Broadband Penetration: InfraCos to begin operations soon – Danbatta

Ladesope Ladelokun

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has hinted that Infrastructure Companies (InfraCos) has been authorised to commence operations.

The Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Prof Umar Danbatta made this known at the NCC Day at the Kaduna International Trade Fair with the theme “Consolidating Interface between Industry and Agriculture for Sustainable Development.”

Danbatta, who was represented by Okechukwu Aninweke, an Assistant Director for Corporate Strategy and Risk Management at the NCC, said the Commission’s commitment to boosting broadband penetration in Nigeria was evident in the licences granted InfraCos.

He explained that the same commitment informed the division of Nigeria into seven zones- the six geopolitical zones and Lagos as a separate zone.

It will be recalled that IHS, one of the companies granted InfraCo license returned the license to the Commission over difficulties in securing Right of Way(RoW) approval to deploy infrastructure in the North-central zone.

Licensees expected to commence operations soon are MainOne, Lagos zone; Zinox Technologies, Southeast zone; O’ dua InfraCo Resources Limited, Southeast zone; Fleeks Networks Limited, Northwest zone.

Meanwhile, Danbatta had earlier expressed confidence that the NCC was capable of hitting the 70 per cent broadband penetration mark in a couple of years.

“When I was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015, broadband penetration was only 8.5 per cent. It has now risen to 33 per cent, an equivalent of 63 million Nigerians enjoying the services.

I am particularly thrilled to see that the rising trend has not only been sustained, but the NCC is now ready to take it to the next level,” he said