The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), is to auction 5G spectrum by the fourth quarter of 2021.
This was disclosed by the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Professor Umar Danbatta, at the International Conference on Information and Engineering Systems held in Abuja, Nigeria.
In a presentation titled : “5G Deployment: Catalyst for Digital Transformation in Nigeria,” he noted that for the process of the allocation, auctioning, assigning, and commercialization of 5G spectrum to be seamless and successful; government must provide the enabling environment.
Professor Danbatta said the Nigerian Government would provide an enabling environment for 5G deployment, but the Moblie Networks Operators, MNOs, would determine their own deployment strategies subject to alignment to the approved policies and other regulatory instruments in force.
Spectrum
He explained that “Securing spectrum for 5G is an antecedent for any Operator to commit serious investment to 5G
infrastructure.
”This makes it imperative for the spectrum allocation and assignment process to be concluded as early as possible. In this regards, the following timeline is proposed as optimal in the policy document 5G Spectrum Allocation (Q2 2021) 5G Spectrum Auction (Q4 2021) 5G Spectrum Assignment (Q1 2022)
Commercialisation of 5G Spectrum (Q4 2022).”
According to him, research and tests have been carried out on the hazardous impact of electromagnetic emissions from 5G and that they are far below the minimum required standard.
Professor Danbatta said; “The plan to deploy 5G technology creates a need for the study of the electromagnetic radiation levels which would be generated by the 5G infrastructure. These tests were conducted in accordance with the International CommissIon on Non-lonizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) Guidelines for general
public exposure to time varying electromagnetic fields.”
He was represented at the event by Director Technical Standards, NCC, Bako Wakil.
The Vice Chancellor Nile University, Nigeria, Professor Osman Aras, explained that the aim of the Conference was to provide an enabling platform for researchers, professionals and students in the industry, across various fields in Engineering and Applied Sciences to share their current research works and exchange ideas.
Professor Aras stated that “this will form collaborations for the advancement of knowledge, technology and multidisciplinary research…We are in an era which has shaped our lives in such a way that our major concerns are contributions to the well-being of others, presently and in the time to come.”
According to him, there is no doubt that these concerns are the foundation on which the theme and sub-themes of this conference are built upon. This is the key driver of our conference theme: We look forward to building synergies and collaborations.
“The outcome of this conference will therefore have no meaning unless they reach the end users or are put to practical use. Otherwise, we shall have volumes and volumes of knowledge, some on our shelves, and others on the internet without any consumer”
“Many academicians have become aware of this tact as the number of conferences and participants increase dramatically,” Proessorf Aras added.
Professor Steve Adeshina of the Nile University, who was also the Chairman of the Conference, said that the conference which the maiden edition was in collaboration between the Faculty of Engineering and the Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences.
Professor Adeshina also restated that the conference would provide an enabling platform for students, researchers and professionals in the industry to come together and share views on current research work for the advancement of knowledge, technology and multidisciplinary research.
Mercy Chukwudiebere
