Imperatives of Infrastructure Sharing

Telecom infrastructure sharing is an important concept in emerging telecommunication markets like India where operators share infrastructure such as the towers, masts and equipment rooms to lower costs.
But in Nigeria every operator is still trying to build electronic (active) and non-electronic infrastructure and result is the monstrous metal contraptions that dot the country’s skyline.
There are estimated 15,000 base stations on roof tops, stand alones and elsewhere servicing over 62 million subscribers across the country.
To provide coverage to more people, service providers need more mobile towers (cell-sites and that is where it makes sense for operators to share infrastructure.
It is more so now that the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) has given its backing to infrastructure sharing and collocation by operators.
According to the NCC the infrastructure that can be shared include, rights of way, masts, poles, antenna mast and tower structures, ducts, trenches, space in buildings, electric power (public or private source).
In setting the framework within which communications operators can negotiate collocation and infrastructure sharing arrangements, NCC wants to avoid the incidence of unnecessary duplication of infrastructure.
Sharing infrastructure is becoming the requirement and process of business in the telecom industry where competitors are becoming partners in order to lower their increasing investments and operators in Nigeria must borrow a leaf or two.
According to a recent report mobile phone operators in the Middle East and Africa could save $8 billion over the next five years if they shared infrastructure.
The benefits of infrastructure sharing include improved quality of service through better coverage as well as the aesthetics of the landscape
It also reduces costs involved in infrastructure creation while optimally utilizing scarce resources.
Infrastructure sharing also confers the benefits of faster roll-out of service, affordable tariffs for subscribers and ultimately helping operators concentrate on their core businesses.