Boko Haram Attacks Mow Down 150 Base Stations

At last count, recent attacks on telecoms facilities across the northern Nigeria by Boko Haram, the dreaded Islamist group have destroyed 150 base stations, accounting for the epileptic telecommunications services being rendered in the region.

Investigations revealed that all the 150 base stations attacked were strategic sites that other offsite stations rely on to function.

Also attacked were Mobile Switching Centres (MSCs)

MSC is a telephone exchange that makes the connection between mobile users within the network, from mobile users to the public switched telephone network and from mobile users to other mobile networks.

The MSC also administers handovers to neighbouring base stations, keeps a record of the location of the mobile subscribers, and is responsible for subscriber services and billing.

 If an MSC is down all the base stations talking to it will be rendered inactive.

Operators are also reluctant to put the damaged base stations back to use as a result of fragile security situation in the states.

To add salt to injury, some base stations in Kano state are said to have been locked down by some government agencies without notices.

But operators appear to have adopted a strategy of not negotiating with government agencies in that part of the country on any base station locked down without pre-notice, leaving subscribers to bear the poor quality of service.

It would be recalled that Boko Haram sect had on September 5 added a twist in their rebellion against the Nigerian state with attacks on telecom facilities in Borno, Yobe, Bauchi, and Kano States.

Few days later suspects believed to be members of the Boko Haram sect also attacked several telecommunications facilities, in Zaria, Kaduna State.

Spokesman of the group, Abu Qaqa said his group wanted to punish GSM companies because they have helped security agencies to arrest and kill many of its members.

It would be recalled that telecommunications companies in Nigeria spend some $90 million annually in repairs of fibre network cut by activities of government contractors building roads and vandals.

Fiber optic cables are major building blocks in the telecommunication infrastructure because of their high bandwidth capabilities.

But the damage being done to the telecommunications infrastructure is hampering efforts to provide robust ICT services.

Operators also warn that if urgent measures are not taken by government and other regulatory authorities, about $25 billion investments recorded in the sector so far will be seriously affected.

As it is today, Nigeria still lacks major infrastructure and cannot afford preventable damages of its facilities as a result of government neglect and security lapses.