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Tag: 5G

  • NCC amends regulatory instruments in anticipation of 5G revolution in Nigeria

    NCC amends regulatory instruments in anticipation of 5G revolution in Nigeria

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has set in motion the process to amend regulatory instruments in anticipation of 5G revolution in Nigeria, which the Commission has envisaged will result in the proliferation of devices in the country.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports NCC on Tuesday began a three-day public inquiry on five (5) regulatory instruments, one of which is the type approval regulatory instrument, which provides a framework for the approval of communications equipment for connection to communications networks in the country.

    The Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta disclosed that public inquiry is a key element in the Commission’s consultative engagements as part of its rule-making process and a key ingredient of its regulatory excellence.

    Danbatta further disclosed that the Commission has also introduced business rules for type approval to address issues that cannot be catered for in the regulations and ensure that the type approval process is seamless.

    The NCC EVC stated that with the deployment of 5G in Nigeria, mobile network operators will invest heavily in communications infrastructure and that with the technological advancements anticipated as a result, it is expected that there will be a proliferation of devices in the industry.

    “It is therefore essential for the Commission to ensure that the regulatory framework can accommodate such eventualities,” Danbatta said while expressing confidence that the review process will improve the standards and procedures for type approvals.

    TNG reports the public inquiry also covers Guidelines on Technical Specifications for the Deployment of Communications Infrastructure, Guidelines on Short Code Operation in Nigeria, Guidelines on Advertisements and Promotions and Consumer Code of Practice Regulations.

    The NCC boss said all five (5) regulatory instruments are existing instruments, which are being amended to reflect current realities.

    Earlier in her opening remarks, Ms. Helen Obi, Head, Telecoms Laws & Regulations, Legal & Regulatory Services Department of the NCC disclosed that the draft of all the regulatory instruments regulations have since been published on the Commission’s website.

    Ms. Obi disclosed that comments from external stakeholders have been received and reviewed while re-emphasizing that the public inquiry is an avenue that allows the Commission to incorporate the comments and suggestions of industry stakeholders, in the development of its regulatory instruments.

    “This process ensures that the regulatory instruments issued by the Commission are in line with the current realities in the industry.  In the last year, the Commission has held Public Inquiries on the Registration of Telephone Subscribers Regulations, the SIM Replacement Guidelines, Frequency Spectrum (Fees & Pricing, Etc.) Regulations, Annual Operating Levy Regulations, Guidelines on National Roaming, Guidelines on Colocation and Infrastructure Sharing and the Spectrum Trading Guidelines.

    “It is pertinent to state that of all the instruments listed above, the Commission has published Guidelines on National Roaming 2021, Guidelines on Colocation and Infrastructure Sharing 2021, SIM Replacement Guidelines 2022 and the Spectrum Trading Guidelines 2022; whilst the Annual Operating Levy Regulations and the Registration of Telephone Subscribers Regulations have been forwarded to the Ministry of Justice for gazetting, whilst the Frequency Spectrum (Fees & Pricing, Etc.) Regulations is at the final stages of the review process.

    “To build on the successes recorded last year in this regard, the Commission has decided to review five (5) regulatory instruments: Type Approval Regulations (as amended), Guidelines on Short Code Operation in Nigeria (as amended), Guidelines on Technical Specifications for the deployment of Communications Infrastructure (as amended), Guidelines on Advertisements and Promotions (as amended) and the Consumer Code of Practice Regulations (as amended).

    “The draft of all the regulatory instruments Regulations have since been published on the Commission’s website and comments from external Stakeholders have been received and reviewed. The above notwithstanding, we hope to receive additional comments from external stakeholders, which would ensure that the final regulatory instruments are such that will guarantee the progressive development of the industry,” Obi said.

  • NCC’s Director who midwived auction for 5G roll out in Nigeria retires

    After 17 years of meritorious service, former Director of Spectrum Administration Department of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Engr. Oluwatoyin Asaju has bowed out of the regulatory body, with encomiums from management and industry experts, after turning 60.

    Engr. Asaju who led the team that managed the 3.5Ghz Band Auction process that attracted fame and fortune to the Federal Government through the transparent auction process for the sale of the 5G licenses conducted by the Commission, was hosted to a valedictory session to celebrate his performance, by the leadership and staff of the Commission.

    Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Professor Umar Danbatta, who presided over the event, described Engr. Asaju’s performance in superlatives, stating that the retiring staff epitomizes hard work, resilience, professionalism and humility.

    “I have worked closely with the celebrant while he was the Director in the Special Duties Department, and later Spectrum Administration Department, and in his capacity as Director in these departments, he demonstrated high level of professionalism and excellence. He was also impartial, forthright and resoluteness in discharging his duties. This is worthy of commendations and emulation from younger staff present in this room,” he said.

    Professor Danbatta, described the retired engineer as one staff of the Commission who “exceeded all expectations throughout his service years at NCC. He is so competent, confident and resourceful. I am happy to have come into NCC at a time when there are resourceful people like Engr. Asaju in the system to help drive our digital agenda for the Nigerian economy”.

    He particularly expressed the gratitude of the staff and management of the Commission for Engr. Asaju’s dedication to duty. “I recall your efforts which led to successful auction of two slots in the 3.5 gigahertz spectrum for the deployment of Fifth Generation (5G) services in December, 2021. “Of course these are just examples of your many contributions to the achievement of the strategic vision of the Commission and we cannot thank you enough”, Danbatta stated.

    “On behalf of the board, management and staff of the Commission, I wish to thank you for your dedication throughout your 17 years of commendable, laudable and dedicated service to the Commission in particular and to the Nigerian telecom sector in general.”, he declared.

    A rain of tributes poured on Engr. Asaju from Colleagues, led by the Executive Commissioner, Technical Services, Engr. Ubale Maska, and other friends and members of the family of the celebrant who joined the Commission in 2005, as a Senior Manager, and later rose through the ranks to become a director at the Commission. Before he joined the Commission, he had worked at then Federal Ministry of Communications where he rose to the position of Chief Engineer.

    Engr Asaju began his career after obtaining a Bachelor of Engineering degree specializing in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the University of Ilorin. He also holds a Master of Business Administration and a postgraduate diploma in Computer Science from same university in addition to a Master’s Degree in Telecommunications Regulation and Policy with a distinction from the University of West Indies, through a scholarship offered by the International Telecommunications Union, ITU.

    Engr. Asaju, a fellow of many professional bodies, expressed deep appreciation for the opportunity to serve at a globally respected institution like the NCC, and commended Prof. Danbatta for his remarkable leadership qualities which has repositioned the Commission as a flagship Nigerian public sector institution, committed to championing the Federal Government’s vision for a robust digital economy and culture.

    Joined by his wife, Ayisat, children and family members and friends, Engr. Asaju expressed gratitude to colleagues of many years with whom he shared the vision and commitment to a better digital Nigeria.
    Engr. Asaju’s career was one of exemplary professionalism, expressed in his top level fellowship and membership of many professional bodies including the Nigerian Institute of Electrical and Electronics in Engineers, NIEEE, Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Nigerian Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (NIEEE), West Africa Society for Communication and Administration (WASCA), and the Nigerian Institution of Information and Communications Engineers (NIICTE).

  • Nigeria races to deploy 5G services using expiring satellite

    Nigeria races to deploy 5G services using expiring satellite

    The federal government of Nigeria has approved the migration of C-Band services on NigComSat-1R Satellite with a seven and a half (7.5) years life span to accelerate the deployment of 5G systems in the country.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Dr Femi Adeluyi, Technical Assistant (Research & Development) to Professor Isa Ali Pantami, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy made this known in a statement on Thursday.

    According to Dr Adeluyi, the approval to migrate C-Band services on NigComSat-1R Satellite, which currently operates C-Band services on the 3.4 – 3.9GHz spectrum range, with which the country hopes to deploy 5G services, was given at the Federal Executive Council meeting of 29th May 2022.

    Recall that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) had requested that a part of the C-Band spectrum within the country’s telecommunications industry be cleared of any encumbrances and current users on the affected spectrum be migrated, towards the successful roll-out/deployment of 5G technology in the country.

    Following the presentation of three (3) memos by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy at the FEC meeting, the request was granted. According to the statement by Adeluyi, the FEC also approved an Enterprise Licensing Agreement for Microsoft Products.

    The statement reads: “The Federal Executive Council approved an Enterprise Licensing Agreement for Microsoft Products and the clearing up of C-band Spectrum, in order to accelerate the deployment of 5G services in the country.

    “These took place during the meeting of the Council on the 29th of May, 2022. This followed the presentation of 3 memos by the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami).

    “The Government-wide Enterprise Licensing Agreement for Microsoft products is a software acquisition cost-reduction strategy for government and it will be implemented by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy (FMC&DE).

    “This agreement is part of the Federal Government’s efforts towards keeping the cost of IT projects within sustainable levels.

    “The Agreement will give the government access to discounted prices and other cost benefits, as well as reduce project duplication across Federal Public Institutions (FPIs). It will also guarantee proper technical support for Microsoft products and services, thereby ensuring protection against cybersecurity threats, which will guarantee availability and reliability of government IT services.

    “The Enterprise Licensing Agreement will provide a projected savings of a minimum of 35% of Governments current investment in Microsoft Products and Services. This will not only substantially reduce the cost of license procurement for FPIs, it will reduce and simplify licensing complexity, facilitate accounting and cash flow predictability and monitor utilisation and impact of Government investment. The Council directed all FPIs to key into the Agreement in the procurement of Microsoft licenses and services.

    “Council also approved the request of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to clear part of the C-band spectrum within the country’s telecommunications industry of any encumbrances and migrate the current users on affected spectrum, towards the successful roll-out/deployment of 5G technology in Nigeria.

    “Furthermore, with seven and a half (7.5) years before the end of the lifetime of NigComSat-1R Satellite, operated by Nigerian Communication Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT), which currently operates C-Band services on the 3.4 – 3.9GHz spectrum range, NCC and NIGCOMSAT have come to an agreement to relocate/migrate the operations of NigComSat-1R C Band service to another frequency (Standard C Band) and release its current frequency for immediate deployment of 5G in the country.

    “The approved memos will accelerate the implementation of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS), especially the pillars on solid infrastructure (broadband) and service infrastructure (platforms). The Ministry will continue to promote initiatives that will transform Nigeria into a country with a sustainable and thriving digital economy”.

    TNG reports Nigeria launched NigComSat-1R in 2011 to replace NigComSat-1, which failed in orbit. The satellite was launched with a life span of 15 years, and it is expected to expire in 2026. However, NIGCOMSAT had said it would launch two new satellites, NigComSat-2 and NigComSat-3 in 2023 and 2025 respectively to replace NigComSat-1R.

    Recall that after 11 rounds of bidding that lasted eight hours in December 2021, Mafab Communications Ltd and MTN Nigeria Plc dislodged Airtel Networks Ltd to emerge as the two successful winners of the 3.5GHz spectrum auction for the deployment of 5G technology to support the delivery of ubiquitous broadband services in the country.

    ALSO READ || NCC confirms MTN, Mafab have paid for 5G licences

    Nigeria, barring any last minutes changes, is expected to commence the rollout of the 5G technology services by August, the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Prof Umar Danbatta has said.

  • BREAKING: Nigeria to start rolling out 5G services from August

    BREAKING: Nigeria to start rolling out 5G services from August

    Nigeria is expected to commence the rollout of the Fifth Generation (5G) technology services by August, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof Umar Danbatta has said.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Prof Danbatta made this known on Thursday at the 90th Edition of Telecom Consumer Parliament (TCP) held in Lagos State.

    Danbatta said that NCC, through the support of the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, would ensure the deployment of the spectrum to further accelerate the growth of Nigeria’s broadband services.

    “The final letters of the award have been issued to MTN and Mafab Communications, which emerged winners of the 3.5GHz Spectrum auction conducted on Dec. 13, 2021.

    “In line with the information memorandum, the licensees are expected to commence the rollout of 5G services effective from Aug. 24, 2022.

    “The successful completion of the process leading to the final letters is confirmation that the rollout of 5G technology services in Nigeria is on course,” Danbatta said.

    The EVC reiterated that the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) had revealed that 5G network would ensure Enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB); Massive machine-type Communications (mMTC) and Ultra-reliable and low-latency communications ( URLLC).

    He said with the estimated population of 214 million Nigerians; with an average growth rate of 2.6 per cent annually, approximately 76.46 per cent of the population should be under the age of 35.

    ”In line with the demographic changes, internet penetration grew from three per cent in 2004 to 73.82 per cent as of September 2022 while broadband penetration increased from less than 10 per cent in 2015 to 40.01 per cent in September 2021.

    “The potential for expansion is a great opportunity for 5G deployment as operators are certain of recouping their investment,” he said.

    He noted that some challenges of the spectrum identified by ITU included the requirements for more spectrally efficient technologies, which were more than what the current 3G and 4G systems required.

    He said ITU also identified intrinsic propagation characteristics of millimetres waves, which may require a greater number of base stations.

    ”It is a challenge that stakeholders must collaborate to address as Nigeria rolls out 5G technology services,” the EVC said.

    Danbatta reiterated that the goal of the commission was for Nigeria to be one of the leading nations with 5G technology deployment that would benefit all stakeholders and contribute maximally to the digital economy policy of the Federal Government.

    The theme of the meeting was “5G Technology: Opportunities and Challenges”.

  • We started 5G auction that NCC had – Bola Tinubu

    We started 5G auction that NCC had – Bola Tinubu

    Frontline presidential aspirant under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu has said he was part of those who started the 5G auction conducted by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in December 2021.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Tinubu made this claim when he appeared before the screening committee of the APC ahead of the party’s presidential primary election.

    The former Lagos State Governor said, “I could remember that I brought Eron to this country. Telecommunications that is a resource in Nigeria today; I brought Econet.

    “Econet is now Airtel. As Airtel to sleep on the 5G now, the auction that they had, we started it,” Tinubu said.

    Recall that the NCC carried out a 5G spectrum auction in an history making event in December 2021 for the roll out of 5G network in Nigeria.

    In that auction, TNG reports Mafab Communications, linked to Tinubu and MTN Nigeria emerged as the winners of the 5G spectrum auction.

    However, the NCC denied at the time that it was aware that the former Lagos State Governor was involved with Mafab.

    Mafab is a corporate entity duly licensed by the NCC to conduct telecommunications business. The company holds international data access (IDA), inter-connect data exchange (IDE) and Value-Added Service (VAS) licences.

    TNG reports the two 3.5GHz spectra of the 5G network licences went for $547.2 million.

    Mafab paid $273,600,000 for the 5G spectrum licence on deadline day set by telecom regulatory agency.

  • 5G war real, what role for Nigeria? – By Okoh Aihe

    5G war real, what role for Nigeria? – By Okoh Aihe

    Looking at the unfolding scenario in the telecommunications industry, it is coming home real strongly that there was always going to be a scramble for ownership in the deployment of 5G globally. In this scramble, the people will have to be in the frontline and the governments have to add a patriotic flavour of acting in defence of their own people in order to secure a justification for their actions.

    But the real intention is veiled. It’s not really about business or who makes the most humongous amount; no, it is about yesterday, today and tomorrow and well into the future. A guy who tried to give me a schoolboy understanding simply explained that whoever controls 5G will control the future of the world. And really the big superpowers don’t want to have anybody play close to that exclusive propinquity of strength where Armageddon could be activated within minutes.

    Yes. They want to control the mysteries of the world, especially the ones hidden from the understanding of the developing countries whose lot is to scramble for the daily concerns of life. That battle is always defined by leaders, those who really understand the meaning of nationhood and how to nurture it into perpetuity. Those who know that life is real competition and unannounced war games that must be approached with tact. Leadership is not for playboy politicians who stack away the people’s money and, at the least call of headache, run to holiday resorts in the guise of medical tourism, but leaders who could take bruising decisions that could hurt them and even the people in the short run, but yield growth results well into the future.

    While a number of African countries were fighting for independence in the late 50s, the Soviet Union, which had since fragmented into smaller countries with Russia and Ukraine standing out, was already in space with Sputnik launched October 4, 1957. The space war had begun, and the war was unannounced but being fought in the field of technology. Leaders of nations were stoking the war.

    After making several speeches where he declared that the race for space was too important for America to concede to any country, President J.F. Kennedy addressing the Congress on May 25, 1961, issued a strong challenge to his nation, “I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the Earth.”

    July 20, 1969, America’s Apollo 11 landed on the moon with three astronauts – Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins. While Armstrong was the first to plant his leg on the moon, followed by Aldrin, the two men planted the American flag on the moon with another message on a plaque: “Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the moon. July 1969 A.D. We came in peace for all mankind.”

    Having conquered space, is there peace in the world? Nigerians will confess that with all the killings going on in different parts of the country, they don’t know the meaning of peace any more. With a near obliteration of some cities in Ukraine by Russia, the Ukraineans will spit on the word, peace. In the telecoms ecosystem, the battle is fierce, very fierce and no country wants to yield any space. This is what has instigated this material.

    In the next few months, Nigeria will join some elite countries of the world to enjoy 5G signals after an auction that yielded $273.6m per lot and $547.2m cumulatively for the two lots. The country has remained very effusive, seeing the success of the auction as a vote of confidence by the international community, even if system failures are noticeable across spectrums of the various sectors. After the necessary paperwork and frequency allocation, both Mafab and MTN are putting their houses in order for an epochal service launch. While it will be advised for leaders to lead the country right in picking our pieces together, it will also be advisable that the authorities go beyond the euphoria of 5G launch to look at the stories unfolding in other parts of the world and find a convenient but promising spot for Nigeria.

    China, with her big tech companies leading the 5G revolution, has been at the centre of some of these stories. A country that perennially feels diminished and unappreciated irrespective of groundbreaking achievements, China remains a bright star in the development of 5G technology which it marketed so aggressively around the world until other countries who had similar technology concluded that they could not compete with China in pricing. This has not gone down well with the rest of the world. The scramble to control the future broke in the open and, another word, trust, was thrown in the discourse to attract sentiments over jurisdictional claims. China could not be trusted, and so is their technology!

    The big story in the past few days is the ban placed by Canada on Chinese tech behemoths, Huawei and ZTE, over safety concerns and protection for Canadians.

    The ban, according to industry Minister, Francois-Philippe Champagne, will improve Canada’s mobile internet services and protect the safety and security of Canadians.

    But Huawei Canada has fired back, saying that this is a political decision that has nothing to do with cyber security and the safety of the people.

    The development was only waiting in the corner to actually happen. All through his stay in government, President Donald Trump had a running battle with China on 5G and took sundry measures to contain the country’s domineering hold on the technology. This is a matter of government policy and not party. It is not the PDP or APC story in Nigeria but decisions taken apolitically from the nation’s point of view that must be sustained over time.

    President Joe Biden inherited that legacy and has sustained it with even more robustness. Biden matched words with action by signing into law a piece of legislation that forbids companies considered as threats from doing business in the U. S. tech sector. The Secure Equipment Act forbids the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from reviewing applications from companies ruled a threat.

    FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr said at the time that the Secure Equipment Act would “help to ensure that insecure gear from companies like Huawei and ZTE can no longer be inserted into America’s communications networks”.

    The world seems to be closing in on China as they put restrictions on their tech operations. The United Kingdom and Australia have already put their restrictions in place, with all decisions taken as part of security measures to protect businesses and people. While the world does not understand China’s tech growth in sustained moments of orchestrated insularity, its leaders are not prepared to allow them spread their growth, pleading the people and their security as faithful alibi.

    The developed countries also want their tech companies to play a more leading role in the development and deployment of 5G in their domains and other domains of the world, as a way of providing jobs and tech know-how for their people and keeping hold of the future of the world.

    5G is monster technology that will rule today, tomorrow and far into the future. The developed world is taking a declared position to dominate it. The Nigerian authorities should also take a position, by ensuring that Nigeria is not just a user or consumption nation but a developer of, and contributor to a transformative technology whose import could be close to the very day a country’s flag and some messages were left on the moon.

    The 5G war is real. Nigeria should plunge in without restraints.

  • Looking at the books to make 5G a success story – By Okoh Aihe

    Looking at the books to make 5G a success story – By Okoh Aihe

    In the euphoric readiness to receive 5G services into the country’s telecom ecosystem, nobody is noticing the fast disappearing line between the regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, headed by a Minister in the Ministry. While the regulator is in charge of regulating the industry, the Ministry is mostly concerned with policies properly framed to help grow the industry. That is what the Nigerian Communications Act 2003 says but this in practice can be tossed through the window especially if there is a head of the ministry that is froth with power and indecency.

    A little story in the papers last week troubles the mind. It was reported that the regulator has issued 5G Licences to MTN and Mafab Communications at an occasion where the operators were told to roll out services in August. The other day it was the Federal Government officially handing over 5G Spectrums to the NCC long after the auction took place; meaning that during the auction there were really no products for sale. And a licence cost $273.6m!

    There was something a little bit odd in this development. The NCC has issued major licences since 2001, never has there been this level of sustained, orchestrated jubilee of little feats. For the discerning, the industry needs concentrated attention to redeem it from a litany of problems. But at the moment it seems we are more concerned just with the existence of the industry and organising little episodic celebrations rather than curing it of its ills.

    This writer is apprised of enough information that the regulator would like to go on with its daily regulatory schedules but for external pressures and meddlesomeness which are nearly squeezing life out of it. Or how would one ever explain the regulator directing the two licensees to rollout service from August this year. Was it the regulator speaking or it was just a ventriloquist for another voice? Will the regulator deliberately go against its rules?

    The rules may not be cast in stone but they are out there, in the licensing documents as a guide to what happens in the industry in the days and years ahead. This is captured in the Information Memorandum which appears flexible and quite accommodating of the weaknesses in the industry. This is what the document says about the roll out of 5G commercial services.

    “The launch of commercial services shall be not later than 12 months after the effective date of the Licence.” Really, it is not in months because of the challenging nature of 5G roll out.

    For effective roll out, coverage and full compliance with spelt out service obligations, the successful bidder shall be assigned the 3.5 GHz Frequency licence and the Unified Access Service Licence (UASL) where applicable and shall roll out services as follows: Year 1 to 2 – Starting from the effective date of the licence. Rollout service in at least one State in each geo-political zone: SW, SS, SE, NC (Including FCT), NW and NE.

    From Year 3 to 5, additional 6 States other than those in Year 1 to 2, across the six geo-political zones, while from Year 6 to 10, Operators are encouraged to roll out across all other States. Please note that Service in each state would mean a minimum of 5 sites in a state. Minimum speed of 100 Mbps DL using applicable test measurement tools.

    MTN’s UASL expired last year after a duration of twenty years and was subsequently renewed in August to take effect from September 1, 2021. One can say MTN has been ready ever since for an effective 5G roll out. At the moment, this writer was reliably informed, the UASL licence for Mafab is being processed to enable the rookie organisation achieve a universal (national) service roll out. This also means that Mafab is at the point of crossing what seems to be the final huddle in its audacious attempt to join the elite group of service providers. Things are falling in place pretty well and a stampede into action by any entity should not be encouraged at all.

    Heading towards the 5G licensing, I was fascinated to find everybody occupying his/her lane on the road in the regulatory process. Going through the 5G Policy again one could see the Minister, Dr Isa Pantami, painstakingly explaining his involvement in developing the Policy, quoting the relevant sections of the Act, Section 23, which says: The Minister shall have the following responsibilities and functions pursuant to the Act – (a) the formulation, determination and monitoring, of the general policy for the communications sector in Nigeria with a view to ensuring, amongst others, the utilisation of the sector as a platform for the economic and social development of Nigeria; (b) (Section 25) The Minister shall, in writing, from time to time notify the Commission of and express his views on the general policy direction of the Federal Government in respect of the communications sector.

    The Minister has relied on sections of the Act to develop a 5G Policy for Nigeria, which so far, has been keenly interpreted by the regulator in developing a licensing document, including service obligations that will do the nation good. However, time has come for all parties to follow the second part of Section 25, which says, In the execution of functions and relationship with the Commission, the Minister shall at all times ensure that the independence of the Commission, in regards to the discharge of its functions and operations under this Act, is protected and not compromised in any manner whatsoever.

    We shall return to that. As the nation gears up for 5G services, it may be relevant to recall some industry problems, even listed in the Policy. They include but are not limited to multiple taxation, right of way (RoW) challenges in nearly all parts of the country, and power. At the moment power generation is at an all time low in the country, thus needing genuinely concerted action or even a miracle to elevate it to a minimal level of acceptability. The activities surrounding 5G roll out are intense and demanding. More small unit base stations are needed for service to even happen. It is cost intensive and extremely demanding and challenging in terms of cost and labour. The government therefore must play its role in mitigating the headache of those with the large heart to invest in the industry.

    On a final note, an Annual Stakeholders Consultative Forum on New Technologies was scheduled for Sheraton, Lagos on Monday, May 10, 2022. The forum was highly publicised but cancelled in the last minute after a compressive arrangement had been put in place. The reason for the cancellation is totally disambiguated. Pray, who is afraid to really hold up Section 25 of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003 and wave it on the face of any intruding supremo?

  • 5G spectrum: NCC issues final letters of licence award

    5G spectrum: NCC issues final letters of licence award

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has issued final letters of award of the Fifth Generation (5G) Spectrum Licences to MTN and Mafab Communications.

    This is contained in a statement by Dr Ikechukwu Adinde, Director, Public Affairs of NCC, on Wednesday in Abuja.

    Recall that MTN and Mafab won the 3.5 gigahertz (GHz) spectrum auction conducted by the commission in December 2021.

    Adinde said the management of the commission led by its Executive Vice-Chairman, Prof. Umar Danbatta confirmed the development to the Board of Commissioners at the board’s Special Meeting.

    “With the issuance of the final letters of awards of 5G spectrum and in line with the 5G auction’s Information Memorandum (IM), the two licensees are now expected to accelerate deployment of 5G network.

    “That will usher Nigeria into a more robust Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and a more digitised Nigerian economy among the comity of nations.

    “In line with the terms and conditions of the 5G licence, the licensees are expected to commence rollout of 5G services, effective from Aug. 24, 2022,’’ he said.

    Adinde said the 5G network, when deployed, would bring a lot of benefits and opportunities that would engender accelerated growth and smart living in the country.

    “The technology is also expected to bring substantial network improvements, including higher connection speed, mobility and capacity, as well as low-latency capabilities,” he said.

    Adinde said the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Pantami, had officially handed over the spectrum allocation for 5G deployment and the Federal Government approved National Policy on 5G to the commission.

    He, however, said the commission had confirmed the full payment of $273.6 million each by the two spectrum winners, in addition to spectrum assignment fee paid by MTN, for the 5G spectrum licence.

    “The commission is optimistic that effective implementation of the National Policy on 5G will accelerate the actualisation of the national targets in the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP) 2020-2025.

    “The National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) 2020-2030, and other sector policies designed to enhance Nigeria’s digital transformation.

    “The licensees are expected to meet the timetable regarding their 5G network rollout obligations,’’ he said.

    Adinde said the NCC required collective efforts and support of the private sector and government toward transforming every aspect of the nation’s economy through 5G.

    He said that this would herald greater transformation than what the nation witnessed with the 1G, 2G, 3G and 4G,” he said.

  • Pantami commends agencies in communications sector

    Pantami commends agencies in communications sector

    …rallies Stakeholders for Synergy, Evaluation on NDEPS

    …as Danbatta says “NCC raised $563.1M for FG through 3.5GHz auction; 80 million Nigerians have broadband access

    The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Pantami has commended all the agencies in the communications and digital economy sector for being dedicated to the implementation of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) 2020-2030, and urged them to work collaboratively and co-ordinately in order to achieve the Federal Government’s strategic objectives as articulated in NDEPS.

    Pantami stated this at a retreat organised by Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy (FMoCDE) for senior management staff of the Ministry and all its agencies which commenced on March 31, 2022. The retreat was convened to evaluate the implementation of NDEPS in the context of what has been achieved, what needs to be achieved, and what processes should be emplaced to enhance the capacity of the Ministry and Agencies it superintends to mobilise all stakeholders to accomplish the objectives of NDEPS. The retreat took place at the Nigerian Army Officers Wives’ Association (NAOWA) Centre at Mambilla Barracks, Abuja.

    Citing the most recent report of the World Economic Forum (WEF), the Minister in his keynote and opening address told the forum that synergy among stakeholders in terms of co-operative posture, collaboration, coordination, deployment of social skills such as good listening skills, critical and analytical thinking, emotional intelligence, as well as project management and quality assurance skills, are central to organisational effectiveness, successes and the future of work, as projected by WEF. Pantami then urged all the agencies and their staff to challenge themselves to do more rather than think of themselves as competitors.

    Also speaking at the retreat, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta asserted that the NCC has acted superlatively in implementing NDEPS and in the context of the vision of Federal Government and the supervision of the Ministry. Danbatta who made clearly methodical presentation that chronologically documented NCC accomplishments under each of the eight (8) pillars of NDEPS, cited 10 of the 16 regulations that have been instituted in giving expression to Governments vision on developmental regulation, which is the first pillar of NDEPS.

    These regulations were focused on Enforcement Processes, Lawful Interception, Quality of Service, Competition Practices, Licensing Regulations, and Universal Access and Universal Service among others.
    Danbatta promised to also complete the review of the remaining soonest and activate their implementation. Danbatta, who used a triangulation method in contextualising the achievement of NCC under the first pillar, itemised the guidelines, regulations and policy development initiatives to discharge the burden of proof of NCC’s effectiveness in the regulation of ICT and digital economy sector through approaches that enabled development.

    In implementing Digital Literacy and Skills, the second pillar, Danbatta also stated in his clearly explanatory presentation, that the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI), set up by NCC in 2004, had trained 5,352 students through 49 institutions, provided educational training software to 398 secondary schools, and endowed 7 professorial chairs in various Nigerian universities across all the geopolitical zones.

    On Solid Infrastructure, the third pillar of NDEPS, Danbatta stated that broadband penetration as at December 2021 was 40.88 percent, thus enabling 80 million Nigerians to have access to broadband services.

    To reinforce the intensity of NCC’s commitment to improving broadband penetration, the EVC declared to the forum that NCC has emplaced a process for the deployment of optic fibre cable using Infrastructure Companies (Infracos). Danbatta was emphatic that the licensed Infracos have been directed by the Commission to commence immediate roll out without recourse to counterpart funding because the licence issued to them is independent of the counterpart funding agreement. The Infracos are expected to lay 38,296Km of fibre optic cable. Also, in keeping with Government’s directive through a Federal Executive Council decision of 2005, NCC has constructed 32 Emergency Communication Centres (EECs) in various states, and 32 of those have been activated and are operational. Prof. Danbatta also documented copiously in his presentation, Commission’s achievement in the other five pillar areas.

    Dr. Armstrong Takang, an innovative and technology-for-development specialist, who presented the lead paper as guest speaker, praised the Federal Government for concretely aligning ICT, and digital economy with national economic imperatives. Additionally, he commended NCC for driving the necessary infrastructure purposely and strategically, and for its effectiveness in regulating the telecom sector.

    Takang, citing Lagos State and the Federal Capital Territory Administration as good models, Takang emphasised the correlates of adoption of technology or automation in economic growth and effective governance, crediting technology for improved internally-generated revenue in Lagos State. Takang recommended that Nigeria must link technology to specific programmes that are impacting and sustainable. He also asserted that Nigeria needs to undertake pilots for projects that are planned for implementation and utilise the results of the pilots to scale up and for budgeting. Takang also bemoaned the human capital challenge in the ICT sector in Nigeria, insisting that at least 500,000 software engineers are required to redirect efforts for effectiveness of policy.

    The Director overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary in FMoCDE, Engr. Abubakar Ladan, and the following CEOs of the other agencies in the Ministry also made presentations on their efforts and activities towards accomplishing the objectives of NDEPS: Mr. Ayuba Shuaibu, Acting Executive Secretary, Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF); Dr. Abimbola Alale, Managing Director of Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT), represented by Engr. Abdulrahman Adajah; Engr. Aliyu Aziz, Director General, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC); Kachifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA); Prof. Muhammed Abubakar, Managing Director, Galaxy Backbone Plc; Dr. Adebayo Adewusi, Postmaster General of the Federation and Managing Director, Nigeria Postal Services (NIPOST); and Dr. Vincent Olatunji, National Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Data Protection Bureau (NDPB). All the agencies and the Ministry were well represented at the retreat by at least 6 officers in the directorate cadre.

    The retreat will end on April 1, 2022.

  • NCC targets 1 billion devices on 5G in 2 years

    NCC targets 1 billion devices on 5G in 2 years

    The Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) says that it is targeting one billion devices for the Five Generation (5G) network in the next two years.

    NCC Head of Fixed Network Converged Services, Babagana Digima, made this known at the ongoing AfricaNXT 2022 on Thursday in Lagos.

    Digima said that the 5G technology was meant to deliver higher data speeds, ultra-low latency, more reliability, massive network capacity, increased availability, and a more uniform user experience to more users.

    He said that the 5G technology would be faster and able to handle more connected devices than the existing 4G LTE network including smart television and radio.

    According to him, it will also revolutionize and transform people’s way of life and be beneficial for the socio-economic development of Nigeria with enhanced capabilities providing new and enhanced mobile communications services.

    Also speaking at the event, Usman Aliyu, NCC Head of Space Services, said that 5G was faster than the brain and would bring about a lot of innovations with speed.

    Aliyu said that 5G would hasten smart city and have an impact on every aspect including agriculture, education, Information and communication, urban Infrastructure, sports,

    AfricaNXT, formerly known as Social Media Week, is an annual event with over 200 sessions.