Bolarinwa Seeks Convergence of Broadcast Licenses

Yomi Bolarinwa, director-general, National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has urged for the harmonization of broadcast licenses by NBC and Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), in view of the collapsing walls of IT, telecoms, media and consumer electronics industries, Nigeria CommunicationsWeek has learnt. This according to the DG is to avoid double licensing scenario where a telecommunications operator offering data, voice and television service will not have to apply for licenses from NBC for it to deliver such service. Convergence is the combination of services over the same platform. As a result, different network infrastructures can today provide a plethora of services, for instance cable television providers can offer consumers voice, Internet access, and broadcast services over the same network as one bundled package of services, and for one monthly price. Likewise, a mobile service provider may be able to offer a subscriber data and video services, as well as voice services, and digital television (DTV) providers are offering interactive services. “In the vein, a traditional broadcasting operator offering voice and internet service will not have to seek additional license from NCC to provide voice and internet services,” Bolarinwa added. Bolarinwa who spoke at the 5th IT Edge West Africa Convergence forum, held in Lagos over the weekend, noted that convergence will challenge broadcast media to improve on their creativity, as well as make interoperability commercially viable in the industry. Nigeria CommunicationsWeek gathered that stakeholders have called for the merger of the two regulatory authorities in the ICT sector to address the issue of overlap of functions. Also the recent stakeholders’ meeting on ICT policy harmonization, held that convergence is a good policy framework, but that implementation could become ambiguous with the various existing ‘autonomous’ regulators seeking to alienate those which functions are expected to be consumed under the ‘converged industry’ eco-system. But worries are that the immediate collapse of the distinct functions of the separate government entities immediately into one converged regulator could do more harm to the industry than good. Bolarinwa however maintained that convergence is here especially as technology that has converged keep on growing in leaps and bound.