The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) together with other key stakeholders in Nigeria’s ICT ecosystem have kick-start a process that will help fast-track the achieving of the 70 per cent broadband penetration, which adopted recently in Abuja, the nation’s capital with all major stakeholders in attendance.
The Commission is taking advantage of the abundance of the Television White Space to enhance the achievement of the 70 per cent Broadband Penetration.
At the stakeholders Consultative Forum, the NCC said it is harnessing Television White Space (TVWS) for actualisation of the target 70 per cent.
The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, who spoke through the Commission’s Director of Spectrum Administration, Austin Nwalunne, at the consultative forum on rural connectivity using TVWS, held in Abuja, said NCC is exploring this seminal phenomenon because of its awareness of the enormous opportunities of TVWS as an alternative mode of spectrum utilization.
Television White Spaces are the unused portions of the television broadcast spectrum that can be deployed for telecommunication services. “Its opportunities range from coverage capabilities as well as efficient and effective utilization of the unused broadcasting spectrum”, Danbatta told the participants at the forum also attended by the Minister of Communications, Mr. Adebayo Shittu, and the President of Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Mr. Olu Teniola.
According to Danbatta, the opportunities inherent in the TVWS explain why the Commission decided to call on all relevant stakeholders to make inputs that would be considered in developing a regulatory framework for TVWS especially to bridge the digital divide.
Danbatta recalled other initiatives of NCC designed to promote rural connectivity.
Among these are: The Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) interventions through subsidy to to expand the frontiers of connectivity especially in unserved and underserved areas; Review of Roll-out-Obligations of operators to cover rural areas; Approval for the deployment of different rural connectivity solutions, such as the use of 800 MHz Spectrum for backhauling, as well as for access; Stimulating uptake of services in rural areas through bandwidth provisioning in schools and rural community centres; Engaging government at state levels to eliminates multiple taxation and the harmonization of Right of Way charges.