Business Briefs
THE Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, has said that it contributes N6 trillion quarterly to the nation’s Gross Domestic Products, GDP. The commission noted that this contribution represents 10 percent of the country’s GDP and that the broadband penetration peaked at 39 percent as at December 2019.
While briefing members of the Senate Committee on Communications, led by Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Prof. Umar Danbatta, executive vice chairman, NCC, said the number of active subscribers stood at 184,699,409 as at December 2019, while active internet subscription by GSM was 125.7 million, fixed wire was 9,670, and voice over internet protocol, VoIP, was 341,001, making a total of 126 million.
Danbatta added that while teledensity was about 96.76 as at December 2019, the commission has also reduced the numbers of underserved and unserved areas of the population, especially those in rural areas from 38 million to 31 million.
He said about N34 billion had been paid by MTN Nigeria to the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission, NBC, in respect of the allocation and regularisation of the 2×10 megahertz, MHz, spectrum in the 700 MHz spectrum for provision of telecoms services.
Danbatta said MTN had also paid the N330 billion fines imposed on it four years ago for infraction on SIM card registration, while the company together with Airtel Nigeria is now listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, making it possible for ordinary Nigerians to own shares in the companies.
– Mar. 13, 2020 @ 21:19 GMT |
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