FG shortlists more investors for national broadband project

 

 

The federal Government through the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) has planned to continue the implementation of the 2013-2018 National Broadband Plan (NBP) stating that plan has been fine-tuned to license five new Broadband deployment Infrastructure Companies (InfraCos) before the end of first quarter into the year.

The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) Professor Umar Dambatta who made this known stated further that the two firms already licensed to handle broadband deployment in Lagos and North Central Zones have been invited for discussion in the bid to fast track infrastructure deployment on the National Broadband Plan.

Although the industry regulator is yet to approve licenses for the other five Zones of North East, North West, South- South, South West and South East but the EVC admitted that not much was going on in the deployment of services in the two licensed zones.

He, however, explained that discussion is on-going in the bid to address the challenges MainOne which won the Lagos central license for broadband deployment in Lagos is facing stating that HIS consortium which won the license for the North Central will also be engage.

He Said the Federal government wants to grow the sector's contribution to the Nation’s Gross Domestic Product(GDP) and create jobs with the deployment of broadband services nationwide stating that the government is ready to address challenges that is delaying service deployment.

He further assured that licenses for the other Zones will be ready before March of this year stating further that the process for licensing the new five zones will be determined by the report submitted by the committee set up for that purpose.

He said, “Nigeria’s internet access hiccups characteriesd by slow, high cost, exasperating access to the cyberspace, inspite of the growing numbers of underwater cable systems in the country coast line, would soon be resolved.

“The InfraCos Committee will soon submit their report for consideration. I can assure a new industry structure will be adopted to engender effective competition at all layers as well as drive innovation and speed broadband infrastructure nationwide.”

According to the NCC chief the telecoms industry has thus far generated about 2.5millio direct and indirect jobs explaining that out of this figure 500,000 million represented the number of directed jobs generated while the number of indirect ones was put at two million.

Hence he said with provision of broadband license to the other regions of the country Nigeria is open for more investment, attract new investor, encourage more ICT innovations and as well engender healthy competition in the industry.