Telecoms

[REVIEW] How NCC’s regulatory impact led to broadband penetration surpassing 37% [Part IV]

Published

2 years ago

January 2, 2020

Peter Oluka

Nigeria witnessed upward trajectory of broadband penetration in the past year (2019), TechEconomy.ng can report.

Records show that the nation’s broadband penetration increased from 32.34 percent (indicating 61,732,130 Nigerians on 3G and 4G networks) to 37.87% (indicating 72,289,389 on 3G and 4G networks) between January and October, 2019.

VP, Osinbajo and EVC, Danbatta, after discussions on improving broadband penetration in Nigeria

Thanks to various efforts of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, led by the Executive Vice Chairman, Prof. Umar Danbatta. Such regulatory impacts were felt in licensing of new spectrum bands, re-farming certain frequency bands and driving initiatives for increased broadband infrastructure in the country have also been responsible for this feats.

These are positive vibes for Nigeria’s economy as the transformative power of digital technologies and connectivity is empowering people, creating an environment that nurtures innovation, and is triggering positive change in business processes and in the global economy.

The recent ITU study on the economic contribution of broadband, digitization and ICT regulation provided a global econometric analysis of robust and reliable data resources to measure the impact of fixed and mobile broadband and digital transformation on the economy as a whole.

Enextgen Wireless has partnered with TechEconomy.ng to report about progress of broadband penetration in Nigeria, especially the LTE

It also analysed the impact of institutional and regulatory variables to the development of the digital ecosystem.

This report provides evidence of the importance of regulatory and institutional variables in driving digital growth.

It illustrates that broadband technologies and effective ICT regulation can have positive impacts on the growth of national economies and prosperity.

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The report suggests that an increase of 10 per cent in fixed broadband penetration would yield an increase in 1.9 per cent in GDP per capita.

In addition, it suggests that pricing remains a key enabler for adoption of broadband and a 10 per cent drop in prices will boost adoption by more than 3.0 per cent

Thus, with increase in broadband penetration being recorded [in Nigeria] on a monthly basis, stakeholders have said that the NCC is well positioned and must be supported by the government through relevant policies to drive the actualisation of the country’s digital economy policy strategy, going forward.

This has become necessary since, as usual, the Commission is expected to take the driver’s seat in the actualisation of the new broadband target being worked on by the Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy.

Just recently, the new National Broadband Plan Committee was inaugurated by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami, to come up with the new broadband target for 2020-2025.