NIGERIA – Nigeria’s federal government has officially handed over the spectrum allocation for Fifth Generation (5G) deployment in the country to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, presented the official document on the 3.5GHz spectrum allocation to the Commission.
The Minister commended the NCC leadership for ‘a transparent, fair and credible 3.5GHz spectrum auction’ conducted on December 13, 2021.
Pantami further said that the 5G network, when deployed, will bring a lot of benefits and opportunities that will engender accelerated growth and smart living in the country.
He asserted that the technology will bring substantial network improvements, including higher connection speed, mobility, and capacity, as well as low-latency capabilities.
Earlier, Prof Adeolu Akande, NCC chairman appreciated the Minister for his efforts in ensuring that every clog that could hinder the successful deployment of 5G services are addressed.
It paves the way for mutual understanding and trust among all stakeholders to ensure that the derivable benefits of modern technology are harnessed timely for the nation’s socio-economic development.
Akande said the effective implementation of the National Policy on 5G will help in the actualization of the national targets in the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP) 2020-2025 as well as other sectoral policies.
The collective efforts of the private sector and government support will make the deployment of 5G network transform every aspect of the nation’s economy.
The expected transformation will be greater than what the nation witnessed with the 1G, 2G, 3G, and 4G.
This transformation will see Nigeria take proactive and meticulous steps to be among the leading players in the global digital economy.
“The coast is clear for the country to assign the specific reference in the spectrum to the winners, upon announcement of payments,” said Danbatta, EVC of NCC.
The 5G network will support virtually every sector of the economy, including enhanced connectivity, improved healthcare, support for education, and boosting agriculture in the country.
Nigerian business owners will experience work more quickly and more efficiently – in turn, saving costs and increasing revenue.
The shift from hardware to a software-based network environment will bring about lower overheads for mobile operators. Those savings will, in turn, be able to be passed on to business customers.
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