Business
By Anthony Isibor.
THE Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, has indicated its intention to offset the cost of relocating the Nigeria, NG-1R satellite of NigComSat to the standard C-band 300MHz (3.9GHz – 4.2GHz) portion of the band.
Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, executive vice chairman of NCC, stated this at the recent signing of the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, between the NCC and Nigerian Communications Satellite (NigComSAT) to facilitate the release of contiguous bandwidth which is one of the most suitable frequency spectra bands for early deployment of fifth-generation, 5G, Network services in Nigeria.
The MoU signing ceremony was the climax of the discussions between the two organizations on how to relocate the NG-1R satellite of NigComSat to the standard C-band 300MHz (3.9GHz – 4.2GHz) portion of the band, which is considered more suitable in terms of satellite service offering because of the advantage of cheaper terminal devices for end-users.
Danbatta, who described the MoU as historical, said that the NCC plans to finance the relocation of the NG-1R “Through the proceeds generated from the offset of the auction of the 5G spectrum.
This cost, industry players said runs into millions but will help boost the sector if achieved within a timeline without undue bureaucratic delays.
According to Danbatta, to ensure an “Optimal 5G service performance, an average of contiguous 100 MHz of spectrum in the C-band is required by an operator.
“However, in Nigeria, only 120 MHz of the band (3.4 – 3.52) GHz is available for mobile services while the remaining 680 MHz (3.52 – 4.2) GHz of the band is used by NigComSat (NG-1R) satellites, he said.
He said that the MoU would go a long way in making a positive impact on the Nigerian economy, and will offer a new chapter of cooperation, collaborations, and mutual assistance that would further spur the growth of the telecommunications ecosystem in the country.
As reported by ITREALMS, NigComSAT-1R, in December 2011, became a replacement for the first Nigerian satellite otherwise known as NigComSAT-1 put in orbit since May 2007 and was de-orbited in November 2008 following the development of power fault.
It also revealed that NigComSat-1R, Nigeria’s only communications satellite will only last until 2026 when the satellite would expire. ITREALMS.
-May 13, 2021 @ 04:35 GMT
A.I
Tags: NIGCOMSAT Nigerian Communications Commission
