About two decades after the famous telecoms revolution, no fewer than 114 access gap clusters still exist in the telecoms industry. While closing this gap will open potential revenue source for the Federal Government, it is also be an investment opportunity for mobile network operators. LUCAS AJANAKU writes on the daunting challenges ahead.
THE findings of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF) are grim and astonishing.
The report said at the height of nationwide lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic, up to 1.6 billion children were affected by school closures, causing the largest mass disruption of education in modern history.Yet, even before schools shut their doors, one in five school-age children (three to 17 years old) was out of school, and even children in schools were not necessarily learning, with 617 million children and adolescents globally failing to reach minimum proficiency levels in reading and mathematics.
To address these gaps, more than 90 per cent of the world’s education ministries have adopted some type of remote learning policy, and stakeholders have sought to “reimagine education” by harnessing technology.
However, 2.2 billion – or two-thirds of children and young people aged 25 or less – do not have internet access at home, according to the How Many Children and Youth Have Internet Access at Home report, a joint effort by UNICEF and the ITU.
Using the latest available household survey data, the report found significant inequities between countries, regions, wealth groups and urban-rural settings. For example, only five per cent of children and young people in West and Central Africa have internet access at home compared to the 33 per cent global average.
Differences are starker yet between rich and poor countries, with only six per cent of children and young people in low-income countries having internet access compared to 87 per cent in high-income countries.
Significantly expanding access to telecoms services and internet access is vital for ensuring that children and youths learn and acquire the knowledge and skills they need to support a sustainable future, the global bodies said.
In Nigeria, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer(CEO), Prof Garba Dambatta, said access gap clusters in the country have been reduced from 217 to 114 enabling 15 million people to have access to telecoms services.
Through the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF), a special purpose vehicle mandated by law to promote the widespread availability and usage of network services and applications services throughout the country by providing funding through subsidies and grants for the provision of network facilities and network services as well as application services to rural, unserved and underserved areas or to underserved groups within an institution or a community, access gaps are bridged.
The Federal Government had unveiled the National Broadband Plan (2020 -2025) with ambitious targets, the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (2020-2030) while the NCC unveiled the Strategic Management Plan (2020 – 2024). This is in recognition of the tremendous growth opportunities afforded by the deployment of broadband and its associated technologies. But how does the Commission intend to provide universal access to the whole country?
“In order to strategically coordinate and align resources and actions to better achieve the mandate of the commission and facilitate the emergence of a knowledge based economy in Nigeria, we developed a strategic vision plan (SVP) 2015 – 2020, premised on eight pillars referred to as the Eight-Point Agenda,” Dambatta said.
He said broadband penetration increased from six per cent (2015) to 45.07 per cent (Nov 2020) while optic fibre cable (OFC) transmission cables increased from 47,000 km to 54,725 km. Similarly, VSAT Gateway Earth Stations were licensed to provide broadband capacity – MTN (three), MainOne (two) and Viasat (two).
Already, six infrastructure companies (InFraCos) have been licensed to add 38,296 km of OFC to the transmission infrastructure.
It is also re-planning the 800 megahertz (MHz) Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA); re-farming part of 1800MHz; administrative assignment of 700MHz; 2.6gigahertz (GHz). 14 slots has already been auctioned with six won by MTN, Airtel (four) and Open Sky (two).
Hurdles to inclusivity
Multiple taxation/regulation, right of way (RoW), power supply, damage to telecoms infrastructure during road construction, wilful vandalism and insecurity
Dambatta said these had been major challenges bedeviling the industry. It has affected the deployment of infrastructure and the expansion of telecoms services. However, the Commission is engaging with relevant authorities to harmonise these taxes and regulations.
The improvement of power supply to the sites of MNOs will have the dual e ffect of reducing operating costs and improving QoS delivery.
He said efforts at harmonising RoW charges via engagement with the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy and the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) has led to the adoption of a maximum of N145/m RoW fees in Kaduna, Katsina, Imo, Ekiti, Kwara and Plateau states.
The high RoW charges across different states of the federation have negatively impacted the required expansion and rollout of OFC across the country. Harmonisation of charges will increase investment and expansion of critical transmission infrastructure.
On vandalism, he said the passage of the Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) Bill will classify telecoms infrastructure across the country as critical national assets. “This will improve the security of the infrastructure. Construction of roads with fibre optic ducts pre-laid will also reduce incidence of vandalism and theft,” he said.
On national security, he said one of the key objectives of the Commission as enunciated in the NCA 2003 is to promote and safeguard national interests, safety and security.
“Therefore, the Commission is facilitating the provision of industry field data to Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) on quarterly basis, to aid geo-location capabilities and investigations of telecoms related activities.
“NCC is collaborating with National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) on integration of SIM registration with its database – To this end we’ve issued direction on suspension of SIM registration in December, 2020,” he explained.
Another is providing porting statistics from the Mobile Number Portability (MNP) management records via the MNOs Clearing House.
The Emergency Communications Centre (ECC) for reporting of emergencies using the toll-free line number 112.
The Commission has positioned itself in Government drive for a digital Nigeria, as contained in the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (2020 -2025), the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (2020 -2030) and the Strategic Management Plan (2020 – 2024) of the Commission. This is in recognition of the tremendous economic growth opportunities afforded by the deployment of broadband and its associated technologies
The Commission will continue to put in its best in the discharge of its mandates, especially in facilitating the deployment of broadband, which is central to diversifying the Nigerian economy and national development.
“Also, it is our belief that the communications industry, under the leadership of the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, will experience more quantum leaps and retain its current leadership role in the telecoms space,” he said.
