NCC SET TO IMPROVE TELECOM BROADBAND
NCC SET
TO IMPROVE TELECOM BROADBAND
The Nigerian
Communications Commission (NCC) says it has concluded plans to re position the
telecommunications industry in Nigeria to ensure network spreads to everywhere
in the country.
The Executive Vice
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, Prof. Umar Danbatta
said this during an annual stakeholders’ consultative forum on selected licence
categories in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital on Wednesday,
tagged, ‘talk to the regulator, 2018’.
Danbatta who was
represented in the meeting by the Director, Licensing and Authorisation, Ms
Funlola Akiode noted that the commission has licensed infrastructural companies
to commence shared access broadband infrastructure across the country on an
output based incentive system.
He said “Our
framework will ensure that telecom subscribers truly get added value when they
sign up for such services, and that all stakeholders along the value chain are
treated equitably so that the industry can grow.
“Our expectation is
that licensees will compliment interventions like these from the commission in
instituting best practices while running their activities.”
He called on the
operators to key into the commission’s technology neutral regulatory focus
policy for a better service delivery.
According to him
“The technology neutral regulatory focus of the Commission is a plus in this
regard. It is something licensees should exploit when thinking solutions to the
challenges faced in the sector.”
The forum was aimed
at addressing identified problems hindering broadband penetration targets in
the country.
“This forum is
aimed at fostering harmonious relationship with licensees, identifying their
challenges and providing feedbacks on licensees’ fulfillment of their licence
obligations and to re-emphasis the role of licensees in ensuring good quality
of service and partnership towards the achievement of the Broadband penetration
targets.
“It is noteworthy
that the Nigerian telecommunications industry has continued to make giant
strides which is evidenced in the progressive growth of mobile telephony and
internet penetration/data usage. However, there are concerns on the
telecom/internet quality of service by subscribers.” Akiode added.
Meanwhile licensees
in the industry urged the commission to facilitate moves for investments to
boost economy.
In an interview
with newsmen at the event, a lincensees, Mr. Basil Njoku observed
that most rural areas in the country are still neglected in terms of Internet
Service Providers (ISPs).
He noted that the
development is affecting negatively the growth of the industry and the economy.
He said, “The rural
areas are being neglected. The ISPs are not there and this is one of the major
areas government needs to be interested in, to support the licenses and see how
we can get into such areas because individuals cannot achieve that project
alone”
“The licenses also
need to know what is currently obtainable in the industry, digital world is
evolving and NCC is not doing anything to educate and retrain the lincensees to
embrace this developments but we hope that this forum would address such
challenges.”
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