This took place during the meeting of the Council on the 29th of June, 2022.

This followed the presentation of 3 memos by Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami), the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy.

Dr Femi Adeluyi, Technical Assistant (Research & Development) to the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, confirmed in a press statement that the Government-wide Enterprise Licensing Agreement for Microsoft products is a software acquisition cost-reduction strategy for government and it will be implemented by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy (FMC&DE). 

“This agreement is part of the Federal Government’s efforts towards keeping the cost of IT projects within sustainable levels.

“The Agreement will give the government access to discounted prices and other cost benefits, as well as reduce project duplication across Federal Public Institutions (FPIs). 

“It will also guarantee proper technical support for Microsoft products and services, thereby ensuring protection against cybersecurity threats, which will guarantee availability and reliability of government IT services.

“The Enterprise Licensing Agreement will provide a projected savings of a minimum of 35% of Governments current investment in Microsoft Products and Services.

“This will not only substantially reduce the cost of license procurement for FPIs, it will reduce and simplify licensing complexity, facilitate accounting and cash flow predictability and monitor utilisation and impact of Government investment.

“The Council directed all FPIs to key into the Agreement in the procurement of Microsoft licenses and services.

“Council also approved the request of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to clear part of the C-band spectrum within the country’s telecommunications industry of any encumbrances and migrate the current users on affected spectrum, towards the successful roll-out/deployment of 5G technology in Nigeria.

“Furthermore, with seven and a half (7.5) years before the end of the lifetime of NigComSat-1R Satellite, operated by Nigerian Communication Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT), which currently operates C-Band services on the 3.4 – 3.9GHz spectrum range, NCC and NIGCOMSAT have come to an agreement to relocate/migrate the operations of NigComSat-1R C Band service to another frequency (Standard C-Band Spectrum) and release its current frequency for immediate deployment of 5G in the country.

“The approved memos will accelerate the implementation of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS), especially the pillars on solid infrastructure (broadband) and service infrastructure (platforms). 

“The Ministry will continue to promote initiatives that will transform Nigeria into a country with a sustainable and thriving digital economy”, Dr Femi Adeluyi.

Adeyeye, who is experienced engineer with a demonstrated history of working in the telecommunications industry, was reacting to reports, few days back, that International airlines are cancelling scheduled flights to most cities in the Unites States over fear of 5G network interference on aviation signals around most US cities.

The flight cancellations, according to this report were based on perceived fears that 5G spectrum used for network deployment in some cities in the US would cause serious disruption to aviation signals around the airports.

Recall that earlier in the month, Pete Buttigieg, U.S. Transportation Secretary and Steve Dickson, the head of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) asked AT&T and Verizon Communications to delay the planned introduction of new 5G wireless service over aviation safety concerns.

Dubai’s Emirates airline, for instance, announced last that it would suspend flights to several destinations in the United States as of January 19, until further notice because of concerns over 5G mobile network deployment.

Meanwhile, Techeconomy.ng’s investigations show the has resumed flights to the US.

Why are the airlines worried about interference issues with 5G?

A BBC report on the matter reads: The aviation industry is concerned that wireless carriers’ 5G radios using C-band spectrum will interfere with aircraft altimeters, which are used to measure altitude. Altimeters calculate the distance between an airplane and the ground by transmitting radio frequency signals and measuring the time it takes for those signals to bounce back.

“Though a malfunctioning altimeter is a big problem anytime during flight, it’s especially dangerous in foggy or hazy conditions when pilots are descending during approach and can’t clearly see a runway. A crash could result, which is at the core of the FAA’s worry.

“The problem is that altimeter receivers operate in the 4.2GHz to 4.4GHz range on the radio frequency spectrum. The C-band of spectrum that the wireless industry is using to deploy 5G service is between 3.7GHz and 3.9GHz, which is basically next door.”

No cause for worry in Nigeria over 5G Spectrum for deployment

According to Adeyeye, the C-band spectrum that has been allocated by the Nigerian Communications Commission – 3.5 GHz to 3.8 GHz – is further away from the aviation spectrum in contention than the US allocations.

“Our sense is that the US contention will ultimately be resolved as this appears to be a matter of improving the filters in the receivers used by the airliners at the very worst.

“Last but not least, there is really nothing 5G -specific about this discussion any more than there was 5G-specific issue with the earlier health concern.

“The issue has to do with the spectrum being used, not 5G which can be deployed in all bands being used currently for mobile communication”, he argued.

In a letter last Friday seen by Reuters, Buttigieg and FAA Administrator Dickson asked John Stankey, AT&T chief executive and Hans Vestberg, Verizon chief executive, for a delay of no more than two weeks as part of a “proposal as a near-term solution for advancing the co-existence of 5G deployment in the C-Band and safe flight operations.”

The aviation industry and FAA have raised concerns about potential interference of 5G with sensitive aircraft electronics like radio altimeters that could disrupt flights.

“We ask that your companies continue to pause introducing commercial C-Band service for an additional short period of no more than two weeks beyond the currently scheduled deployment date of January 5,” the letter says.

Verizon and AT&T both said they received the letter and were reviewing it. Earlier Friday the two companies accused the aerospace industry of seeking to hold C-Band spectrum deployment “hostage until the wireless industry agrees to cover the costs of upgrading any obsolete altimeters.”

Buttigieg and Dickson said under the framework “commercial C-band service would begin as planned in January with certain exceptions around priority airports.”

The FAA and the aviation industry would identify priority airports “where a buffer zone would permit aviation operations to continue safely while the FAA completes its assessments of the interference potential.”

The government would work to identify “mitigations for all priority airports” to enable most “large commercial aircraft to operate safely in all conditions.” That would allow deployment around “priority airports on a rolling basis” — aiming to ensure activation by March 31 barring unforeseen issues.

The carriers, which won the spectrum in an $80 billion government auction, previously agreed to precautionary measures for six months to limit interference.

On Thursday, trade group Airlines for America asked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to halt deployment of new 5G wireless service around many airports, warning thousands of flights could be disrupted: “The potential damage to the airline industry alone is staggering.”

Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, representing 50,000 flight attendants at 17 airlines, called the Transportation Department proposal “the right move to successfully implement 5G without using the traveling public (and the crews on their flights) as guinea pigs for two systems that need to coexist without questions for safety.”

Wireless industry group CTIA said 5G is safe and spectrum is being used in about 40 other countries.

House Transportation Committee chair Peter DeFazio Friday backed the airline group petition warning “we can’t afford to experiment with aviation safety.”