NCC to Withdraw Infracos’ Licences if They Fail to Roll-out Services Within 1 Year

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has mandated all Infrastructure Companies (Infracos) to roll-out services in one year after issuance of licence, or risk having their licences withdrawn. This was made known by the Executive Vice Chairman of the commission, Prof. Umar Danbatta.

https://twitter.com/NigeriaNewsdesk/status/986279999995953152

According to Danbatta, the NCC has recorded a significant feat after licensing four Infracos in pursuit of achieving the National Broadband Plan. The plan recommends the licensing of Infracos for the six geo-political zones in Nigeria and Lagos as a stand-alone zone (due to its huge population) to deepen broadband penetration.

Each of this regions will have an infraco licensed to do its deployment. Between 2015 and 2017, NCC licensed MainOne for Lagos, and IHS for North Central(and FCT). This February, NCC has announced the licensing of 2 more infracos for the North East and South East.

— HENRY 🇳🇬 (@4eyedmonk) February 11, 2018

The commission recently licensed Zinox Technology Ltd. to operate for South-east and Brinks Integrated Solutions Ltd. for the North-East and had earlier licensed MainOne Cable Company Ltd., which should provide services in the Lagos Zone and IHS, which is to operate in the North-central zone (Abuja included).

Related Post: 2 New Infraco Licenses Approved by NCC to Increase Broadband Penetration

For those who don’t already know, the Nigerian government in 2013 approved a 5 year plan that will increase broadband penetration in Nigeria from less than 10% to 30%. This plan is captured in the National Broadband Plan 2013 – 2018. See the document here https://t.co/noSKXqzlGm

— HENRY 🇳🇬 (@4eyedmonk) February 11, 2018

Currently at 22 percent broadband penetration (as at the end of 2017), Nigeria service penetration is far behind compared to the other major economies in Africa (Egypt has 35.7% and South Africa has 54%). But the commission is hoping to attain 30 percent penetration by the end of 2018 as envisaged in the National Broadband Plan.

In view of this, Danbatta said that the Commission has offered to provide the Infracos with incentives that will facilitate their rollout plans and minimise the cost implication.

He also said that inclusiveness was one of the strategies of the National Broadband Plan and that there are arrangements to ensure the remote areas have equitable access to telecom service.

In 2013, Nigeria developed a five-year strategy to scale up the nation’s broadband growth by 30 per cent in 2018. The plan was developed by the Presidential Committee on Broadband with representation from the various stakeholder groups