Nigeria’s Broadband Penetration Hits 44.5%
By Abimbola Abdullahi
Nigeria’s broadband usage has continued on the rise, moving up from 40.9 per cent in February 2022 to 44.5 per cent in July 2022, a figure considered hopeful for achieving the national broadband target of 70 per cent in 2025.
Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Umar Danbatta, who disclosed this at the beginning of a three-day public inquiry on five telecom regulations and guidelines, which began in Abuja, said emerging technologies and advancements in the sector, demand that the commission is prepared to match these developments with appropriate regulations and guidelines.
“With the technological advancements anticipated in the coming years, it is expected that there will be a proliferation of devices in the industry. It is, therefore, essential for the commission to ensure that the right regulatory frameworks can accommodate such eventualities”, he said.
At the event which was attended by all members of the Board of Commissioners, led by its Chairman, Prof. Adeolu Akande, the commission’s boss said the public inquiry which covered five areas of existing regulations, are aimed at achieving operational efficiency and operational excellence.
He listed the regulatory instruments under review at the public inquiry to include: Type Approval Regulations, Guidelines on Short Code Operation in Nigeria, Guidelines on Technical Specifications for the Deployment of Communications Infrastructure, Guidelines on Advertisements and Promotions, as well as Consumer Code of Practice Regulations.
He said the focus areas were already articulated in some important documents guiding the operations of the Commission, which include the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP) 2020 – 2025, the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) 2020 – 2030, NCC’s Strategic Management Plan (SMP) 2020-2024, and its Strategic Vision Implementation Plan (SVIP) 2021–2025, which are being implemented towards achieving its mandate.
Head, Telecoms Laws and Regulations at NCC, Helen Obi, had stated that public inquiry allows the Commission to incorporate the comments and suggestions of industry stakeholders, in the development of its regulatory instruments.
She said the process ensures that the Commission’s regulatory instruments are in line with the current realities in the industry as it had done with some regulatory frameworks and guidelines in 2021.
