Broadband penetration hits 44.5% as NCC reviews Short Code services

Nigeria’s broadband usage has increased 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.

The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, disclosed this at the beginning of a three-day public inquiry on five telecom regulations and guidelines which began in Abuja on Tuesday.

Danbatta said emerging technologies and advancements in the sector demand the commission’s preparedness 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 CEO said the public inquiry which covered five areas of existing regulations, was aimed at achieving operational efficiency and operational excellence.

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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, and Consumer Code of Practice Regulations.

Danbatta 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 were being implemented towards achieving its mandate.

The NCC boss, who stated that the strides were the results of the commission’s regulatory efficiency and focused implementation of policies and strategies of the Federal Government of Nigeria, said the public inquiry was in tandem with the commission’s strategy of consulting stakeholders in all its regulatory interventions.

Danbatta further stated that the amendment of these regulatory instruments were to reflect current realities, one of which was the anticipated deployment of the Fifth Generation (5G) technology, and management of short codes in Nigeria, including the Toll-Free Emergency Code 112.

Also speaking at the event, the Head, Telecoms Laws and Regulations at NCC, Helen Obi, said public inquiry allows the commission to incorporate the comments and suggestions of industry stakeholders, in the development of its regulatory instruments.

Obi 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.

The Star