The rollout of 5G services in the country will bring about improvement in mobile communication among other things, the Chairman, Board of Commissioners at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof.Adeolu Akande has said.
Akande posited that the commercial launch of 5G network in the country will bring about higher connection speeds, mobility and capacity, as well as low-latency capabilities.
NCC Board Chair who spoke at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and Nigerian Communication Satellite Limited for the release of spectrum for 5G roll out in Nigeria said the seamless connection to be gained will help several smart city initiatives.
He stressed that various networks and technology platforms have from inception till date led to improvement in telecommunication
Akande therefore said that the when 5G is commercially launched in Nigeria, it will positively impact different sectors and improve efforts towards achieving Digital Economies.
He said, “In recent times, precisely from the last quarter of 2019, several administrations have begun to license Spectrum for commercial deployment of 5G. As we speak today, 5G services have already been deployed in United States of America, South Korea, United Kingdom, China, South Africa, Kenya and many more.
“Telecommunication evolution from inception to date has led to improvement in user experience witnessed from 2G, 3G and later 4G. The global impact of 4G brought about increases in mobile usage and network performance.
“5G will build on this momentum, bringing substantial network improvements, including higher connection speeds, mobility and capacity, as well as low-latency capabilities. In doing so, it enables new use cases and applications that will positively impact different sectors and improve efforts towards achieving Digital Economies.
” It does not only offer enhanced broadband and ultra-low, ultra-reliable latency communications but also provide massive machine type communications, where a lot of devices will seamlessly connect and independently interact with the internet without human intervention. Thus, enabling several Smart City initiatives.”
Commending the NCC and NigComSat on the MoU which is aimed at preparing ground for the deployment of 5G services in the country, Akande said it was the right step in the right direction as spectrum plays a critical role in realising the full extent of 5G capabilities.
“Ladies and gentlemen, Spectrum plays a critical role in realising the full extent of
these new capabilities. Thus, 5G’s full socio-economic impact is dependent on access to a variety of spectrum resources. These Spectrum will play a key role in meeting the demand for many enhanced mobile data services as well as new wireless broadband use cases such as remote object manipulation, industrial automation, virtual and augmented reality and next-generation connectivity for vehicles. These use cases will continue to increase the impact that mobile services have on societies and economies.
In China, UAE, Europe, Africa, India, Brazil and Australia, the 3.5GHz band glaringly featured amongst the spectrum that has been prioritized for 5G with prospects for early deployment.
“Today, we are glad that the Management of NigComSat and NCC have taken a bold step in the right direction to release contagious quantum of Spectrum in the 3.5GHz band for early deployment of 5G,” he posited.
He therefore commended the efforts of the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta and his counterpart the Managing Director (MD) of NigComSat, Ms. Abimbola Alale for making an informed decision in the national interest which will consequently foster the deployment of 5G and enable Nigeria tap its full potential.
