Science & Tech
By Benprince Ezeh
Professor Umar Garba Danbatta, executive vice chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, has explained why the global community is investing in broadband.
According to Danbatta, “the potential in broadband penetration are 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”.
At an interactive session with the media in Lagos, on Monday, April 16, the executive vice chairman reiterated that broadband penetration was one of his eight-point agenda.
He said that a World Bank study concluded that a 10-percentage point increase in fixed broadband penetration would increase GDP growth by 1.21 percent in developed economies, and 1.38 percent in developing ones.
“Hence, the clamoring for deployment of broadbank, and the Nigeria Communications Commission is not relenting in leading Nigeria to that destination of pervasive broadband services. Within the threshold of the third year of the five-year eight-point agenda, the commission has made satisfactory progress towards realising the objectives of the agenda, especially as it relates to broadband penetration,” he said.
According to him, a major milestone was achieved recently with the licensing of four Infracos (Infrastructure service providers). Recently, Zinox Technology Limited was licensed for broadband infrastructure provisioning for South East zone while Brinks Integrated Solutions Limited was issued license for the North East zone. Infrastructure Company Limited, a subsidiary of MainOne Cable Company Limited, had earlier been licensed to provide services in Lagos while IHS was issued a license to cover the North Central zone, inlcuding Abuja. The INFRACO licenses are based on NCC’s Open Access Model, OAM, in line with the National Broadband Plan.
Licenses are being processed for South South, South West and North West Zones, he said.
– Apr. 19, 2018 @ 19:56 GMT
Tags: Nigeria Communications Commission Professor Umar Garba Danbatta
