NCC Set For 5G Deployment

The Executive Vice Chairman of Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), Professor Umar Garba Danbatta, has  confirmed the commission’s  readiness to kick start full implementation of the 5G deployment in the country.
Danbatta said this at  the annual African Tech Alliance Forum (AfriTech 2021) held in Lagos with the theme: “Embracing Changes and Digital Transformation in the New Normal.” recently.
Stressing on “NCC as a Digital Transformation Crusader and Nigeria’s in-Road to 5G Deployment,” he noted  that since  the advent of COVID-19 pandemic,  that there has been a change in the dynamics of people’s interaction, especially on the Internet.
According to him, almost every means of communication has become virtual in one way or the other.
The NCC boss, however, stated that the  paradigm shift in communication has so far, led to significant increase in network connectivity requirements.
He argued that such was  as a result of unprecedented upsurge in Internet traffic, occasioned by the use of a plethora of web applications such as Zoom, Microsoft teams, WebEx, Goto, Webner among others.
 ”This has made remote work, virtual meetings, virtual studies and virtual healthcare delivery, among others, the new normal”, he said.
According to him, even though, the network infrastructure in Nigeria has demonstrated some capacity to contain the surge in internet traffic, a lot of work had  being done by the Commission to boost network capacity.
The effort, he said, will aid in sensitising the public and ensure accessibility to affordable connectivity during the period of the pandemic and beyond.
The NCC boss, who spoke via the   Director, Spectrum Administration, Engr. Oluwatoyin Asaju,  and the Director, Public Affairs, Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde said the NCC was  working with operators to implement a number of initiatives to ensure network expansion due to the network traffic demand.
These, he said, include ongoing plan to auction spectrum in 3.5 gigahertz (Ghz) band to operators for the deployment of 5G network in Nigeria.
“Consistent with our mandate as enshrined in the Nigerian Communications Act 2003 (NCA-2003) and other guiding legislations, we have been working to ensure the penetration of broadband services in line with Federal Government’s targets, as contained in Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP), 2020 to 2025″, he said.
Also, he pointed out that the agency was set for the auction some spectrum slots in 3.5GHz band. 
“The other day I was at the National assembly, I informed the senate that we were 95 per cent ready for 5G. Today as we speak, I am delighted to tell you that we are already at 97 per cent completion,” he  said.
In addition, he listed other initiatives being put in place by the Commission to improve broadband connectivity in Nigeria,  and added that the surge in Internet traffic induced by Covid-19 has continued to challenge National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) and other arms of governments.
“Emerging technologies such as 5G, which NCC is driving aggressively in Nigeria, Internet of Things (IoT); Cloud Computing; Quantum Computing Augmented/Virtual Reality, and similar emerging technologies are playing a critical role in improving remote communication over the internet with great user experience”, he said.