ATCON woos UK on digital inclusion, cyber attacks

…partners NIGCOMSAT on 30% broadband penetration target
President of the Association of Telecom Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Mr. Olusola Teniola, has expressed the readiness of the body to collaborate with the UK government to check cyber attacks and expand digital inclusion.

This is even as ATCON partnering the Nigerian Communications Satellite Ltd (NIGCOMSAT) to facilitate the attainment of 30 per cent broadband target by December 2018.

Teniola disclosed this when a delegation from the Prime Minister and Cabinet Office of the United Kingdom visited the corporate secretariat of ATCON earlier this week, adding that the support of the UK would make Nigeria realize its goals faster.

He expressed gratitude to the UK government for its interest in the growth of the telecom sector.

The delegation, which was led by Mr. Dirk Danimo-Forsyth, Head, Strategic Communication, International Projects, and Government Communication Service International, had a meeting bordering on digital inclusion, connectivity and cyber security with the President of ATCON and other NEC members.

Dirk, however, assured that the United Kingdom was interested in developing the Nigerian Telecom sector, noting that they were on a mission to find out the status of connectivity,digital inclusion and cyber security in Nigeria. The leader of the delegation commended ATCON for remarkably growing the telecom sector.

It is however, worthy of note that broadband penetration is presently at 22 per cent, but Teniola said that the interactive session between NIGCOMSAT and ATCON was borne out of the need to bring NlGCOMSAT’s services to ATCON members.

He said that majority of ATCON members do not know that they coan buy capacity from NlGCOMSAT.

According to him, those who know do not patronise NlGCOMSAT because they think NIGCOMSAT‘s prices are very high.

”Be that as it may, ATCON’s primary focus with respect to pervasive broadband is to see how our members can leverage on satellite technology for the deployment of broadband for socio-economic development of our country.

”In the last few years, ATCON has come up with some initiatives that are not traditional.

”The whole essence of thinking outside the box is to increase our impact on our members and the industry as a whole.

”This initiative would undoubtedly make our industry to realise its broadband target set by the federal government,” he said.