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Telecoms operators accuse State Governments of stifling broadband deployment

By BusinessNews Staff on November 14, 2014

Telecoms operators have said the refusal of state governments to give right of way (RoW) is delaying broadband rollout in the country. The operators, who spoke in one voice at this year’s West Africa Information and Communications Technology (WAFICT) Congress in Lagos, have said unless the federal government prevails on state governments on the issue of RoW, the vision to make Nigeria a digital economy, will be a mirage.
They accused state governments of slowing down the process of getting RoW approval, through the deliberate imposition of unnecessary and exorbitant taxes by their various agencies.
This development, they said, is making it extremely difficult to get approval from state governments to lay fibre optic cables for the deployment of broadband infrastructure that will give internet access to homes, schools, offices, and public places where people gather for various purposes.
It is the vision of the federal government, through the Ministry of Communications Technology, to rollout broadband deployment in every nook and crannies of the country in order to provide internet access to all Nigerians, and then create a digital economy for the country.
But operators are saying the vision may not be achieved should state governments continue to impose multiple taxes, which they alleged, is hindering fast deployment of broadband that would have helped government in achieving its vision.
For instance, General Manager, Network Operations for Globacom, Mr. Olajide Aremu, lamented a situation where Glo 1 submarine cable alone has brought in up to seven terabytes broadband capacities to the shores of the country, but is finding it extremely difficult to distribute these capacities across various states of the country because of the issues associated with getting approval of RoW from various state governments.
“We have enough broadband capacities, but distributing the capacities through a national backbone and last-mile connectivity is a major issue for us because of the outrageous taxes imposed on telecoms operators by state agencies and the refusal to speed up the process of granting RoW approval by the same state agencies,” Aremu said.
Director, Regulatory Affairs for Etisalat, Mr. Ibrahim Dikko, said government must create an enabling environment that would facilitate fast broadband deployment in the country. Dikko, who spoke on security issues surrounding the laying of fibre optic cables used for broadband deployment, decried the situation whereby the cables are cut intentionally, thereby distorting broadband connectivity for data and voice communications.
Country Managing Director, Ceragon Network, Mr. Bekele Tadesse, who is also worried about the poor state of broadband deployment in the country, said broadband has significant contribution to economic development, as it could accelerate economic growth and reduce poverty. He therefore called on the federal government to mobilise resources that would help drive deployment of broadband across the country.
President of the Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria, (ATCON), Mr. Lanre Ajayi, agreed with Globacom that Nigeria has enormous broadband capacities lying at the shores of the country, which he said, have not been fully utilised by Nigerians. According to him, less than 10 per cent of the combined broadband capacities from submarine cable operators like Glo 1, MainOne, MTN WACS, and even Sat 3, are currently being utilised across the country, yet there is shortage of broadband supply at the hinterlands of the country. Government, he stressed, must do something urgent to address the issue.

[ThisDay]

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