Tag: spectrum

The National Frequency Management Counci (NFMC) in collaboration with the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) will put for auction, free spectrums very soon.

To achieve this, a spectrum audit has been initiated and will be completed within six months.

This is part of the high point of the decisions reached at the second meetig of the Broadband Council inaugurated by the Minister of Communications Technology, Mrs Omobola Johnson about four months ago.

According to the Office of the Minister, top on the agenda was the progress of public and private sector efforts to achieve the broadband plan. President Goodlcuk Jonathan wishes to see broadband penetration increase such that 80 per cent of the population would have got access to mobile broadband and 20 per cent to fixed broadband by 2017. This milsetone was also re-emphasised.

Another issue that came up for discussion was accelerated work on a Critical National Infrastructure Bill (CNIB) that covers damage to all infrastructure including telecoms, a spectrum audit and a wholesale pricing audit that will lead to the reduction in the cost of deploying telecommunications infrastructure.

The NCC has been active and pivotal in promoting this agenda having just concluded the hosting of the CTO Forum with Broadband at the forefront of its programme. Raising awareness that leads to growth in demand is still a critical part of the process of encouraging operators and licensees to build services to unserved areas. A planned awareness campaign will communicate transformational benefits of broadband to encourage its use and adoption.

The Council noted that on the issue of policy and regulation, a nationwide publishing and communication of the agreed Right of Way Guidelines will commence next month while a legal services firm has been appointed to draft the CNIB.

The Council is also looking into resolving thorny issues that have to do with the speedy roll out of base transmission stations (BTS) between National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), NCC and the Ministry of Environment.

Minister of Communications Technology Mrs Omobola Johnson has said broadband spectrum will not be made available freely to operators because of government’s desire to generate revenue.

The minister who spoke in Abuja, said spectrum ought to have been givem to operators freely as done in some parts of the world to drive economic griwth and development but lamented that government needs revenue to prosecute its economic aagenda for the country.

She therefore urged the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the operators to come together and agree on terms that will make spectrum auction less disincentive to investment in the country.

According to her, mobile broadband is expensive but stressed that in the absence of fixed broadband, the country will have to make do with mobile broadband since there is no ubiquitous optic fibre cables (OFC) in the country.

She decried the punitive cost of obtaining access to lay OFC by telecoms operators in the country, warning that if the cost is not reduced, it will continue to discourage investment in that area. According to her, out every $1 spent on laying OFC, between 60-80 cents is spent on access.

Mrs Johnson promised to continue to encourage operators to embrace infrastructure sharing as a way of lowering cost of deploying infrastructure, adding that the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) will continue to offer subsidy to operators to roll-out services in rural and underseved communities across the federation.

She also pledged the support of the Federal Government in ensuring accelerated roll out of broadband in a cost-effective manner.