Rinchi
TechInAfrica – According to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Nigeria is currently prepared for the rollout of the 5G network. This was revealed by Prof. Umar Danbatta, Executive Director of NCC at a press conference in Abuja a few days ago. Prof. Umar also stated that operators like Bharti Airtel, Globacom, and 9mobile will also be part of it.
Prof. Umar added that NCC is organizing a stakeholder forum as part of the preparation for the 5G network. Additionally, NCC has also begun to consult on the spectrum for drones and on the discussions on the deployment of the network.
“NCC did not just sit back. Apart from constantly engaging with state governors through NEC of Nigeria Governors Forum, we have also stepped in directly by licensing InfraCos to provide fiber bandwidth on an open-access base. We are providing them with a subsidy to mitigate their costs,” said Prof. Umar cited from jbklutse.com.
He added: “We expect this to start bearing fruit shortly, but the major thing is the support of the state governors. That is critical. Nigeria is a federation of 36 states; we cannot dictate what to charge for RoW to them, we can only persuade them and hope they see the superior merit and long-term benefits of making their states receptive to telecoms infrastructure.”
NCC has also enlisted popular mobile operator in the country into the Nigeria Stock Exchange. Prof. Umar said that Airtel has recently revealed its plan to participate in the project plan, which hopefully will get enlisted soon and then Glo and 9Mobile can follow.
“The fact is that the National Broadband Plan has both mobile and fixed components, and NCC is exerting action in both directions. Fixed broadband requires you to lay cables. To do that, you need Right of Way Permits, which are controlled by state governments,” said Prof. Umar in the matter of NCC’s fixation on mobile broadband.
Source: jbklutse.com
