5G Launch: Nigeria’s Broadband Penetration Rises To 44.5% As NCC Reviews Short Code Services, Others

Broadband penetration has reached 44.5 per cent in July, the Nigerian Communications Commission has said.

Broadband penetration moved from 40.9 per cent in February 2022 to 44.5 per cent in July 2022.

The country has set a broadband penetration target of 70 per cent which it believes is achievable by 2025.

The NCC said in a statement that the new penetration figure reflects that the said target would be achieved by 2025.

Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, Prof. Umar Danbatta, revealed this at the beginning of a three-day public inquiry on five telecom regulations and guidelines which began in Abuja.

There are also plans to review the country’s short code services.

The EVC believes that emerging technologies and advancements in the telecom sector demand proportionate regulations and guidelines to match the developments .

“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,” Danbatta said.

According to the Commission, the CEO said the public inquiry which covered five areas of existing regulations are aimed at achieving operational efficiency and operational excellence.

NCC 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, as well as Consumer Code of Practice Regulations.

“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 are being implemented towards achieving its mandate.

“These strides are the results of the Commission’s regulatory efficiency and focused implementation of policies and strategies of the Federal Government of Nigeria,” the statement quoted the EVC to have said.

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