NNBP 2020-2025: NCC Consolidate Efforts to Achieve 25Mbps Internet Speed, 60% Towers Connection to Fibre by 2025

…Partner NigComSat on 400MHz prime spectrum for Next Generation Network deployment

In an effort to raise the performance bar for the Nigerian telecom industry, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has disclosed its intention to achieve 25Mbps and 15Mbps internet speed in urban and rural areas respectively in five years as contained in the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP) 2020-2025.

NCC’s Executive Vice Chairman, Prof Umar Garba Danbatta made this known at the virtual structured engagement with key stakeholders in the Nigerian telecom & ICT sector on the new national broadband plan (NNBP) 2020-2025 organised by the Association of Telecommunications Company of Nigeria (ATCON).

Ably represented by the Director of Digital Economy, NCC, Dr Austine Nwaulune, he said some of the targets of the NNBP 2020-2025 include, ensuring 60% of all telecom towers are connected by fibre, interconnection of 90% of all LGA’s by fibre, 70% Population penetration, 100% of Tertiary Institutions to be within 5Km of a fibre Point of Access (PoA), connection of 1 major hospital or General hospital per LGA via fibre.

 

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Others include the establishment of at least one (1) local assembly or manufacture of smart devices and reduction of Right of Way (RoW) to N145/m.

During the paper presentation titled “Aggregating the Potential of the Sub-Sector to Meet the New Broadband Set Target Of 70%”, the EVC noted that it is obvious that both Government, the industry and other stakeholders need to aggregate their potentials and expertise to achieve these targets.

Danbatta also said NCC has already commenced some of this consolidation with the directive issued to Infraco licensees to commence the immediate roll-out of optic fibre cables (OFC) as contained in their license agreements to all the LGA headquarters by giving them freehand to start from viable areas and gradually move to unviable areas while the expected counter-part funding from Government is being finalized.

Speaking further, Danbatta said the commission jas collaborated with NigComSat to ensure availability of 400MHz prime spectrum for Next Generation Network deployment in the near future.

This, according to him, is an equally important consolidation in the area of spectrum availability and the Commission’s finalization of the Spectrum Trading Guidelines.

Addressing the issue of RoW, Danbatta urged the States and Local Governments to ensure full adoption and cascading of the decision for implementation of N145/m or outright waiver Right-of-Way (RoW) which has already been adopted by some State Governments.

He emphasized that the Commission’s regulatory thrust also towards enabling National Roaming, approval of e-SIM and 5G trials have also aggregated the efforts of the industry players towards achieving the set target.

“I wish to assure you that the Commission shall continue to proactively provide the necessary regulatory interventions which will facilitate the achievement of not only the 70% broadband penetration target but other associated targets as well which will truly transform our economy into a Digital Economy”, he said.