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  • Court warns CBN, NCC on Etisalat

    Federal High Court in Abuja has warned the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Nigerian Telecommunication Commission (NCC) and others involved in the transaction for the sale of troubled telecom firm Etisalat (9mobile) against taking further steps to conclude the sale.

    The warning was informed by the claim by some aggrieved investors that despite a subsisting order of the court, made on October 10, last year, by Justice Binta Nyako, barring parties to the transaction from taking further steps pending the determination of the suit, the CBN, First Bank and others have allegedly sold the firm and transferred its ownership.

    The warning by the court is contained in a Form 48 issued by the court’s Registrar, on institutions listed as defendants in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/288/2018 filed by the aggrieved shareholders, through Afdin Ventures Ltd and Dirbia Nigeria Ltd.

    The Form 48 reads: “Take notice that unless you obey the directions contained in the order of the Federal High Court number three, Abuja, made on the 10th of October 2018 ordering parties to maintain status quo, with regard to the sale of Etisalat Nigeria Limited (rebranded 9mobile), you will be guilty of contempt of court and will be liable to be committed to prison.”

    The affected defendants are Karington Telecommunications Ltd, Premium Telecommunications Holding NV, First Bank of Nigeria Plc, Central Bank of Nigeria, Etisalat International Nigeria Ltd (trading under the name and style of 9mobile) and the Nigerian Communication Commission.

    The aggrieved subscribers, who claimed to be major investors in Etisalat, said they were excluded from the firm’s decision making and therefore want a refund of their investment estimated at $43,330,950.

    Afdin and Dirbia, in newly filed court documents, alleged that the defendants have not only sold the company, despite the existing restraining order, they have effected a transfer of ownership to a new set of buyers.

    They exhibited newspaper publications, indicating that the defendants have allegedly proceeded with the sale in breach of the pending court order.

    The aggrieved shareholders, in a pre-action notice issued by their lawyer, Mahmud Magaji (SAN), are threatening to institute fresh suits against the CBN, NCC and First Bank in an effort to retrieve their investment and accrued interest.

    The pre-action notice, copies of which were sighted in Abuja, were addressed to the CBN Governor and NCC Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer.

    Part of the notice reads: “The intending plaintiffs, who are shareholders in Etisalat Nigeria Ltd, having purchased a total number of 1, 300,391 at $13,003,910 only and 3,300,004 Class A shares at $30,030,040) intend to sue for the recovery of their investment, dividends on their shores, and damages for breach of contract.

    “Please kindly recall that, by the custodian agreement, all the shares certificates of the plaintiffs were kept under your custody.

    “However, you have failed to exercise your role in good faith leading to the sale of Etisalat Nigeria Limited to Teleology Nigeria Ltd, at the detriment of our clients.

    “The intending plaintiffs aver that First Bank of Nigeria Plc was both a receiving bank and also a custodian of the shares acquired by the intending plaintiffs from Karington Telecommunications Ltd.

    “The intending plaintiffs aver that, under the private placement memorandum (PPM), First Bank of Nigeria Plc, as custodian of the intending plaintiffs’ shares in Karington Telecommunications Ltd, has the obligation to ensure that the shares held by the intending plaintiffs, as beneficial owner, has the duty of custody, safekeeping, warehousing and preservation of the property (shares) of the intending plaintiffs, amongst others.

    “First Bank, in allowing the shares of Emerging Markets Telecommunications Services Ltd (EMTS) to be so charged as security for the syndicated loan by fixed charge, failed to keep the shares of the intending plaintiffs separate and/or segregated, but has allowed the intending plaintiffs’ shares to be co-mingled with the shares of other investors and thereby failed In its custodial duties in clause 5.1.2 at page 71 of the PPM.

    “First Bank also failed to observe and perform its warranty that it shall ensure the observance and performance of its custodial duties in the private placement memorandum (PPM) and also as contained in the application form.

    “The intending plaintiffs have suffered the liability of the complete loss of their investment in the shares of Karington Telecommunication Ltd and indirect economic interest in the shares of EMTS which are to be sold to recover the unpaid syndicated loan from the thirteen banks, of which First Bank of Nigeria PIc is a part.

    “The intending plaintiffs also never received any dividend payment since 2009; have completely lost their investment or indirect holding/economic interest in the shares of EMTS, which First Bank of Nigeria allowed to be used as a fixed charge to secure the repayment of the loan by the syndicated banks to EMTS and which loan has remained unpaid and the security is being enforced.”

  • $43m debt: Court warns CBN, NCC, others against concluding Etisalat’s sale

    A Federal High Court in Abuja has warned the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Nigerian Telecommunication Commission (NCC) and others involved in the transaction for the sale of troubled telecom firm, Etisalat (9mobile) against taking further steps to conclude the sale.

    The warning was informed by claim by some aggrieved investors that despite a subsisting order of the court, made on October 10, 2018 by Justice Binta Nyako, barring parties to the transaction from taking further steps pending the determination of the suit, the CBN, First Bank and others have allegedly sold the firm and transferred its ownership.

    The warning by the court is contained in a Form 48 issued by the court’s Registrar, on institutions listed as defendants in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/288/2018 filed by the aggrieved shareholders, through Afdin Ventures Ltd and Dirbia Nigeria Ltd.

    The Form 48 reads: “Take notice that unless you obey the directions contained in the order of the Federal High Court number three, Abuja, made on the 10th of October 2018 ordering parties to maintain status quo, with regard to the sale of Etisalat Nigeria Limited (rebranded 9mobile), you will be guilty of contempt of court and will be liable to be committed to prison.”

    The affected defendants are Karington Telecommunications Ltd, Premium Telecommunications Holding NV, First Bank of Nigeria Plc, Central Bank of Nigeria, Etisalat International Nigeria Ltd (trading under the name and style of 9mobile) and the Nigerian Communication Commission.

    The aggrieved subscribers, who claimed to be major investors in Etisalat, said they were excluded from the firm’s decision making and therefore want a refund of their investment estimated at $43,330,950.

    Afdin and Dirbia, in newly filed court documents, alleged that the defendants have not only sold the company, despite the existing restraining order, they have effected a transfer of ownership to a new set of buyers. They exhibited newspaper publications, indicating that the defendants have allegedly proceeded with the sale in breach of the pending  court order.

    The aggrieved shareholders, in a pre-action notice issued by their lawyer, Mahmud Magaji (SAN), are threatening to institute fresh suits against the CBN, NCC and First Bank in an effort to retrieve their investment and accrued interest.

    The pre-action notice, copies of which were sighted in Abuja, are addressed to the Governor of CBN and The Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, NCC.

    Part of the notice reads: “The intending plaintiffs, who are shareholders in Etisalat Nigeria Ltd, having purchased a total  number of 1, 300,391 at $13,003,910 only and 3,300,004 Class A shares at $30,030,040) intend to sue for the recovery of their investment, dividends on their shores, and damages for breach of contract.

    “Please kindly recall that, by the custodian agreement, all the shares certificates of the plaintiffs, were kept under your custody. However, you have failed to exercise your role in good faith leading to the sale of Etisalat Nigeria Limited to Teleology Nigeria Ltd, at the detriment of our clients.

    The intending plaintiffs aver that First Bank of Nigeria Plc was both a receiving bank and also a custodian of the shares acquired by the intending plaintiffs from Karington Telecommunications Ltd.

    “The intending plaintiffs aver that, under the private placement memorandum (PPM), First Bank of Nigeria Plc, as custodian of the intending plaintiffs’ shares in Karington Telecommunications Ltd, has the obligation to ensure that the shares held by the intending plaintiffs, as beneficial owner, has the duty of custody, safekeeping, warehousing and preservation of the property (shares) of the intending plaintiffs, amongst others

    “First Bank, in allowing the shares of Emerging Markets Telecommunications Services Ltd (EMTS) to be so charged as security for the syndicated loan by fixed charge, failed to keep the shares of the intending plaintiffs separate and/or segregated, but has allowed the intending plaintiffs’ shares to be co-mingled with the shares of other investors and thereby failed In its custodial duties in clause 5.1.2 at page 71 of the PPM

    “First Bank also failed to observe and perform its warranty that it shall ensure the observance and performance of its custodial duties in the private placement memorandum (PPM) and also as contained in the application form.

    “The intending plaintiffs have suffered the liability of the complete loss of their investment in the shares of Karington Telecommunication Ltd and indirect economic interest in the shares of EMTS which are to be sold to recover the unpaid syndicated loan from the thirteen banks, of which First Bank of Nigeria PIc is a part.

    The intending plaintiffs also never received any dividend payment since 2009; have completely lost their investment or indirect holding/economic interest in the shares of EMTS, which First Bank of Nigeria allowed to be used as a fixed charge to secure the repayment of the loan by the syndicated banks to EMTS and which loan has remained unpaid and the security is being enforced.

  • NCC: cybercrooks use sophisticated tools

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has warned telecoms subscribers to be extra careful as criminal elements have now turned to telecoms infrastructure to defraud their unsuspecting victims.

    Its Director, Consumer Affairs Bureau, Mrs. Felicia Onwuegbuchulam, who gave the warning, said as broadband penetration gets deeper for promotion of positive engagements and efficient economic activities, the tendency for some internet users to use such access for criminal and illegal activities will be on the rise, thereby requiring adequate consumer education.

    Meanwhile, the NCC said as part of its consumer protection activities, it received and satisfactorily resolved 92,757 service-related complaints escalated to it for resolution by aggrieved telecoms consumers in the past two years.

    Onwuegbuchulam, who spoke at the 26th edition of the Consumer Town Hall Meeting (CTM)  with Mitigating Effects of Cybercrimes: The Role of Telecom Consumers as theme, in Mokwa, Niger State, said businesses and individuals in  every country rely on Information Communication Technology (ICT) for their day-to-day activities, where internet is playing a key role in interconnectivity of devices.

    She said as the Commission embarks on various initiatives to increase access to the internet for positive engagements, hackers and cybercriminals also deploy sophisticated systems in intruding into connected devices to perpetrate their exploitation schemes.

    “It is common knowledge that the use of internet has become part of telecom consumer’s daily activities whether at home, in the workplace or any social setting.  Smartphones and other smart devices used by telecom consumers are a storehouse of data, carrying sensitive information about the telecoms consumers, his or her family, businesses, associates and daily interactions as well as financial transactions details. Admittedly, the Internet touches almost all aspects of our lives as telecom consumers,” she said

    NNC Consumer Affairs Bureau Deputy Director, Alhaji Ismail Adedigba, in a report detailing consumer protection activities of the NCC said the 92,757 service-related complaints were settled in record time.

    He said: “Between January 2017 and December 2018, the Commission received a total of 118,784 complaints from consumers, of which 92,757, representing 78 per  cent of total complaints received during the two years period were successfully resolved to the satisfaction of telecom consumers,” he said.

    He said 5,010 appreciations were received from some consumers who felt satisfied after the Commission had successfully resolved their issues for them and therefore, decided to formally write and call the Commission to express their gratitude for the Commission interventionist efforts.

    The complaints and appreciations, he said, were received through the Commission’s various channels of lodging complaints and interactive engagement platforms. These include the NCC toll-free Line – 622, which is the Commission’s Contact Centre, the NCC Consumer Portal, consumer complaint redress email, written complaints, social media as well as those received at the Commission’s various outreach programmes which include Consumer Town Hall Meeting (CTM), Consumer Outreach Programme (COP) and Telecom Consumer Parliament (TCP).

    Through the three consumer outreach programmes usually held by the Commission across various states on a rotational basis, Adedigba said more than 31,202 consumers have been engaged face-to-face and adequately educated on their rights and privileges with respect to provision of telecoms services within the last two years.

    He said during such fora, consumer fact sheets developed by the Commission on various service-related topical issues are also distributed to educate consumers on various issues in the industry.

    “The Commission places a lot of importance on consumer-related issues. For this reason, the Commission has embarked on various initiatives, aimed at enlightening and protecting the consumers to ensure they get quality services, that they are treated right by the service providers and that they get value for money spent on telecom services, be it voice or data.

    “Also, we ensure that we embark on initiatives aimed at providing wider service options as well as putting more control in the hands of the consumers to determine what they receive, especially in terms of value-added services (VAS) in line with our ‘PIE’ Mandate of Protecting, Informing and Educating the consumers. We understand the industry is big and we are doing our best to ensure consumer get quality service delivery,” he said.

  • NCC: subscribers lose N12.5b to telecom-related frauds

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said subscribers have lost over N12. 5 billion to telecom related financial crimes and deductions since the use of smartphones became prominent in the country.

    Its Executive Vice Chairman, Prof Umar Garba Danbatta however assured that the Commission is poised to helping subscribers recover all illegal deductions, while the commissiion has also entered into partnership with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and other security agencies to fight e-banking frauds.

    Prof. Danbatta who spoke at a stakeholder’s forum on Financial Fraud Using Telecoms Platform organised by the commission at the Transcorp Hotel, Abuja, said: “As mobile app integration with online payment platforms and other financial resources have improved over the years, the proportion of legitimate trade conducted using mobile phones and other portable devices has also increased.

    “Little wonder then that mobile channels have been seized by cyber-criminals as a new avenue for fraud. Mobile apps as a whole are now quite easy for hackers and cyber criminals to hijack or corrupt, making them tools for fraudsters to steal credentials and impersonate genuine account holders.”

    The NCC chief said considering the harm done by the fraudsters to the system, it has become imperative for stakeholders to put better authentification system in place to frustrate the activities of the criminals.

    He however said customers have the responsibility to be more vigilant and take their own precautions as well against the fraudsters.

    Danbatta said the Commission was committed to building the confidence of subscribers in the e-payment and e-banking systems necessitating the present collaboration with the CBN, the Nigerian Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS) on the matter.

    He explained that the collaboration would go a long way to reduce the incidents of mobile devices-related financial crimes, asserting that the forum was part of its effort to save unsuspecting subscribers from falling victim to fraudsters.

    Prof Danbatta also said the Commission had introduced a toll free number- 264-where subscribers could lodge their complaint, assuring that the method was adopted to ensure that subscribers at various levels get value for their money.

    In his remarks, the Minister of Communications, Mr Adebayo Shittu urged financial institutions and telcos to engage expert who are capable of assisting the nation in combating cyber-related crimes in the country.

    The representative of the CBN, Deputy Director Operations, Mr. Folashodun Shonubi reiteriated the commitment of the CBN to partner stakeholders in addressing the menace of e-banking fraudsters in the country.

  • NCC: code to check cybercrimes coming

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to establish an Internet Industry Code of Practice for internet service providers (ISPs) to checkmate growing cybercrimes.

    Its Deputy Director, Consumer Affairs Bureau, Mr Ismail Adedigba, who spoke  at the 102nd Edition of the Consumer Outreach Programme (COP) held at Mapo Hall, Ibadan, added that the code will be a regulatory intervention that will not only help to secure the country’s cyberspace against imminent threats from cyber attackers but also address such issues as online child protection, privacy and data protection, objectionable content, among others.

    Read also: LCCI: minimum wage, election may heighten inflation

    With: Mitigating the Effects of Cybercrime: Roles of Telecoms Consumers as its theme, Adedigba said while regulatory intervention and other initiatives are  ongoing to “sanitise our internet space, telecoms consumers, the majority of whom now use internet-enabled and other smart devices, must play their role.”

     

  • NCC gets new DG

    A former Director, Nigerian Copyright Institute, and copyright lawyer John Asein has been appointed the Director-General of Nigeria Copyright Commission ( NCC ).

    Asein who joined the Commission since its inception in 1988 rose to be the director of the Nigerian Copyright Institute, the training and capacity building arm of the NCC.

    His appointment makes it the first time in decades that an in-house expert would be appointed to head the Commission. He has for more than two decades been involved in shaping copyright law and policies in Nigeria. He has also participated in negotiating Nigeria’s position on several international copyright issues.

    Read Also: How we attained 30% broadband penetration, by NCC

    A graduate of the New Hampshire School of Law (formerly, Franklin Pierce Law Center), the Universities of Lagos and Calabar, Asein is also author of Nigerian Copyright Act, with Introduction and Notes; Introduction to Nigerian Legal System and consults widely in the field of intellectual property law, authorship and innovation management.

    He lectures in the Masters of Intellectual Property (MIP) programme, Africa University, Mutare, Zimbabwe; the Master of Laws (LL.M.) programme, University of Abuja and the Post-Graduate Diploma (PGD) programme, National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) Abuja. He also lectures part-time at the University of Abuja as an Associate Professor of Law.

  • How we attained 30% broadband penetration, by NCC

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) at the weekend insisted that the country has attained the 30 per cent broadband penetration target set in the National Broadband Plan of the Federal Government.

    It said the doubt expressed by some people on the target was borne out of ignorance about the method of calculating the milestones achieved in the industry.

    In a statement at the weekend,  NCC said as the statutory repository of data on the telecoms industry, it could hardly be faulted because of its diligence in handling stattistics.

    “Even the International Telecoms Union (ITU), whose Broadband Commission publishes an annual broadband league table uses data supplied by the NCC to reach its conclusions. Similarly, the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS) works with the NCC to provide the country with data pertaining to the communications industry. So, we must of necessity rely on data supplied by the NCC for this analysis.

    “The good thing is that the NCC publishes regular monthy data updates on its website, which is open to all interested members of the public.

    “According to NCC data, there were a total of 168,729,005 mobile “GSM” mobile subscribers in Nigeria as at November 2018. Of these, 108,457,051 were subscribed to internet access services provided by the major operators. In terms of Broadband services, a total of  58,965,478 connected to the internet through 3G and 4G networks (including those provided by the LTE-only service providers such as Smile and nTel).

    This distinction is critical because Nigerians predominantly rely on mobile networks to access the internet, including Broadband networks since the fixed broadband access which was to have been led by the erstwhile State incumbent – NITEL – is now literally non-existing.

    “Now, broadband penetration is typically measured by the percentage of total population with access to Broadband networks out of each hundred. So, if we take the total active Broadband subscription figure of  58,965,478 and  divide by the population figure of 190,886,311 (using the  UN’s projection as at December 2017), we come to a penetration percentage of 30.9.

    “Issues can of course, be raised about using the UN figure as baseline – one supposes that the NCC used that figure for consistency since that appears to be the baseline used by the ITU in earlier studies.

    “However, the reader is invited to use other population baselines and come with the above resolute. For instance, if we use the Nigerian Population Commission’s 2006 figure of 140million, we come to a Broadband penetration rate of 42.1 per cent. Most would agree that this would be rather unrealistic, as is the population estimate of 140million,” NCC said.

    Also, looking through the ITU Broadband Commission’s September 2018 Report, the country’s broadband penetration rate was set at an abysmal 19.9 per cent. This, it said,  couldn’t be true since the report was based on industry statistics of December 2017, which is clearly outdated as at September 2018 when the report was published.

    The statement read: “Clearly therefore, the NCC’s assertion that Nigeria has attained 30.9 per cent broadband penetration is logical and supported by available data in the Commission’s custody.

    “There are lessons to be learnt from the needless controversy on this matter. To its credit, the NCC has been rather transparent with industry data. Its website is updated on a monthly basis with data with the subscription, tariff and other industry performance data which enable stakeholders to see a fair picture of overall industry performance.

    “One would encourage serious industry players to regularly access the NCC website for available data and insights on industry performance, rather than take incorrect and pessimistic positions such as those ignorantly expressed in some dailies.

    “The NCC itself would need to engage with the ITU to update its 2018 Broadband report. As noted above, the ITU report relied on data from December 2017 which, as we have seen, is now outdated.”

  • NCC: $3b lost to call masking

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has said it would leave no stone unturned to bring perpetrators of call masking and other unwholesome practices in the telecom sector to book.

    Its Executive Commissioner, stakeholders Management, Mr Sunday Dare, said the commission has evolved strategies that would end the activities of fraudster in the industry.

    Mr. Dare lamented that the global figure being lost to unwholesome practices in the telecommunications industry is about $3 billion yearly.

    Dare, who spoke in an interview with newsmen in Abuja, said the NCC was intensifying efforts to reduce incidence of call masking and SIMBoxing in Nigeria.

    “People often ascribe the entire $3billion being lost to call masking, refilling and SIMBoxing to Nigeria alone, but that is the global figure on an annual basis. It is a figure that should fall since regulators in various jurisdictions continue to find ways of addressing the menace.

    “As part of its commitment to giving Nigerians a telecommunications industry that caters to the interests of all stakeholders, NCC has continue to explore way of addressing the menace of these unwholesome practices,” he said.

  • NCC criticises Falana’s claims on N600b yearly loss

    THE Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday faulted Lagos lawyer Mr. Femi Falana’s (SAN) claim that the country was losing about N600 billion due to the failure of the commission to issue “contract award letter” to a firm that allegedly won the contract for the implementation of “Revenue Assurance Software”.

    Falana had threatened to sue the NCC within two weeks, if it fails to issue the letter.

    The NCC, however, faulted Falana’s claim, assuring stakeholders in the telecoms industry that it would remain committed to due process and high integrity in its regulatory roles.

    Its Executive Commissioner, Stakeholders Management Mr. Sunday Dare, in a statement, asserted that there was no iota of truth in the allegation of revenue losses to the tune of N600 billion in the telecom industry.

    Dare said: “Our attention has been drawn to sponsored  reports alleging that the Federal Government of Nigeria is losing up to ‘N600 billion yearly’, ostensibly because of the alleged failure of the NCC to issue a ‘contract award letter’ to a firm, which supposedly won a contract to implement a ‘Revenue Assurance Software’.

    “Ideally, the commission would not join issues in the media, on what is essentially an ongoing procurement exercise of a very sensitive nature. We are, however, obliged to make this clarification so as to set the records straight, and to reassure stakeholders of the commission’s commitment to due process, as well as the integrity of its regulatory and other processes, which were unfairly called into question by the said media publications.

    “For the records, there is no iota of truth whatsoever in the allegation of revenue losses to the tune of N600 billion from the telecoms industry.

    “The NCC’s initiative of implementing a Revenue Assurance System for the industry was motivated by the commission’s firm belief that although the telecoms industry currently contributes a significant portion of the national GDP and government revenues, the industry has the potentials to generate more revenue for government along its value chain than is currently the case.

    “Also, although the commission has deployed remarkably stringent processes with which it monitors the industry and collects all due revenues, we considered it necessary to enhance the effectiveness of these processes by proactively blocking any potential gaps, through the use of available and proven cutting-edge technology solutions.

    “The Revenue Assurance System is, therefore, to provide an additional layer of assurance that our licensees continue to meet their obligations without fail. The wildly exaggerated ‘loss of N600 billion annually’ to non-implementation of a particular system by a particular vendor as alleged in the said publications is therefore simply not true.

    “The proposed figure is the projected revenue that consultants claim can be gotten.  Until a proof of concept POC is done, this figure is in the realm of imagination.

    “We also wish to clarify that having made the decision to implement a Revenue Assurance System, the NCC has been painstakingly following all mandated due process in its procurement, including engagement with the Bureau of Public Process, the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC).”

  • NCC: 2G most pervasive technology in Nigeria

    THE Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said the second generation (2G) technology is dominant in the country.

    The regulatory declaration is coming at a time mobile network operators (MNOs) in the country are boasting 3G and 4G long term evolution (LTE) service to their subscribers.

    NCC Executive Vice Chairman/CEO,  Prof Garba Dambatta, who spoke in Lagos at the weekend, said 2G technology accounts for 90 per cent of total coverage in the country.

    In his key note address at the fourth Quarter Seminar of  Nigerian Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA) with the theme: Achieving Last-Mile Connectivity through Broadband, Dambatta said the Commission was working hard to get every nook and cranny of the country connected.

    He said: “Generally, the most pervasive networks are on 2G coverage and reaches about 90 per cent of the population, while the 3G or 4G coverage is still low while some sections of the country still has  little or no coverage at all.”

    Represented by the Deputy Director/Head, Special Intervention Projects, Dr Henry Nkemadu, the NCC chief said the “last mile” or “last kilometer” is a phrase widely used in the telecoms, cable television and internet industries to refer to the final leg of the telecoms networks that deliver telecoms services to retail end-users (customers).

    He said more specifically, the last mile refers to the portion of the telecoms network chain that physically reaches the end-user’s premises, adding that examples could be found in  copper wire telephones to the local telephone exchange; coaxial cable service drops carrying cable television signals from utility poles to subscribers’ homes and cell towers linking local cell phones to the cellular network.

    He said another example is fixed wireless access, where a wireless network is used instead of wires to connect a stationary terminal to the wireline network.

    Dambatta said: “Various solutions are being developed which are seen as an alternative to the last mile of standard incumbent local exchange carriers. These include WiMax and broadband over power lines. Today, we have an appreciable number of submarine cables landing in Nigeria, delivering a capacity of about 9 Terabits to the country, but mainly limited to landing points in the Lagos areas and some coastal states (Ondo, Delta, Rivers and Bayelsa).

    “The Commission has been making efforts to enable the companies extend this massive capacity inland through various regulatory instruments and interventions to drive down costs and for security reasons.”

    He said many of the MNOs have islands of cables interconnected in areas of high traffic such as Lagos with multiple fibre cable coverage, leaving other regions with lack of coverage. “This poor network planning therefore, contributes to poor last mile connectivity in Nigeria,” he said.

    On the  Commission’s focus  on  broadband, he said it understood that the core of robust and reliable telecoms service is broadband infrastructure, which provides the needed impetus to achieve last mile connectivity.

    He said: “Our commitment to achieve the three ‘A’s of Availability, Accessibility and Affordability is hinged on broadband deployment across the country.  Facilitation of Broadband penetration is the number one item and flagship of our 8-point Agenda. The potential in broadband penetration is enormous, which explains why the entire global community is investing huge resources to exploit and assimilate broadband that is expected to guide global economic index of development in the future.