TheNewsGuru

Tag: Infraco

  • NCC constitutes committee to review framework for licensing InfraCo

    NCC constitutes committee to review framework for licensing InfraCo

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has constituted a committee to review the framework for the licensing of Infrastructure Companies (InfraCo).

    The committee is also expected to recommend sustainable funding options for effective implementation of the proposed national fibre project.

    Dr Ikechukwu Adinde, Director, Public Affairs, NCC, said this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

    Adinde said that the constitution of the committee was sequel to the requirements of the new Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP 2020-2025), and reports of relevant committees set up by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

    He listed other committees set up by the FEC to include the Inter-Ministerial Review Committee on Multiple Taxation on Telecommunications Operators over Right-of-Way (RoW), and the Technical Sub-Committee on Right-of-Way for Deepening Broadband Penetration in Nigeria.

    According to him, these requirements and reports relate to the imperative of reviewing the InfraCO framework to cater for the delays in take-off and change in exchange rate.

    He added that the framework would also cater for supply chain and other challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

    ”So far, the committee set up by the commission has met with all licensed InfraCos, as well as the preferred bidder for the North-Central zone.

    ”The committee is also looking at the challenges facing the InfraCo project, the need for accelerated deployment of fibre infrastructure and means of mitigating the exorbitant RoW charges, among others,” he said.

    According to him, the commission is also working actively with the Broadband Implementation Steering Committee (BISC), as constituted by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, based on the recommendations and requirements of the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP 2020-2025).

    Providing updates on the status of the InfraCo project, the Executive Vice Chairman, NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, said the InfraCo project is dear to the government because of its ability to enhance robust and pervasive broadband infrastructure.

    ”This will drive service availability, accessibility and affordability.

    ”We are keen on ensuring the project delivers maximum benefits for the economy at large and that is why the ongoing review is very critical to the overall success of the project in line with the new realities of the time,” he said.

    Adinde said that Danbatta, while clarifying the current status of the InfraCo project, dismissed reports suggesting that the commission was inching toward executing the counter-part funding in respect of the project.

  • Broadband deployment: Infraco for North-Central withdraws

    Infrastructure service provider (infraco) licenced for broadband infrastructure provisioning in the North-Central region of Nigeria has withdrawn.

    TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, made this known in Lagos on Friday.

    He made this known during the 2018 4th Quarter Forum of the Nigeria Information Technology Reporters’ Association (NITRA) with the theme: Achieving Last-Mile Connectivity Through Affordable Broadband’.

    Danbatta said that the core of robust and reliable telecommunications service was broadband infrastructure, which would provide the needed impetus to achieve last mile connectivity.

    He said that NCC’s commitment to achieve the three ‘A’s of Availability, Accessibility and Affordability was 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,” the NCC boss said.

    He said that a major milestone was achieved recently with the licensing of four infracos to provide broadband infrastructure.

    Danbatta said that these companies were licenced for broadband infrastructure provisioning in the different regions of the country.

    According to him, Zinox Technology Ltd is for South-East Zone; Brinks Integrated Solutions Ltd for North-East Zone; O’odua Infraco Resource Ltd. for the South-West; and Raeanna Technologies Ltd. for the South-South.

    “The Commission had earlier licenced two InfraCos for Lagos in the South-West and North-Central regions which are Infrastructure Company Ltd. (a subsidiary of MainOne Cable Company Ltd.) and IHS Ltd. respectively.

    “However, efforts are underway to licence an Infraco for the North-Central, following the withdrawal of the licenced Infraco.

    “The Licencees are to provide fibre optic infrastructure on an Open Access basis for any telecommunications company to link its network and expand to deploy its services,” he said.

    The NCC boss, who also at the NITRA forum said the coverage of Fourth Generation (4G) technology in the country is still low, did not, however, state why the licenced infroco withdrew.

    Represented by Dr Henry Nkemadu, Deputy Director/Head, Special Intervention Projects, NCC, Danbatta said that there had been a tremendous growth and increasing ubiquity of the mobile networks in Nigeria.

    He, however, said that there was still a proportion of the population that were under-served or unserved with universal access to mobile and the internet.

    “Generally, the most pervasive networks are on 2G coverage and reaches about 90 per cent of the population, while the 3G or 4G coverage still low and a section with little or no coverage,’’ the NCC boss said.

    He said that the telecommunications regulatory body had facilitated universal access to Information and Communication Technology (ICT) services by providing enabling regulatory interventions to stimulate competition among the industry players.

    According to him, there is an appreciable number of submarine cables landing in Nigeria, delivering a capacity of about 9 Terabits capacity to the country.

    “This is mainly limited to landing points in the Lagos areas and some coastal states like 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.

    “In the meantime, many of the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) have islands of cables interconnected in areas of high traffic like 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.

     

  • Submarine cable outage interrupts MainOne operations in West Africa

    For the first time in seven years it began operations, MainOne services in West Africa were disrupted due to its submarine cable outage 3000KM offshore Portugal.

    The incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday June 18th, 2017, TheNewsGuru learnt from the company’s website.

    The outage, according to the Company, is the first of its kind in seven years since the infrastructure company came into operations.

    Confirming the report, MainOne marketing communications lead, Mr Temi Osunrinde said the Company experienced fault on the submarine cable system, 3000KM offshore Portugal which has caused disruptions in service to its international connectivity customers in West Africa.

    He said they have worked assiduously to ensure customers have reprieves, adding that they could restore full capacity within the next ten days.

    “Supported by our cable maintenance arrangement with the Atlantic Cable Maintenance & Repair Agreement (ACMA), we immediately mobilized a repair vessel from France early Monday morning to pick up the necessary spares and personnel to recover the affected sections of the submarine cable in the Atlantic Ocean and effect repairs. The current estimated time for the repairs may be up to 14 days,” said Osunrinde.

    “We said 14 days because that is the industry best practices, but full capacity could be restored within ten days. We are working round the clock to ensure customers get reprieve,” he further stated.

    The Company said that whilst this is an event beyond their control in the ordinary and normal course of business, the management has in the interim, made available existing restoration capacity and have secured additional capacity to offer temporary relief to the customers, where feasible.

    “We will continue to provide updates on the progress of the repair works as we assure our customers that all hands are on deck to fully restore all services and the MainOne quality that they have come to rely on,” Osunrinde concluded.