The Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) has said Nigeria’s broadband usage has rose from 40.9 percent in February 2022 to 44.5 percent in July 2022.
It said, with this rise, the country’s effort of achieving the national broadband target of 70 percent in 2025 will be achieved.
This was disclosed by the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the commission, Prof. Umar Danbatta, on Tuesday, accrding toa statement by NCC spokesperson Reuben Muoka.
He was speaking at a three-day public inquiry on five telecom regulations and guidelines which began in Abuja.
The NCC boss said emerging technologies and advancements in the sector demand that the Commission is prepared to match these developments with appropriate regulations and guidelines.
Prof Danbatta said, “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,” he said.
He said the public inquiry which covered five areas of existing regulations, are aimed at achieving operational efficiency and operational excellence.
Prof Danbatta 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 already articulated in some important documents guiding the operations of the commission, he said, 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.
He said the amendment of 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.