NCC to Intensify Broadband Deployment

NCC to Intensify Broadband Deployment

Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano

The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigeria Telecommunications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Dambatta, has disclosed the commission’s resolve to ensure that the country is fully captured in the broadband deployment programme geared towards enhancement of socio-economic development through telecommunication technology.

According to him, the tremendous capacity of broadband services in Lagos was not being felt in the hinterlands, pointing out that there was urgent need to cover areas where the broadband services have not reached for the benefit of people who are resident outside major cities.

Dambatta, who stated this in Kano, during the first-leg of Broadband Engagement Forum for stakeholders in the north, said already the country have been divided into seven zones, namely, north-west, north-east, north-central, south-south, south-east, south-west and Lagos zones, to ensure effective and equitable broadband service deployment.

He explained that already, NCC had set up an Implementation Monitoring Committee, not only to monitor the establishment of the broadband infrastructure project, but to also ensure adequate sensitisation of all stakeholders, and as well, proffer solutions to challenges of broadband deployment such as payment of taxes and right-of-way.

Dambatta, who highlighted the benefits of broadband services, noted that there would be gradual transformation in the area of health, education, transportation, socio-economic development, as well as transparency and openness in governance.

He further noted that the implementations of the broadband project would certainly impact positively on the lives of Nigerians, adding that with broadband services, Nigeria can join the league of the 20 most powerful countries by the year 2020.

He said all the dedicated zones were expected to achieve the broadband implementations not below 1.5 megabytes requirements, because the national broadband office has defined the speed achievable and that should be maintained if the transformation is to be made possible.

According to him, “We have registered all the Broadband Infrastructure Licences, we have seven of them. The Licences have been given to seven companies; and I believe all of them have paid for the licence.

“The licence very cheap; it is as cheap as N2.5 million. The government of President Muhammadu Buhari did not introduce the concept of Broadband Infrastructure Licence in order to make money.

“So, whatever we are going to do here today, whatever conclusions we are going to draw, these conclusions must revolve around what we are going to do in our own right as a people interested in pervasive telecommunication services, as well as how we can make those services available everywhere, and at the same time.

“That is the meaning of ubiquity, when we talk about ubiquitous services; we are talking about services that are available everywhere and at the same time.

“We are not saying they must be equal. The word here is equitable broadband services. Every part of the country going at its own speed, but definitely, not below the minimum speed of 1.5 megabytes.

“So, I believe these are the engagements that we intend to, among other things, sensitize our critical stakeholders, like the NCC, state governments and service providers, and those who provide infrastructure services, as well as subscribers.”

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