The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said it would soon publish an implementation roadmap for the deployment of 5G across the country with service roll-out obligations for telecom operators. This announcement followed the approval of deployment by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
NCC in a statement signed by its Director of Public Affairs, Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, said it has also been directed by the government to commence the development of relevant regulatory instruments to address issues related to health, safety, and others to drive effective implementation of the roll-out of the technology by Mobile Network Operators (MNOs).
The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Pantami had on Wednesday announced the approval after the FEC meeting in Abuja. Following the approval, the Minister directed the NCC to commence immediate implementation of the 5G plan for the country.
According to the Minister, the roll-out of the 5G will be carried out in phases beginning with major cities in the country “where there is need for high-quality broadband. He added that the National Frequency Management Council (NFMC), would, in no distant time, release the 5G Spectrum to the NCC for auction to MNOs that will need the spectrum for deployment.
“The approval of the 5G Plan by the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, and the FEC is a major boost to Nigeria’s promising 5G Plan, which has the objectives of ensuring efficient assignment of spectrum for 5G deployment, creating an enabling environment for investment in the telecom industry, ensuring effective deployment of the technology to cover major urban cities by 2025, among others,” the Minister stated.
In line with the objectives of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) 2020-2030 for a Digital Nigeria, and the positioning of Nigeria as an early adopter of digital technology in the growing global digital economy, Pantami said the successful and timely deployment of 5G is crucial.
5G is expected to facilitate several emerging technologies, generate innovative use cases, spur significant socio-economic growth and create jobs.
The Minister appreciated President Muhammadu Buhari, the entire FEC members, the National Assembly, as well as other industry stakeholders for their roles and contributions in the journey that culminated in the approval of the 5G implementation for the country.
Add Comment