Nation
Two Nigerian Telecom Operators Set For 5G Rollout
Indications have emerged that telecom operators, MTN Nigeria and Airtel Nigeria, will likely be the first two players to roll out the fifth generation 5G network in Nigeria by January 2022. “The Executive Vice President of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC , Prof. Umar Dambatta, revealed this yesterday, when he shed more light on the 5G roadmap at the Nigerian E-Government Summit in Lagos.
Danbatta, while delivering a keynote speech at the forum, revealed that the commission had given Airtel the right to demonstrate its own 5G services, to determine how efficient it can be.
Recall that MTN was given the same opportunity and the test took place in 2019. According to Danbatta, the NCC is in the process of another non-commercial test with Airtel.
He said: “We recently granted approval to non-commercial 5G and 3.5G Proof-of-Concept (PoC) tests to MTN Communications PLC, and we are now in the process of another non-commercial test with Airtel. Airtel has also confirmed the development, saying the trial should have taken place in September.
A trusted Airtel source who declined to be quoted said: “True, we are ready to begin non-commercial 5G testing across the country. The trials should have happened this September, but we will start very soon, “he added.
Danbatta also noted that since his commission issued the Spectrum Trading Guidelines to allow operators to transfer, lease or share spectrum resources, only MTN and Airtel have completed the acquisition of spectrum bands.
“Spectrum’s two-band trading, the 2 x 10MHz transfer on the 900MHz Extended GSM Band from Intercell to Airtel, and 2 x 10MHz on the 800MHz band from Intercell to MTN, have been commercialized successfully,” he said.
Although the NCC did not specifically say when the 5G network in the country will be shut down, as the license auction has yet to take place, trusted internal sources said, the rollout of the network will begin in January 2022.
Represented at the summit by Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management, Barr Adewolu Adeleke, Danbata said: “Following the presidential approval of the 5G Policy, we have developed a 5G implementation plan for Nigeria’s digital economy and created a committee to auction the 3.5 GHz band for the deployment of 5G in Nigeria. Details of the auction will be announced in due course.
“The Commission is updating the National Frequency Allocation Table, NFAT, for more efficient spectrum allocation and use to reflect the recommendations of WRC-19. We are also opening up some new spectrum bands for use, such as the 60 GHz V band and the 70/80 GHz E band for point-to-point and point-to-multipoint deployments.
“We are working in collaboration with the National Frequency Management Council, NFMC and the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, to ensure that the 700MHz and 2.6GHz bands are completely free of any encumbrance so that they can be assigned to Operators for their implementations. broadband.
“We recently granted approval for proof of concept (PoC) and non-commercial 5G trial in the 3.5 and 26GHz bands to MTN Communications PLC.
Rivers state Deputy Governor Professor Ngozi Nma Odu has commended “The Port Harcourt City One Love,”a Port Harcourt based humanitarian orgnisation For it’s commitment towards alleviating the sufferings of the poor and vulnerable in the society.
Professor Ngozi Nma Odu said this while speaking at this year’s edition of “operation feed the needy” a yearly outreach program of “The Port Harcourt City One Love ” in Port Harcourt.
The Deputy Governor said by feeding more than sixty thousands hungry people within the past six years, the Port Harcourt City One Love Movement has distinguished itself as a club that cares for the less privilege in the society.
She commended the , organization for listing eleven thousand persons to be fed in the current exercise.
Meanwhile The Port Harcourt City One Love has planned a permanent solution to the problem of feeding the poor in the state.
The leader of the group Mr Idaere Gogo Ogan who said this in an interview with newsmen during the distribution of food items to the poor and vulnerables in Port Harcourt said the organization is planning a permanent food kitchen where poor and vulnerable persons can work in anytime and get fed.
Idaere Gogo Ogan said more than sixty thousands poor and vulnerable persons across Port Harcourt City and environs have been fed since the inception of “The operation feed the needy” program six years ago,adding that so far sixty thousands poor and vulnerable persons have beneffited.
He described the group as a platform to promote friendship, brotherhood, community development empathy and feeding the less privilege and hungry people
“That’s what we are doing today here,so we started the exercise six years ago”.he said.
Ogan said the effort was a private sector driven initiative but added “it also involves people in Government because the platform does not recognize any division,we bring everybody together in unity , friendship and brotherhood”he said.
He said the effort will go along way in alleviating hunger especially following the prevailing hunger in the country.
According to him “you know the country is very tough, people are hungry people are starving, there is a whole lot of economic hardship,so for us, this is just our own way of reaching out, our own social contribution to what is very difficult”he said.
Over eleven thousand persons were fed in the just concluded exercise.
Areas of coverage include, Isaac Boro park, Port Harcourt prison/Macoba, Borokiri/Enugu waterside Bundu areas Waterlines and others.
Some of the beneficiaries including an 80 years old widow commended the movement for the annual programm and urged other organizations to emulate them
John Bibor,/Esuuk Oyet/Suotor Memoye /Jeremiah Hannah
Nation
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“This intervention aims to help close that gap by providing financing that supports job creation, business expansion, and long-term sustainability for women entrepreneurs”, Edun said.
Group Head, SheVentures and Impact Segments at First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Nnenna Jacob-Ogogo said access to affordable finance remains a major constraint for women entrepreneurs.
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