4G: 40,000 Base Transceiver Stations needed to boost services
Telecommunication customers in the various networks have continued to demand for faster and much more improved broadband services in Nigeria. However, investigation has shown that inadequate Base Transceiver Stations (BTS) is the bane of poor quality of services and that about 40, 000 BTS are required by telco operators in Nigeria, to expand and strengthen the Fourth Generation/Long Term Evolution (4G/LTE) service across the country.
Investigations also show that both Tier I and II operators, which currently offer 4G/LTE services have about 7,500 BTS, which recently increased from 1,500.
The 4G technology has been tipped as a necessary driver for the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence, Smart Cities and various smart innovations technology.
4G LTE deployed on WiMAX and LTE technology offers faster, more reliable mobile broadband Internet for devices, like smartphones, tablets and laptops.
Daily Times recalled that between October and November last year, Tier I operators, including MTN, Globacom, and Etisalat declared the launch of their respective 4G/LTE services in some areas, especially, in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt.
The President/Managing Director, Ericsson Nigeria, Rutger Reman, said there was the need for adequate investments in the deployment of 4G LTE networks in Nigeria to aid transition to the Fifth Generation (5G).
Reman said: “If you deploy 4G properly, you have laid foundation for 5G, Nigeria needs real investment in 4G, which will take it into 5G.”
The Chief Executive Officer of ntel, Kamar Abass, told the press, recently that Nigeria’s telecoms sector needed fresh investments to drive another level of growth in the sector.
He said, “We have some millions of subscribers on 4G in the country. They are mostly on handset. My sense is that in Nigeria, within the next 24 months, people will be acquiring capabilities on top of 4G, which will get them to 5G.”
By Tony Nwakaegho
