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Tag: Telecom Infrastructure

  • It’s now a criminal offence to destroy Telecom infrastructure-Tinubu’s minister warns

    It’s now a criminal offence to destroy Telecom infrastructure-Tinubu’s minister warns

    President Bola Tinubu has released an official gazette designating telecom infrastructure as critical national information infrastructure and making it a criminal offence for anyone to wilfully destroy such infrastructure in the country

    The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani disclosed this on Wednesday.

    According to him, the gazette, ‘Designation and Protection of Critical National Information Infrastructure Order, 2024’, is a significant step that would strengthen and protect investments in the ICT sector by reducing incidences capable of damaging the operations and functionality of the country’s technological systems, infrastructure, and networks.

    While thanking the President for releasing the official gazette, Tijani said the security and protection of the Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) is a priority for the administration.

    The Minister added that designating telecom infrastructure as CNII and would help improve the quality of telecom services, which have often been affected by disruption and intentional damage.

    “This gazette now makes it an offence to wilfully damage assets such as telco towers/sites, switch stations, data centres, satellite infrastructure, submarine & fibre optic cables, transmission equipment, e-government platforms, databases among many others,” he said.

    Tijani said the government would continue to work to create an enabling and supportive environment and policies for the digital economy to thrive.

    Recall that over the years, stakeholders in the Nigerian ICT sector have been calling on the government to designate telecom infrastructure as a critical national asset to address the persistent attacks on the infrastructure across the country.

    In March this year, the Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria, Gbenga Adebayo, reiterated the call as Nigeria suffered an internet outage due to damage to some fibre optic cables.

    In 2023 alone, MTN Nigeria said it suffered more than 6,000 cuts on its fiber cable. The operator relocated 2,500 kilometres of vulnerable fiber cables between 2022 and 2023, at a cost of more than N11bn —enough to build 870 kilometres of new fiber lines in areas without coverage.

    Earlier this month, the Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Nigeria, Carl Cruz, while speaking during an industry forum, said the telecom company has been recording an average of 1,000 cases of fibre cuts every month.

  • Over 50,000 telecom infrastructure destruction reported in 5 years

    Over 50,000 telecom infrastructure destruction reported in 5 years

    Over 50,000 cases of major destruction to telecom infrastructure and facilities have been reported across the country in the past five years, raising alarm over the implication of these incidents to the quality of telecommunications services in Nigeria.

    Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, who disclosed this at the 2022 edition of Youth Civil Society and Stakeholders Summit (YCSSS), which took place midweek at the Army Resource Centre, Abuja, expressed worry over how the incidents have continued to affect the Quality of Experience, (QoE), of consumers, and called for concerted efforts by the members of the public, and security agencies, to stem the tide.

    Danbatta, who spoke through the Head, Corporate Communication Unit of the Commission, Mrs. Nnena Ukoha, said the negative impacts of incessant vandalism of telecom equipment, evidenced in fibre cuts, theft of telecom facilities like generators at sites, vandalism of base stations, among other vices, have become a major burden on the service providers, while telecom consumers have continued to suffer unwarranted disruptions of their hard-earned services.

    “The impact of  vandalism of infrastructure is felt by all in the quality of services rendered, as it results in increasing drop calls, data and Internet connectivity disruptions, aborted and undelivered short messaging services (SMS), as well as countless failed calls”, he said.

    The NCC‘s Chief Executive Officer said that, considering the well-known fact that the ability to connect and communicate is fundamental to human existence, improvement in businesses processes, government services, education, as well as social and family networking through seamless connections, every community should get involved in protecting the critical infrastructure that makes these services possible.

    “Therefore, as a community, you are expected to report cases of vandalism of telecoms infrastructure to the nearest law enforcement agencies such as the Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and also share adequate information received from NCC with your family, friends, and neighbours.

    “We believe, with your cooperation as critical stakeholders in the telecoms sector, we can all work with the law enforcement authorities in protecting telecom infrastructure in your community”, Danbatta stated to emphasise the role of the communities in protecting critical national assets.

  • Olubadan of Ibadan backs clamour for protection of telecom infrastructure

    Olubadan of Ibadan backs clamour for protection of telecom infrastructure

    The advocacy for telecom infrastructure protection across the country by the Nigerian Communications Commission, (NCC) has received royal blessings and support of the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Lekan Balogun, who has urged every citizen in Nigerian to take responsibility for the protection of telecom facilities for mutual benefit of all.

    The monarch, who spoke through the Ayingun Olubadan of Ibadanland, Chief Ademola Odunade, at the Village Square Dialogue (VSD) of NCC at the Mapo Hall, Ibadan recently, advised the Nigerian public “to support NCC to achieve its objectives of protecting telecoms consumer because this should be seen as a collective responsibility.”

    The event, which was presided over by the Chairman of the Board of the NCC, Prof. Adeolu Akande, was designed to discuss one of the most important issues affecting the operations of the telecom industry – the protection of telecoms infrastructure to guarantee improved quality of service for benefits of businesses and the consumers.

    Akande, in his address to guests at the forum that witnessed large turnout of traditional rulers, representatives of telecom operators and consumers, asked the consumers and other stakeholders to join hands in protecting telecoms infrastructure in their communities to ensure sustained connectivity.

    Akande said the objective of the consumer engagement was “to explore how we can all protect telecom infrastructure to continue to provide us with life-supporting services and we are happy to bring this programme to Oyo State to really sensitise telecom consumers and other critical stakeholders in this regard.”

    Prof. Akande noted that without telecom infrastructure, it will be difficult to communicate with family and friends over long distances while conducting banking, insurance, or access government services, education, entertainment and other essentials of life.

    “This means that telecom infrastructure is important, and we must all ensure that we guard and protect this Critical National Infrastructure,” Akande said.

    He also listed such destabilising situations in the telecom sector to include the negative attitudes and actions of hostile communities; theft of diesel, batteries and power generators from base stations; digging up and cutting of fibre optic cables; sealing/locking up of Base Transceiver Station (BTS) sites and other disruptive activities which must be tackled decisively.

    Director, Consumer Affairs Bureau of NCC, Efosa Idehen, who commended the consumers from the Ibadan axis for turning out in numbers, pledged the Commission’s commitment towards the care of the consumers. Idehen stated that NCC has the responsibility to protect, inform and educate the million of telecom consumers in the country.

    “Therefore, part of activities to deliver on this mandate is this type of programme holding in Ibadan today. We value your feedback on all kinds of services you receive in the telecoms sector but most importantly, we implore you to join hands in protecting telecom infrastructure in your areas,” he said.

    Idehen advised members of the public to report any suspected cases of threats to telecoms infrastructure to law enforcement agents in their areas for necessary interventions. He reminded them that they can call toll-free numbers 112 in cases of emergencies or 622 to report complaints bordering on telecommunications services to the NCC.

  • NCC assures of data availability, advances talks on licensing more Infracos

    Tony Ojobo, Director Public Affairs at the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, has said the significance of data availability through robust broadband is a key resource to the building of a digital economy.

    Ojobo declared in a keynote address he delivered extemporaneously at a critical segment of the just concluded Digital PayExpo in Lagos tagged Data Fiesta.

    Data Fiesta, came up for the first time at the 17-year old event to demonstrate the importance of data and broadband infrastructure in the implementation of an impeccable payment systems in the country.

    Accordingly, Ojobo took the stage to engage the audience, giving anecdotal evidence of the value of data so notable in massive sales by Nigerian-based online malls such as Yudala, Jumia, Konga and among others.

    He noted that the huge online banking transactions that have reduced physical traffic to the banking halls, and the amazing innovations and creativity bolstered by access to data and the Internet are proofs of what is possible with good broadband and also speaks to greater opportunities in the future which are already seen in many start-ups businesses.

    “This explains why NCC is opening up new and additional spectrum bands as data needs are growing in order to increase availability of data,” Ojobo told the audience.

    He recalled the auction of frequencies in the 2.3GHz, 2.6GHz, the re-planning of the 800MHz for LTE services, the re-farming of older frequencies held by operators in the sector – all of which are earmarked for data – as concrete steps taken by the NCC to ensure availability of data.

    He added that there are also measurable derivable benefits for the data segment in the NCC’s technology neutrality stance.

    Ojobo said all these are proofs of NCC’s mindfulness of the centrality of data for economic growth and development.

    The NCC Director of Public Affairs also reminded the audience of the licensing of two infrastructure companies (Infracos) two years ago and stated that the action was designed to push the deployment of backbone fibre across the country, and informed the audience that NCC has instituted processes for the licensing of additional five Infracos for the same purpose and to strengthen the wireless technology resources available in the telecom sector.

    Ojobo told the audience that the Commission is also engaging every stakeholder to secure required collaboration in all its activities.

    He recalled the visits of Management of the Commission to some State Governors to ensure that operators are given necessary permits to deploy infrastructure in the States, and he said these efforts have yielded good results most recently in Ogun and Kano States.

    Ojobo also told the audience that NCC will continue to liaise with the National Assembly and other relevant institutions of government to ensure that the Bill on the Protection of Critical National Infrastructure is passed speedily to check the recurring vandalism and theft of telecom infrastructure and equipment because of the attendant disruptions the damage and theft of equipment impose on the quality of service.