*The auction price for a slot of the 5G technology spectrum will start from N75billion, and will likely go to N100billion after the auction process, says Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, Executive Vice-Chairman/CEO, Nigerian Communications Commission

Gbenga Kayode | 绿帽献妻

Nigeria is ultimately set to deploy the fifth generation technology, following the Federal Executive Council鈥檚 (FEC) approval of the National Policy on 5G Networks for socio-economic transformation of the West African country鈥檚 Digital Economy.

Earlier, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) had disclosed that auction price for a slot of the 5G technology spectrum will start from N75billion, and will likely go to N100 billion after the auction process.

绿帽献妻 reports Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, Executive Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of NCC, stated this at a recent public hearing of the Nigerian Senate Committee on Communications, in the National Assembly (NASS), in Abuja, FCT.

Prof. Danbatta said: 鈥淚t is very important to stress this, a reserve price for a slot of the 5G spectrum is going to be N75billion, but after an auction by the Committee, it can go as high as N100 billion.鈥�

The EVC/CEO of NCC also noted that the 5G auction Committee had already virtually concluded their work with the 5G deployment plan submitted to the Federal Government, the result of which is the latest approval granted the country鈥檚 telecoms industry regulator to proceed with the deployment of 5G networks in Nigeria.

Danbatta has assured that with the plans and preparations already in place, 5G deployment will start in the by 2022.

Recall the FEC okayed the Nigerian 5G National Policy Wednesday, September 8, 2021, in Abuja, FCT, following the presentation by Prof. Isa Ali Pantami, Honourable Minister for Communications and Digital Economy.

Femi Adeluyi, Technical Assistant on Information Technology to the Minister for Communications and Digital Economy, who said this in a statement, noted that with the approval of the national policy, Pantami has indicated the implementation of the 5G National Policy takes immediate effect with deployment in major cities in the country.

Deployment of 5G technology meets all required conditions 鈹�Pantami

The Minister for Communications and Digital Economy also noted that the National Frequency Management Council (NFMC) is expected to release spectrum to the Nigerian Communications Commission before long in order for the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) that meet all the required conditions for 5G deployment.

Adeluyi in the statement said that the National Policy had been developed over a period of two years, due to the need for extensive stakeholder engagement and the need to ensure adequate public awareness and sensitisation.

According to Prof. Pantami, the stakeholder engagement ahead of the approval by the Council was thorough and multi-sectoral in nature.

The process also took into account the report of the three-month 5G trials that commenced November 25, 2019, said the Minister.

The report critically reviewed and studied the health, security implications of deploying 5G networks in Nigeria, said Pantami.

The Minister disclosed some of the benefits of 5g networks include much lower latency, higher bandwidth, greater device density, longer battery life for nodes and greater network flexibility.

The statement also explained that several countries have already commenced the deployment of 5G, and are enjoying its benefits.

Some of these countries include the United States (US), United Kingdom (UK), Republic of Korea, South Africa and Lesotho, to mention but a few, said the Minister.

Pantami added that the Nigerian Communications Commission, as the regulator of the telecommunications sector in the country, will continue engaging stakeholders with a view to developing the regulatory instruments required for the successful deployment of the technology in Nigeria.