Almost a week before the deadline set by the NCC for payment of the spectrum fee of the winners of the 3.5GHz spectrum auction, the Federal Government officially provided the spectrum allocation for Fifth Generation (5G) deployment in the Nigerian country. Communications Commission.
The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, who also wears the hat of the Chairman, National Frequency Management Council (NFMC), presented the official document on 3.5GHz spectrum allocation to the Commission at a public event held at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja on Thursday, February 17, 2022.
The 5G spectrum allocation document was received by the Chairman, NCC Board of Commissioners, Prof. Adeolu Akande, and Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the Commission, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, on behalf of the Commission.
Speaking at the event, which also witnessed the public presentation of the National Policy on 5G Networks, a document earlier launched by President Muhammadu Buhari on January 25, 2022, the Minister commended the NCC leadership for ‘a transparent, fair and credible -believable 3.5GHz spectrum auction ‘held on December 13, 2021.
Pantami stated that the NFMC, which he heads, is responsible for managing the allocation of commercial and non-commercial spectrum resources in the country while the NCC facilitates the deployment of spectrum in the country.
Therefore, the Council decided to allocate the assigned spectrum for the 5G network to the NCC to allow it to allocate both to the winners of the 3.5GHz spectrum auction.
Pantami also stated that the 5G network, when deployed, will bring many benefits and opportunities that will yield accelerated growth and smarter living in the country.
He stressed that the technology will bring major enhancements to the network, including higher connection speeds, mobility and capacity, as well as low latency capabilities.
Ahead of his statements, Akande thanked the Minister for his efforts in ensuring that every obstacle that could hinder the successful deployment of 5G services is addressed, thus paving the way for mutual understanding and trust among all. of stakeholders to ensure that the available benefits of the new technology are available in a timely manner for the socio-economic development of the country.
He said the effective implementation of the National Policy on 5G, of which the Commission is driving, will help in realizing the national targets in the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP) 2020-2025, the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy 2020-2030, as well as other sectoral policies designed to enhance Nigeria’s digital culture.
The EVC of the NCC, Danbatta, while expressing gratitude to the Minister and all stakeholders for the role played in the emerging policy implementation initiatives on the 5G network, said the concerted efforts of the private sector and government support the deployment of the 5G network will transform every aspect of the country’s economy.
He is optimistic that the expected change will be greater than what the country has witnessed in 1G, 2G, 3G and 4G.
Recalling the diligence that has attended the implementation of the NCC’s 5G policy since the process began in 2019, Danbatta said Nigeria has taken proactive and thorough steps to become one of the leading players in the global digital economy.
“We have been meticulous in every way in our journey to deploy 5G, from testing in select states in the country, to review and stakeholder engagement, to Federal Executive Council (FEC approval. ), up to 3.5GHz spectrum auction, and until the official launch of the President’s national policy on 5G network. Now we have the official spectrum allocation to the NCC for forward assignments to the winners. So, the coast is clear for the country to assign specific reference to the spectrum to the winners, in announcing the payments, ”Danbatta said.
Meanwhile, prominent stakeholders and dignitaries at the event commended Danbatta for ensuring an excellent record of transparency and accountability in the sale of the 3.5GHz Spectrum Band intended for the deployment of the 5G network in Nigeria.
Stakeholders include the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital economy, Mr. Bitrus Nabasu; the former Executive Secretary of the Commonwealth Telecommunication Organization (CTO), Mr. Shola Taylor; Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Abdullahi; Managing Director of Galaxy Backbone Plc, Prof. Muhammed Abubakar; and the Director General of the National Identity Management Commission, Dr. Aliyu Aziz, among others.
5G Spectrum
Earlier in a presentation on the Benefits of 5G, Engr Shola Taylor, a former Secretary of the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organization, announced that 5G will have a far -reaching transformative impact on key sectors of the Nigerian economy, bringing rapid socio-economic development of the country.
Recall that the initial test to ascertain the risks involved in deploying 5G in Nigeria was conducted in November of 2019 as the policy was launched on 25th January 2022 by President Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR)
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