NCC To Licence Broadband InfraCos In Five Zones

The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, is intensifying efforts to deepen broadband penetration through licencing of five more Broadband Infrastructure Companies, Infracos, across the five geopolitical zones of the country any time from now.

Executive vice chairman of the nation’s telecoms industry regulator, Professor Umar Danbatta, who made this known at the weekend at the 12th Nigerian Telecom Lecture and Awards, 2016 in Lagos said the InfraCos licencing would help Nigeria meet its target of 30 per cent penetration in 2018, against the current 10 per cent penetration across the country.

Danbatta said this is one of the reasons why broadband is on the top of the 8-Point Agenda of the NCC under his leadership.

He said: “We have already outlined our plans, which include the licensing of fibre infrastructure providers in the remaining five geopolitical zones of South West, South East, South South, North West, and North East.”

“Two companies are already licenced for North Central and Lagos, which is considered a zone on its own right as the commercial capital of this country with huge demands for telecom services. We have successfully sold some slots of frequencies in the 2.6GHz spectrum band, and will continue to commit efforts towards efficient management of resources to achieve the various targets expanding the frontiers of broadband and improving the telecom sector” he said.

NCC two years ago issued InfraCo licences to Main One Cable Company and IHS Limited to build broadband infrastructure in Lagos and North Central zones.