while working with power. Also, I will discuss about some applications I made use
of for personal study and skill acquisition.

Unit II: FACILITIES USED IN COMPANY OF PLACEMENT:

 Pathloss 5
 Microsoft Excell
 Huawei iMaster NCE network management System
 Microsoft Teams
 Outlook
 Google earth

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Pathloss 5.0:

Fig 2.1. Logo of pathloss

Pathloss is a comprehensive path design tool for radio. The program is organized
into eight path design modules, an
area signal coverage module, and a
network module that integrates the radio paths and area coverage analysis.

Here in transmission access planning, we use pathloss 5 for site planning and link
budgeting.

Fig 2.2. Image of Pathloss 5.0 being used

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Huawei iMaster NCE Network Manager:

The Huawei iMaster NCE network manager is a platform used for network
automation and intelligence, integrating management, control, and analysis. It
effectively connects physical networks with business intentions.

The NCE provides open network Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) for
rapid integration with Information Technology (IT) systems. It accelerates service
transformation and innovation for enterprises by improving the simplicity,
intelligence, openness, and security of networks.

Here in planning, we use the NCE for checking the utilization of our sites in
different areas. We also use it to monitor and optimize our sites and also check if
any error or update has occurred on any of them.

Fig 2.3. Image of iMaster NCE being used to monitor the performance of a site
Microsoft Excell: Fig 2.4. Microsft excel logo

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Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet developed by Microsoft for Windows, macOS,
Android and iOS. It features calculation or computation capabilities, graphing
tools, pivot tables, and a macro programming language called Visual Basic for
Applications. Excel forms part of the Microsoft Office suite of software.

I made use of excel for creating link reports and link cluster reports of our sites in
various locations

Fig 2.5. Image of a Link cluster I created using Excel

23
Microsoft Outlook:
Fig 2.6. Outlook Logo

Fig 2.8. Microsoft Teams Logo.

Microsoft Outlook is a personal information manager software system from

Microsoft, available as a part of the Microsoft Office suite. Though primarily an
email client, Outlook also includes such functions as calendaring, task managing,
contact managing, note-taking, journal logging and web browsing. Individuals can
use Outlook as a stand-alone application; organizations can deploy it as multi-user
software (through Microsoft Exchange Server or SharePoint) for such shared
functions as mailboxes, calendars, folders, data aggregation (i.e., SharePoint lists),
and appointment scheduling. I use outlook to communicate with my supervisor and
colleagues efficiently and also exchange files and information with them also.

Microsoft Teams:
Fig 2.7. The Image Above shows how outlook is used

24
Microsoft Teams is a proprietary business communication platform developed by
Microsoft, as part of the Microsoft 365 family of products. Teams primarily
compete with the similar service Slack, offering workspace chat and
videoconferencing, file storage, and application integration. Teams is replacing
other Microsoft-operated business messaging and collaboration platforms,
including Skype for Business and Microsoft Classroom.

I use teams to attend meetings and conferences held once in a while.

Google Earth Pro:

Google Earth is a computer program that renders a 3D representation of Earth

based primarily on satellite imagery. The program maps the Earth by
superimposing satellite images, aerial photography, and GIS data onto a 3D globe,
allowing users to see cities and landscapes from various angles.

I made use of google earth to locate the distance between a site and another site or
particular landmark.

25
Fig 2.9. image showing how I used Google earth to get the distance from one point to another

26
Unit III: FACILITIES USED OF FOR PERSONAL STUDY:

 Visual Studio code

 Figma
 Canva

Figma:

Fig 2.10. Logo of Figma.

Figma is a collaborative web application for

interface design, with additional offline features enabled by desktop applications
for macOS and Windows. The Figma mobile app for Android and iOS allows
viewing and interacting with Figma prototypes in real time on mobile and tablet
devices.

I made use of Figma for UX and UI development for applications and websites.

Fig 2.11. Image of a webpage I created with figma

27
Visual Studio Code:
Fig 2.12. Visual Studio Code Logo

Visual Studio Code, also commonly referred to as VS Code is a source-code editor

made by Microsoft for Windows, Linux and macOS. Features include support for
debugging, syntax highlighting, intelligent code completion, snippets, code
refactoring, and embedded Git.

I made use of visual studio code to implement the websites I design using Figma
ad turn them into code form to make them interactable. Below is an image showing
a website I implemented using Visual studio code.

Fig 2.13. Website made visual studio code

also made use of visual studio code for styling and animation in CSS. Below is an
image showing a simple animation I created using CSS.

28
Fig 2.14. Above is the starting point of the animation

Fig 2.15. Above is the ending point of the animation

29
Canva:
Fig 2.16. Canva Logo

Canva is an Australian graphic design platform, used to create social media

graphics, presentations, posters, documents, and other visual content. The app
includes templates for users to use. The platform is free to use and offers paid
subscriptions such as Canva Pro and Canva for Enterprise for additional
functionality.

I made use of canvas for creating very interesting and professional presentations
and flyers. I also used Canva for creating thumbnails for youtube videos.

30
 UNIT IV: QUALITY OF SUPERVISION

My supervision from Engr. Muhammad Chubado was very well done and very
successful. While studying under him I was able to learn a lot of things about
power, which was the unit he was in charge of and the one I was originally
assigned to despite power and electricity management not being within my field of
study, before moving to Transmission access planning (TAP). He taught me about
the work that power as a unit in the Switch does and why they are so important in
the switch.

With Transmission Access Planning:

After leaving Power, my supervision switched from Engr. Chubado to

Engr.Daniel Achema of the Transmission Access Planning (TAP) department
however Engr. Chubado remained my industrial supervisor. Under Engr. Daniel, I
was able to learn how sites are planned and optimized also I was shown the many
facilities and applications that are used in planning and optimizing sites remotely
without the need of traveling to the locations these sites are located or are to be
built.

He also showed me how to determine the frequency bandwidth required by a

telecom device based on its capacity and distance from other sites. I also learned
what many telecom devices are used for and also how they are used.

31
 UNIT V: KNOWLEDGE GAINED

Over the 6 months spent at MTN switch Abuja I was able to learn about the history
behind telecommunication and the mechanisms behind it.

Telecommunication is the transmission of information in the form of signals from

one point to the other over a duplex node medium (Duplex in the sense that it can
both transmit and receive information). This medium consists of a transceiver, a
receiver, an encoder, and a decoder.

The transmitter is used to transmit/send signals from point A to point B. you can
compare it to the mouth of a human being used to talk to others.

The receiver is used to receive the signals sent by a transceiver. It is similar to the
ear of a human being.

The encoder receives the signal collected by the receiver and transforms it into
binary code (0s and 1s).

And the decoder of handles the interpretation and translation of encoded

information into a comprehensible form.

In a radio transceiver, as the transmitter transmits the signals, the receiver will be
silenced. An electronic switch lets the transmitter & receiver to be coupled to the
similar antenna so that the transmitter can be protected from damage of the
receiver.

The transmitter & receiver operate on different frequencies so that the transmitter
signal does not interfere with the receiver. This kind of operation is used in
cordless & cellular phones.

Satellite communication networks frequently use full-duplex transceivers on the

subscriber points based on the surface. The transceiver to satellite or transmitted

32
signal is known as the uplink, whereas the satellite to the transceiver or received
signal is known as the downlink.

Fig 2.17. Image showing satellite communication

Examples of such mediums used in transmission include:

1. Microwave sites
2. Fiber sites
3. Satellites
4. Copper wire transmission (this one is very much outdated)

The mechanism behind making a phone call:

Have you ever thought about what goes on behind the scenes of making a phone
call? Have you ever thought about the mechanisms and processes that are put in
place before you are able to call someone using your phone? Well, in this section I
am going to show just exactly what goes on when a phone call is made.

33
The first thing we need to identify are the technological equipment/devices that are
involved when a phone call is made. Such equipment includes the:

 MSC (mobile switching center)

 BSC (Base station controller)
 BTS (Base transceiver station)
 HLR (home location register)
 VLR (Visitor location register)
 MS (Mobile Station)

MS (Mobile station):

Fig 2.18. Image of mobile phones

The mobile station or simply the mobile phone consists of 2 major components
which are:

1. The mobile equipment (hardware): this comprises of the various processors,

the screen, the storage, the internal radios (wifi, Bluetooth, and cellular or
mobile data), the battery, the camera, etc.
2. SIM (Subscriber identity module) card: this is what technically makes your
phone yours. It contains your name, National identity number (NIN) social

34
 security number, of course, your phone number, and, maybe in the later
future, your account details.

BTS (Base transceiver station):

Fig 2.19. Image of a base transceiver station

The base transceiver station (BTS) is a piece of equipment that facilitates wireless
communication between the mobile station and the network. They are the network
towers you see everywhere on the road.

BSC (Base station controller):

As the name suggests the base station controller is a computer that controls base
transceiver stations as well as mobile stations.

35
 Fig 2.20. Image of Base station controllers (BSC).

MSC (mobile switching center):

The mobile switching center (MSC) is a supercomputer that is responsible for

setting up telephone calls and text messages. It also acts as a tracker for the mobile
phone monitoring which location it visits in the network at each point in time. The
MSC also notifies the mobile station if the line it wants to call is available at the
moment or if it is switched off. It also notifies the mobile station if it has sufficient
balance to make a call or send a message. And lastly, it provides an option to
borrow/buy airtime or data to make a quick call, send an SMS, or possibly just use
the internet.

Fig 2.21. Image of a Mobile switching center (MSC).

36
HLR (home location register):

The home location register is the master database that contains all information of
the subscribers of a particular network like MTN, Glo, Airtel etc. It connects to the
MSC via the use of a user network interface that carries signaling information
between the 2 nodes. This user–network interface (UNI) acts as a demarcation
between the responsibility of the service provider and the responsibility of the
subscriber.

VLR (Visitor location register):

The Visitor Location Register (VLR) is a database that is linked to an MSC. All
mobile devices currently being controlled by that MSC are recorded in the VLR.
The VLR is also used to maintain the data required for mobility management.

Below is an image showing the relationship of the above components

Fig 2.22. Image showing the relationship of the above components.

37
Now that we have all the pieces in place, the process of making a phone call is as
follows:

In mobile phones, the microchip in the phone modulates a radio wave using the
electrical signal. The radio wave travels through the air to the BTS; the BTS then
sends that signal to the BSC which then processes that signal and sends the data
obtained to the MSC which then fetches the necessary data from the HLR, routes
that voice call or SMS to the receiver before the entire process is reversed so that
the person on the other end can hear your voice.

Other things I was able to learn include:

 How a site is planned

 How it is monitored and optimized

Before we go deeper into this discussion, I would like to highlight a few terms
associated with transmission. They include:

 Azimuth
 Fresnel zone
 Attenuation
 LOS (line of sight)
 Interference

Azimuth:

Azimuth is the horizontal angular measurement of an object in a spherical

coordinate system. We use a compass to determine the azimuth of a site to another
site or any other area in general.

Line of sight (LOS):

38
the line between two points specifically the unobstructed straight-line path between
a transmitting antenna and a receiving antenna.

Fresnel zone:

The Fresnel Zone or fresnel radius is the area around the visual line-of-sight that
microwaves spread out into after they leave the antenna. You want a clear line of
sight to maintain signal strength. We usually make our site towers to be much taller
than the buildings and trees near them to avoid problems with the LOS or Fresnel
zone.

Fig 2.23. Image illustrating line of sight and Fresnel zone

39
Attenuation of A signal:

Attenuation is the gradual reduction in the strength of a signal. Attenuation occurs

with any type of signal, whether digital or analog. Sometimes called loss,
attenuation is a natural effect of signal transmission over long distances

Interference:

Interference is a disturbance generated by an external source that affects an

electrical circuit by electromagnetic induction, electrostatic coupling, or
conduction.

Process of planning a site:

There are some factors and conditions that have to be taken into account when
planning a site and these include:

 The height of the site tower

 Network capacity
 Location of the site

1. Height of the site tower:

It is very important that the tower of the site you want to plan is tall enough
to tower over nearby trees and buildings in order to prevent interference of
the signal. A site must be high enough so that the LOS between that site and
a nearby site can be visible.

40
 To get the height of a site in a particular location you have to first get the
height of the tallest building in the path of the site after that you estimate
how tall you want that site to be and take record of it.

2. Network capacity:
The minimum capacity used for a site is about 200mbps (megabyte per
second) for a microwave site and 1000mbps for a fiber site. Currently, we
are working to implement 5G transmission on our sites which would
increase the capacity of our microwave sites from 200mbps to 5gbps and our
fiber sites from 1000mbps to 10gbps. The capacity of each site is based on
the supplier of the microwave radio used in that site. We have 2 major
suppliers of our microwave radios and they are Chinese tech company
Huawei and Swedish telecom agency Ericsson.
3. Location of a site:
The location of where you want to plan a site determines what kind of site
will be put there. For example, if the place you want to put a site in is
sparsely populated like a village it is advisable that you make use of a
microwave site in such a location since microwave sites cost cheaper than
fiber sites. However, in areas that are densely populated it is very advisable
that you make use of a fiber site in such a location. Although fiber sites are
more expensive, they have much higher capacity and thus can accommodate
higher traffic in areas of very high population like metropolitan cities, and
estates

When all of the above factors have been considered, we then use a program called
pathloss 5 to carry out the planning process. Upon completion of the planning of

41
the site, we then hand over our results to the NID (Network infrastructure and
development) team to carry out the physical implementation and deployment of
those sites

Optimization of a site:

After a site has been planted, we then check the Huawei iMaster NCE to confirm
that the site is up and running from there we can then monitor that site, check for
updates made on the site, and also observe the utilization of that site and the links
attached to that site in various locations.

Inter personal Knowlegde gained

The essence of teamwork:

I have had many experiences of being in a group and having to work together with
the people there to achieve a common goal but never have I ever had to work
actively with colleagues in a workplace to complete an objective that is very vital
to the accomplishment of the company expectations before. I found myself
participating along with my fellow colleagues and seniors in the office in very
expensive and mind-tasking projects.

Precision and accuracy over Speed:

There were times when I was told not to rush the work I was given but rather I was
to take my time and ensure that I do the work properly and accurately. The reason
why I was told this was because the work I was given was so important that if I

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rushed that work and made mistakes, I would have to start that entire work again as
a single mistake can change the result of the entire assignment I was given.

Relationship with colleagues and seniors in the office:

I was able to relate very well with my colleagues and seniors in my workplace and
form good bonds with them. We had a lot of activities in the office where we
would always celebrate each other if it was someone’s birthday and we also
celebrated each other when we had a promotion lastly, we celebrated each other
when we were leaving the workplace for somewhere better. There were also many
get-together activities where colleagues both at the switch and at the regional
office in Maitama would meet up with each other, share information and render
assistance in any way they can to further company plans and objectives. A good
relationship with my colleagues in the office made communication much easier for

me and that improved working conditions. It is important to know your colleagues

beyond the workplace.

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CHAPTER III: CONTRIBITUIONS AND
CHALLENGES

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 UNIT I: APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE GAINED TO INDIVIDUAL
AND SOCIETAL DEVELOPMENT

In this section, I will discuss how the knowledge I gained while undergoing my
industrial training at MTN Nigeria affected me as a computer science student and
also how it affected societal development. I will also highlight some relations
between what I learned in school and what I learned here at MTN.

Application of Knowledge in educational career:

The knowledge I gained while working with MTN was not really coding-related
rather it was more computing, hardware, and problem-solving-related. I was able
to corroborate a few aspects of the knowledge I gained while working here in a
telecommunication industry like MTN with some aspects of some topics I learned
in school. Some of them include:

Distributed computing:

I was able to recognize some applications of distributed computing in the

telecommunication process. I can recall from CSC 216 that distributed computing
is a form of computing that involves the study of information systems in which the
data and processing are spread over multiple computers in a network where those
computers send information from one point to another.

How does this relate to telecom you wonder?

Well, similar to how a distributed system is made up of multiple computers, a

telecommunication network is made up of multiple base stations and within each
base station is a set of supercomputers that each carry out their own processing and
transfer information from one point to another in this case either to another base
station or to a hub computer called the MSC (Mobile switching center).

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 Fig 3.1. Image of the supercomputers found in a base station ).

Problem-solving: In courses CSC214 and CSC317 I learned about system analysis

design and implementation. While working in the transmission access planning
department, I noticed that the work we do here actually uses the processes involved
in the system development life cycle. The processes/stages involved in the SDLC
include:

 Planning
 Analysis
 Design
 Implementation
 Control and management

In this section, I will show just how the work we do here in the transmission access
planning unit takes root in the problem-solving approach represented by the system
development life cycle (SDLC)

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1. Planning: The planning stage involves the confirmation of the feasibility of
a project and the allocation of funds. Here in the planning unit, before we
begin planning a site, we have to consult our contractors at the Nigerians
communications commission (NCC) who will give us the guidelines and
instructions on how we should go about planning a site.

2. Analysis: the analysis stage involves gathering information, setting the

requirements, getting a list of possible solutions and picking the best one.
Some information we need to know before planning a site includes:

 The location where that site will be built

 The height of the buildings and trees within the location
 The Network capacity

In most cases, we would have to make use of google earth to have a

clear picture to get additional information about the area where we want
to plant that site

3. Design: the design of the site is based on the results of the analysis stage.
Properties like the height of the site, the frequency, and the site coordinates
of the site are all designed in this phase. The design of a site can be created
with the help of a special program called pathloss 5.
4. Implementation: in this stage, we hand over the results of the design to the
network implementation and development (NID) unit that perform the
physical development of the site in the location where it is supposed to be.
5. Control and management: after the NID unit has planted and launched the
site we make use of a program called the Huawei iMaster NCE network

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 manager to monitor the performance of the site and check for any errors
crashes or updates that occur while the site is active.

Other applications of knowledge within the field of computer science includes:

 Organization and Architechture

 Data structures

Application of knowledge on Company goals and objectives:

The Number one goal all the executives, managers, and employees at MTN had
their eyes on (at least while I was there) was the full establishment of 5G
transmission. I am proud to say that due to all the hard work from everyone in
every branch of MTN in Nigeria, 5G transmission will finally commence and be
put to use. It will first launch in Lagos and Port-Harcourt and later it will come
over to the northern states starting with Abuja and Kano before it spreads over to
the extreme northern states like Katsina, Sokoto and the likes.

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Application of knowledge on societal development:

MTN’s adoption and launch of 5G networks will significantly boost Nigeria’s

socioeconomic ecosystem. 5G will propel the nation’s ambitions for smart city
development, smart transportation, and digitalized healthcare while also boosting
industrial automation across the nation.

It is important to note that the seventh pillar of Nigeria’s National Digital Economy
Policy and Strategy (NDEPS), which is on Digital Society and Emerging
Technologies, has heavily emphasized that digital technologies would play a
crucial role in the growth of Nigeria’s economy. Now, with MTN’s new
implementation of 5G in Nigeria, enabling digital technologies like Artificial
Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) is now possible and this is sure to
help the nation realize its digital development agenda for the future.

UNIT II: BRIDGING THE GAP IN KNOWLEDGE

Being a computer science student working in a telecom firm not just any telecom
firm but the largest telecom firm in Nigeria and in Africa was a rather interesting
and exciting experience for me. Working with MTN actually made me understand
that computer science is much more than programming and coding, as a matter of
fact, computer science as a course is made up of 4 other sub-courses like

 Theoretical (parallel and distributed) computing,

 Statistical computing
 some aspects of hardware like computer organization and architecture,
 database management,
 and lastly programming and design

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Telecom does not really make use of programming or coding in its field but it does
make use of some aspects of the other aspects of computer science like theoretical
computing and hardware.

UNIT III: CULTURE SHOCK

I don’t recall having a culture shock during my internship as a matter of fact I was
received warmly in a kind embrace. Everyone treated me so kindly like I was their
little brother and it really meant a lot to me. Adjusting to the rules of the
organization was relatively easy for me you don’t have to read a long hand book to
understand how things work in MTN.

Observations:

I must also highlight some observations I made while working with MTN. There
were a lot of things that really stood out to me while I worked at MTN and I will
highlight some of them in this section.

The first thing I noticed while working here was the being the indifference of
personnel in the work environment. I could not recall a time when someone was
discriminated for being lower in rank than others. If you were a visitor coming to
MTN you would not be able to distinguish between a normal employee and a
manager because everyone relates with each other like close friends.

Another thing I noticed was how lively the place was during work hours. We have
some really funny people here in MTN and every day has a new topic of
discussion.

There were some other things I noticed while working here and they include.

 Sharing of ideas and contributions

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  No room for laziness
 No room for lateness
 Healthy working conditions

UNIT IV: CHALLENGES

Meeting Deadlines:

There were times when I had to carry out a site clean-up and I was to submit that
work latest on Friday as that was when the deadline was, keep in mind that I was
given the work on a Tuesday. I had to stay up at night at some point to ensure that
the work I was given was completed and submitted for review before it will
eventually be submitted to NCC for approval and verification

Inaccuracy of values:

There were many scenarios when I was given work that contained incorrect or
inaccurate values and I had to manually extract those values from the source file
before I could carry on with the work I was given. For instance, there was a time I
had to create ring cluster reports for some of our sites in particular areas and the
data sheet I was to use to create those clusters had in accurate or missing data
within them. What I had to do to solve this was to get the google earth file where
that data was extracted from and manually extract the data out from there before I
could finally con

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UNIT V: PROJECTS

In this section, I will discuss a few projects that I made when carrying out some
personal study over the 6 months IT period. One of them was a website I made
using Figma and visual studio code. I used Figma to design the website and visual
studio code to turn that design into an interactable web application.

One special feature I added to this website was responsivity and animation.
Responsivity is a term used to describe a website that is responsive to the device it
is being used on.

Fig 3.2. Image showing desktop design for website.

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Fig 3.3. Desktop code.

Fig 3.4. Image showing mobile design for website .

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Fig 3.5. Code for mobile design .

Fig 3.6. Image showing tablet design for website .

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Fig 3.7. Code for tablet design .

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CHAPTER IV: CONCLUSION

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UNIT I: CONCLUSION

My experience at MTN SWITCH was a very blissful one and one I will cherish for
a very long time. Everybody really treated me like one of their own, MTN is more
like a family than an organization. I’m still surprised how everyone treated each
other in this corporation, so calmy and brotherly-like. You meet someone for the
first time and you bond like you’ve known each other for years. Truly, you can’t
find a relationship like that in any other industry. It is no wonder they are the best
telecom company in Nigeria, Africa, and one of the best in the world. I really look
forward to seeing everyone once again from my supervisor to all my colleagues
and managers to even the security members.

God bless you all.

References

Information about SIWES:

https://www.siwes.itf.gov.ng/Identity/LandingPage/About

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