Emma Okonji
The Federal Capital Territory, Abuja has been described as a region with poor telecommunications infrastructure. The situation is a source of worry to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Muhammed Musa Bello, and the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta.
Both expressed their worries recently when Danbatta led a high level delegation on a courtesy visit to the FCT Minister, to discuss how this could be addressed.
Danbatta listed a number of challenges that have denied the FCT the best telecommunications services, especially with service quality.
He said: “We have come because, we believe that with the progressive style of your administration, these challenges will be resolved for the benefit of the government, the residents and national telecommunications development.â€
These challenges include inability of operators to co-locate because the sites offered for co-location are inadequate and do not suit the technical specifications of the service providers, Danbatta said.
He advised that telecoms service providers be involved in determining allocation sites to ensure that the identified sites meet network and radio frequency standards of all stakeholders.
Danbatta also listed the 2006 fee regime of the FCTA, which still exists and the astronomical rise in fees for building permits imposed on operators by the federal capital territory authority (FCTA).
The others include retrospective FCTA laws that affect telecom facilities, activities of road construction companies in the FCT, delayed approval for installation of base stations/fibre deployments, implementation of National Economic Council (NEC) resolution on multiple taxation, levies and charges on ICT infrastructure in Nigeria as part of the challenges faced by telecom operators in the FCT.
On the 2006 fee regime of FCTA, he said it was agreed at a meeting with operators, FCTA and NCC that the FCTA would meet and harmonise positions on the astronomical increase in fees for building permits imposed by the FCTA.
“This has not been done and operators have continued to receive bills from the administration based on the 2006 rates. Therefore, we request your approval to establish a committee made up of officers of the FCT and the NCC to resolve issues relating to charges to ensure rates agreed are cost based and comparable to what FCTA charges are, for other users of properties,” Danbatta appealed to the minister.
On the retrospective FCT laws that affected telecom facilities, the NCC boss said that any law or policy by the FCTA that affects telecom facilities should not be made retroactive.
“We have observed that the fact that telecom services in the FCT were not envisaged during its initial planning has resulted in administrators approaching telecom facilities as a normal property and visiting them with regulations that should not be applicable. We therefore request that approval be given to all existing BTS in the FCTA except those that clearly pose a danger to its surroundingâ€, he said.
He also told the minister that the operators had complained to the engineering department of the federal capital development authority about frequent cuts of their fibre lines by road construction companies in the FCT. “These frequent cuts of fibres have resulted in total loss of services by subscribers and have added to the problem of poor quality of service in the FCT. Despite the efforts put in by the engineering department of the FCDA to address the complaints, the cuts have continued unabated. Road construction companies should be enjoined to exercise extreme caution to ensure reduction or total elimination of fibre cuts,†he advised.
The FCT Minister however promised that the capital city’s administration would collaborate with the NCC to overcome the challenges.
“Part of our job is to ease businesses and increase investment in the city and the country at large. We will support you in ensuring there is always increase in broadband penetration across the country,” Bello said. He however promised to set up committee to look into all complaints raised by the NCC.
