NCC seeks expansion of 5G network coverage

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has called on licensees to roll out fifth-generation (5G) coverage across more cities, as only about 30 cities have been reached in Nigeria.

The Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, revealed the current 5G network coverage in the country while unveiling his agenda for the sector for the next five years.

As the 5G network has gone into its third year of commercial launch in Nigeria, the licensees, MTN, Mafab and Airtel, have pushed for more 5G penetrations in the country. While Airtel claims to be in Lagos, Ogun, Port Harcourt, and Abuja, MTN is in over 15 cities across the country. Mafab claims to be in Lagos and Abuja and is currently planning expansion.

Aminu, while assuring that during his tenure, issues limiting the expansion of telecom services would receive utmost attention, posited that the need for improved telephony services couldn’t be overemphasized.

Maida said: “On every level of technology, Nigeria won’t be left behind. We are yet to maximize the benefits of 5G. We are still at the earliest stage of that. But we can’t be left behind by other countries, as the world progresses, we also progress. We still need to leverage 5G before we can talk of adopting 6G.”

Providing more insights, the Executive Commissioner, Technical Standard, Ubale Maska, said: “Nigeria is still grappling with 5G. I can say that the network is still in less than 30 cities in the country. So, we still have a long way to go. But we have strategies to deploy the service in Nigeria. 4G LTE has not even covered the entire country.

Also Read: MTN Launches 5G Network In Enugu State 

“So, before we talk of 5G, 6G, let’s maximize 4G to the fullest. When the spectrum for 6G becomes available globally, we shall deploy as fast as possible.”

Meanwhile, more investments in 5G networks are expected to bring operators a 32 per cent revenue jump, which could fetch them $400 billion by the end of 2024.

A study by Juniper Research, which disclosed this, noted that as consumer 5G penetration rates become saturated, it will be ‘imperative’ for operators to launch 5G services geared towards enterprise IoT users – specifically 5G Advanced and 5G RedCap (Reduced Capacity).

The report described 5G Advanced as ‘a development of the next evolutionary stage of 5G’ and said it will unlock new opportunities for operators and strengthen 5G support for XR, VR, and AR applications, while AI and machine learning will be key to improving network performance.

Already, the United Nations arm in charge of global communications, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), has disclosed that the 5G network has reached 40 per cent of the eight billion global population since its launch in 2019.

Guardian/Chidimma Gold