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Nigeria’s mobile broadband penetration still low – Report

By on February 15, 2015

A report from the Groupe Speciale Mobile Association on Thursday stated that despite having a fast growing economy and the largest one in Africa, Nigeria’s mobile broadband penetration has remained low when compared to other African countries.

It noted that due to various factors including high access rates of over 50 per cent of the population (those who use a mobile despite not owning one), “data consumption growth, a rise in digital entrepreneurship, and a large youthful population, Nigeria presents a growing opportunity for investment and innovation in telecoms networks.”

The GSMA report, however, stated that to fully realise the transformative potential of mobile in sub-Saharan Africa, the country’s mobile industry required a supportive regulatory framework that provided long-term stability and encouraged investment.

The report was released barely one week after the Broadband Council noted that the penetration in the country increased by two per cent in 2014.

The council is charged with the responsibility of monitoring implementation modalities for the approved Nigerian National Broadband Plan 2013 – 2018. The plan targets to achieve a five-fold increase in broadband penetration (from six per cent to 30 per cent) by 2018.

Reacting to the development, the Chiarman of Zinox Group, Mr. Leo-Stan Ekeh, called for the immediate improvement of broadband penetration, saying it has the potential of creating wealth and unlocking huge opportunities for millions of Nigerians amid the current economic crunch, while fast-tracking the nation’s economic development.

He also stated that enhanced broadband access would equip majority of Nigerians with the freedom to succeed in the digital society.

He said, “With increased deployment of broadband and more equitable access for the majority, huge opportunities will be created for self-development in the country. Just consider the effect this will have on the cost of doing business and the unlimited resources it will place at our disposal.

“Presently, a lot of people do not see these opportunities due to the current infrastructural challenges being faced in the sector and the slow pace of Information and Communications Technology uptake in Nigeria.”

The Zinox chairman added that Nigeria’s population and cultural realities made the country a potentially lucrative market for broadband deployment, and called for a synergy of the government and the private sector in making this a reality.

He added, “We must up the tempo because the market is a very huge one. The digital divide must be bridged and access must become a basic human right for everyone in this country. Government has a critical role to play in this regard.

“With liberalised bandwidth allocation, investor-friendly policies and enabling environment for private sector involvement, the multiplier effect of broadband deployment is unquantifiable and will rapidly transform Nigeria into a digital economy.”

Citing infrastructural deficiencies, security issues, multiple taxation and poor network quality as some of the factors hampering mobile broadband operators in Nigeria, Ekeh encouraged stakeholders to see the current challenges as temporary obstacles which would be surmounted with time, noting that Nigeria is a prime investment destination on the continent.

The Vice President of Nokia Newtworks, Middle East and Africa, Mr. Bernard Najam, said mobile broadband infrastructure in Nigeria needed to be strengthened urgently to significantly improve network coverage and speed across the country including mid-size cities and rural areas.

“To help achieve National Broadband Plan’s objectives and drive the country’s socio-economic development, we (Nokia Networks) are committed to providing operators here with our advanced 2G, 3G and 4G technologies, and global expertise in services to build and run the networks cost efficiently,” he said.

Nokia Networks is said to be the world’s specialist in mobile broadband with more than 200 3G radio customers serving over one billion 3G users worldwide. In addition, the company is reputed for leading the Long-Term Evolution with 162 LTE customers by the end of 2014 and holds the world record in TDD-FDD carrier aggregation with 4.1Gbps.

Najam said, “There is need to support Nigeria’s broadband strategy by providing operators with affordable 3G/LTE technology and global expertise to build and run the networks efficiently, especially now that our 2020 vision predicts consumption of 1GB of personalised data per user per day.”

Najam, however, added that government intervention in eliminating impediments such as the high cost of broadband infrastructure deployment, spectrum allocation and issues with Right of Way, were also deemed crucial to the initiative.

The Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission, Dr. Eugene Juwah, said government was committed to enabling the operators to take the quality and coverage of mobile broadband services to a new level for the benefit of greater socio-economic development.

 

[Punch]