General News
Pantami Inaugurates Committee to Increase Broadband Penetration by 2025
Federal Government on Thursday inaugurated a Broadband Implementation Steering Committee (BISC), to accelerate the attainment of the country’s broadband penetration to 70 per cent by 2025.
Dr Isa Pantami
Dr Isa Pantami, minister of Communications and Digital Economy, while inaugurating the committee in Abuja, said the current 40.18 per cent penetration should be raised to improve the contribution of the sector to the nation’s GDP.
“If you look at the contribution of technology to our GDP, what we have achieved in the first quarter of 2020 is unprecedented, the contribution is 14.07 per cent.
“So this is a clear indication that the more there is proper penetration, the more the nation’s GDP will increase.
“Part of the plan is that we are targeting at least 90 per cent of our population in Nigeria to have access to broadband, so we are targeting 70 per cent penetration by 2025,” he said.
The minister said before now, the broadband penetration was 31 per cent but based on the recent report released by the NCC, the broadband penetration had now increased to 40.18 per cent.
According to him, it represents almost 10 per cent penetration in less than a year.
He explained that the new Broadband Plan, 2020-2025, was designed to deliver data download speeds across Nigeria at a minimum of 25Mbps in urban areas, and 10Mbps in rural areas.
Pantami said the aim was to ensure effective coverage of at least 90 per cent of the population by 2025 at a price not more than N390:00 per 1GB of data (i.e. two per cent of median income or one per cent of minimum wage).
According to the minister, the plan is being tailored in line with the pledge by President Muhammadu Buhari to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years.
“The plan will accelerate the aspiration of the country, as it leap frogs with the rest of the developed world toward the widespread deployment of 5G technologies, even while it is yet to achieve significant 4G coverage and adoption.
“With the 14.7 per cent contribution to the nation’s GDP, Nigerian government believes that rapid rollout of broadband services will address various socio-economic challenges faced by the country.
“Some of the challenges include: to grow its economy, create jobs, rapidly expand the tax base, and improve digital literacy and educational standards,” he said
He added that the current plan was to ensure the deployment of nationwide fibre coverage to reach all state capitals and a point of presence in at least 90 per cent of local government headquarters.
According to him, it also targeted to reach tertiary institutions, major hospitals in each state and 60 per cent of base stations by 2025 at statutory rates of N145 per meter for Right of Way (RoW).
He said that the ministry’s engagement with the Nigeria Governors’ Forum had inspired several state governments to adopt the N145 per meter and a few of these states had waived the fee altogether.
“President Buhari has also directed the security agencies to protect all critical national infrastructure,” he said
On jobs creation, Pantami said that the fibre to the Home Council Europe, a 25 million EUR investment in information and communications technology, including smart grid and broadband, would create or retain 700,000 jobs.
The minister noted that out of the figure 360,000 would be small business jobs.
He said that higher standard of living and socio-economic development had caused the growth of e-health, e-education and e-government, among others.
He, however, mandated the committee to ensure effective monitoring and implementation of the plan.
“You are expected to adopt the Broadband Plan as your working manual; you should become very familiar with the 100-page document.
“I believe that a combination of the knowledge of its content and your subject matter expertise will enable you to provide a catalyst for innovative solutions to the implementation of the Plan.
“I often state that no Policy or Plan can implement itself.
“As such, it is critical to ensure that an adequate level of monitoring and feedback are integrated into your activities,” he said.
In his remarks, Prof Umar Danbatta, executive vice chairman (EVC), Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), thanked the Minister for putting the committee together and urged it to work in synergy with other related agencies.
Mr Ubale Maska, chairman of the Committee, who is also the Executive Commissioner, Technical Services, NCC, explained that broadband was the centre of any digital economy of a country.
“We are humbled to be members of the implementation committee responsible for steering the National Broadband Plan (NBBP).
“We express our commitment to bring to bear our wealth of experience for the successful implementation of the plan,” he said.
Other dignitaries at the occasion includes Mr Kashifu Inuwa, director general of National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Prof. Mohammed Abubakar, managing director of Galaxy Backbone.
National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) is set to commence the implementation of its space regulation and licensing mandate following the approval of a N20 billion take-off fund by President Bola Tinubu.
Speaking in an interview, Dr. Matthew Adepoju, director-general, NASRDA, emphasised that the agency’s regulatory functions, as outlined in the NASRDA Act (2010), have remained unfulfilled since its establishment in 1999.
To address this, Adepoju submitted a memorandum to President Tinubu advocating for enforcement of space regulation, leading to the recent approval of funds.
Adepoju highlighted the urgency of regulating Nigeria’s space sector to prevent misuse, particularly regarding security-sensitive activities.
The regulatory framework will oversee:
Satellite image providers
Geographic information system operators
Satellite-based telecommunications and broadcasting services
He warned that unregulated geographical data intelligence could be exploited by non-state actors, underscoring the importance of strict oversight.
NASRDA has set up a licensing platform open to public and private sector operators in the space industry.
The regulation will cover Nigeria’s three space segments:
Upstream – Deep space activities
Midstream – Satellites and orbital objects
Downstream – Ground stations and space service users
Although the agency has yet to access the N20 billion fund, Adepoju confirmed that regulatory and licensing functions have commenced.
Amazon has released more details on Project Kuiper, its plan to establish a satellite internet service resembling Starlink. The first launch of satellites for Amazon’s Kuiper project is set to ascend as soon as April 9, less than a week away.
27 satellites are planned to be deployed using an Atlas V rocket, which will blast off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
This is just the earliest beginnings of the system, which Amazon says will be made up of 3200 satellites in low-Earth orbit. And that’s just for the “first-generation” system that will provide home internet to, according to Amazon, “virtually any location on the planet”.
Amazon has more than 70 additional launches for Project Kuiper planned over the next few years, including sending satellites on rival SpaceX’s rockets.
“We’ve designed some of the most advanced communications satellites ever built, and every launch is an opportunity to add more capacity and coverage to our network,” says Rajeev Badyal, Vice President of Project Kuiper.
“This will be the first time we’ve flown our final satellite design and the first time we’ve deployed so many satellites at once.”
Despite being quite early on in establishing the satellite array required for a functional satellite internet system, Amazon expects to be able to start offering the service “later this year.”
Project Kuiper vs Starlink
Rival Starlink currently has more than 7000 satellites in low-Earth orbit, and future plans include expanding that array to a count of 34,400.
Starlink has also become the leading provider of space junk, with the company’s satellites falling out of orbit “almost every day” according to Space.com.
Satellite internet services like those of Starlink and Project Kuiper require a satellite receiver, which currently starts at £300 for Starlink models.
Starlink charges £75 a month for home internet, which can provide up to 220Mbps typical internet speeds, according to the company’s website.
Satellite internet can often be a workable solution for homes not covered by optical fibre or 4G/5G mobile internet.
The company has also supplied Ukraine with internet connectivity since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
“My Starlink system is the backbone of the Ukrainian army. Their entire front line would collapse if I turned it off,” SpaceX CEO Elon Musk claimed on X. He has since claimed he does not plan to deactivate Ukraine’s access to the service.
Nigerian Military, in partnership with Briech UAS, a communications company, has unveiled the first and largest indigenous attack drones and bombs in Nigeria and Africa.
Briech UAS, alongside the Nigerian Army, demonstrated these attack drones and bombs at the company’s headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday.
General Christopher Musa, chief of Defence Staff (CDS), hailed the initiative as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s progress toward self-reliance in defence technology and a crucial step in enhancing national security.
Musa highlighted the importance of developing combat drones, particularly for intelligence gathering. He pointed out that these drones would play a pivotal role in addressing complex and asymmetric security threats.
“These force multipliers will greatly enhance the operational effectiveness of our military, especially in a world where global politics complicate the procurement of advanced military hardware,” he stated.
“Countries that do not produce these solutions face bureaucratic and diplomatic challenges when acquiring essential platforms. We are directly addressing this challenge.
“If we do not produce what we need, we will be at the mercy of others, even if we have the financial resources to acquire them.
“By manufacturing these drones locally, Nigeria reduces dependence on foreign resources, ensures faster acquisition, and strengthens its ability to respond to security threats swiftly.
“With the brilliant minds we have, particularly among our youth, we can create outstanding technology that competes on a global scale,” Musa said.
Plateau Governor Caleb Mutfwang underlined the importance of supporting indigenous products for Nigeria’s growth.
He stressed that the drones would be vital in safeguarding the country’s sovereignty, particularly in Plateau State, where some of these technologies have already been deployed to enhance the efficiency of ground forces.
Mutfwang also revealed that his state was collaborating with local bomb and drone manufacturers like Briech UAS to counter insurgency with domestically produced weapons.
“As a nation, we made a mistake by allowing non-state actors to acquire capabilities nearly on par with state actors,” he stated.
“We’ve entered into a partnership that has led to the deployment of these facilities in our state. We’ve seen substantial improvements in the effectiveness of our security forces.
“It was a mistake to let non-state actors gather capabilities that could almost overpower legitimate state forces. We must correct that imbalance.
“We must ensure no one within our borders has capabilities that surpass or match those responsible for protecting our national sovereignty,” he added.
Earlier, Dr Bright Echefu, chairman of Briech UAS, noted that insurgent groups like Boko Haram and ISWAP have been using commercial drones for reconnaissance and attacks.
“These drones have been used to track and attack our troops, coordinating ambushes and executing crude aerial strikes,” he said.
Equinix Launches LG2.3 Data Centre in Nigeria
Mafab Communications Has Launched 5G Services- Findings
Microsoft Marks 50th Anniversary with Major Copilot AI Update
TCL Launches ‘vetandpay’ to Combat Online Transaction Fraud
Burna Boy, Other Nigerian Artists Pocket $38m from Spotify in 2024
General News3 days agoAirbnb Community Fund Donates ₦13 Billion to Nonprofits Worldwide
Telecom2 days agoMTN Denies Data Theft Allegations, Says no Financial Incentive to Do So
General News3 days agoNigerian Military Makes History with Africa’s First Attack Drones, Bombs
News3 days agoShell, Renaissance Face Legal Action over SPDC Licence Transfer
Telecom3 days agoNigeria Heads Anglophone Data Protection Committee
E-Business3 days agoKike, Nigerian Tech Firm Launches ‘Kike AI’ for Kitchen Innovation
Telecom2 days agoVitel Wireless, Nigeria’s First MVNO to Launch Operations This Quarter
E-Financial3 days agoSterling Bank Makes Online Transfer Charges Free of Charge