All Stand for Broadband
- By Abimbola Tooki
- Published May 3rd, 2010
- ITWorld
- Unrated
Broadband is scarce in Nigeria. Interestingly however, in order to leverage on the success recorded so far in the information communication technology (ICT) sector, there is the need to create its availability. This, many believe, will further drive telecommunication growth in the area of voice and data.
From regulatory point of view, Engineer Ernest Ndukwe, former executive vice chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), said widespread deployment of broadband at this stage of Nigeria’s telecom development will boost connectivity at a faster rate.
Also, ICT experts, who gathered in Lagos recently at a broadband forum, advised government to create the right environment that would enhance broadband connectivity. Broadband revolution, according to the gathering, is currently sweeping across the globe and Nigeria should not leave any stone unturned in ensuring that the many benefits of broadband are spread to all nooks and crannies of the country. This will enable Nigerians have enough bandwidth for internet downloads and uploads, video conferencing, telemedicine and all forms of electronic transactions in government and outside government at a cheap cost.
Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, president of the Association of Telecom Companies of Nigeria (Atcon), said there is need for Nigeria to leverage on broadband as economic booster mass development of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs); job creation; wealth generation; new middle class; sustainable economic growth and development; foreign exchange earning and national well-being.
Mr. Gbanga Adebayo, president of the Association of Licenced Telecom Operators of Nigeria (Alton), addressed the issue of last-mile service in achieving broadband penetration in the country.
Adebayo called on telecom operators to provide strong link to consumers, using copper cables, Long Term Evolution (LTE), Wifi and WiMax technologies. Operators, he said, had no choice, but to embrace broadband connectivity.
As the bandwidth delivered to end users increases, the market expects that video on demand services streamed over the internet will become more popular.
Engineer Lanre Ajayi, president of the Nigeria Internet Group (NIG), called on government to create the right environment through appropriate policies that would enhance broadband deployment in the country. “The future of broadband in Nigeria looks good, if the right environment is created for investment in this area,” Ajayi said.
Looking at broadband as an enabler of documentation, Ajayi said broadband would offer the greatest opportunity to Africans to start documenting their experiences and sharing knowledge among themselves and with the global community. “Our movies, books, music, training materials, journals can be digitalized to make it appear in storage friendly format before transmission on a broadband network,” Ajayi said, noting the existence of a wide divide that exists between Africa and the rest of the world.
He listed the causes of broadband divide to include lack of effective Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) as result of proliferation of VSAT terminals whose hubs are located outside the territories of the IXPs; lack of enthusiasm to roll out broadband services by the GSM operators as a result of fear that it may wipe out good returns on the voice services; monopoly on SAT3 cable; lack of adequate national transmission backbone and unavailability of spectrum for last mile.
Proffering solution to broadband divide, Ajayi suggested that there must be a leverage on the latest terrestrial wireless technology to pursue aggressive rollout; provide necessary incentives to the operators to rollout service; utilise necessary regulatory instrument to make it unattractive for the GSM operators not to rollout affordable broadband; negotiate with manufacturers for the introduction of affordable terminal devices; encourage emerging alternatives to SAT3 such as Glo1 and Main One cables.
The SAT-3 system, which began operations in 2000, provides a path between Asia and Europe for telecommunications traffic that is an alternative to the cable routes that pass through the Middle East. It provides the only optical fiber link between West Africa and the rest of the world with a capacity of 120 Gbit/s.
The SAT-3 has landing points in European countries like in Sesimbra, Portugal, Chipiona, Spain, Altavista, Gran Canaria, Spain; and in Africa, its landing stations are in Dakar, Senegal, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, Accra, Ghana, Cotonou, Benin, Lagos, Nigeria, Douala, Cameroon, Libreville, Gabon, Cacuaco, Angola and Melkbosstrand in South Africa.
However, with the recorded growth in the telecom industry and the need for more infrastructure roll out in the country, Globacom, Second National Operator (SNO), initiated plans to boost telecom and internet service through the building of Glo-1 submarine cable system. The Glo-1 is a planned cable system along the west coast of Africa between Nigeria and the United Kingdom, covering a distance of 9,500 km.
The Main One undersea cable company is also making efforts to complete its projects which run from Portugal to South Africa and to the West Africa sub-region, but with its first landing stations in Lagos and Accra. It provides wholesale bandwidth capacity to telecom operators and internet service providers in the West African region and beyond. Also, MTN Nigeria has embarked on series of initiatives in fibre optic roll out across various regions of the country; all aimed at boosting telecom and internet services.
But despite the general believe that broadband technology is scarce in Nigeria, Gbenga Adebayo insisted it is not scarce but the means of transporting it to the hinterland is what is not available. “I don’t believe that broadband is scarce, but what I think is scarce is the avenue to get it to the rural parts of the country,” he said. “There are no accessible measures of getting the infrastructure as required to drive the needed penetration in the industry.”
From regulatory point of view, Engineer Ernest Ndukwe, former executive vice chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), said widespread deployment of broadband at this stage of Nigeria’s telecom development will boost connectivity at a faster rate.
Also, ICT experts, who gathered in Lagos recently at a broadband forum, advised government to create the right environment that would enhance broadband connectivity. Broadband revolution, according to the gathering, is currently sweeping across the globe and Nigeria should not leave any stone unturned in ensuring that the many benefits of broadband are spread to all nooks and crannies of the country. This will enable Nigerians have enough bandwidth for internet downloads and uploads, video conferencing, telemedicine and all forms of electronic transactions in government and outside government at a cheap cost.
Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, president of the Association of Telecom Companies of Nigeria (Atcon), said there is need for Nigeria to leverage on broadband as economic booster mass development of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs); job creation; wealth generation; new middle class; sustainable economic growth and development; foreign exchange earning and national well-being.
Mr. Gbanga Adebayo, president of the Association of Licenced Telecom Operators of Nigeria (Alton), addressed the issue of last-mile service in achieving broadband penetration in the country.
Adebayo called on telecom operators to provide strong link to consumers, using copper cables, Long Term Evolution (LTE), Wifi and WiMax technologies. Operators, he said, had no choice, but to embrace broadband connectivity.
As the bandwidth delivered to end users increases, the market expects that video on demand services streamed over the internet will become more popular.
Engineer Lanre Ajayi, president of the Nigeria Internet Group (NIG), called on government to create the right environment through appropriate policies that would enhance broadband deployment in the country. “The future of broadband in Nigeria looks good, if the right environment is created for investment in this area,” Ajayi said.
Looking at broadband as an enabler of documentation, Ajayi said broadband would offer the greatest opportunity to Africans to start documenting their experiences and sharing knowledge among themselves and with the global community. “Our movies, books, music, training materials, journals can be digitalized to make it appear in storage friendly format before transmission on a broadband network,” Ajayi said, noting the existence of a wide divide that exists between Africa and the rest of the world.
He listed the causes of broadband divide to include lack of effective Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) as result of proliferation of VSAT terminals whose hubs are located outside the territories of the IXPs; lack of enthusiasm to roll out broadband services by the GSM operators as a result of fear that it may wipe out good returns on the voice services; monopoly on SAT3 cable; lack of adequate national transmission backbone and unavailability of spectrum for last mile.
Proffering solution to broadband divide, Ajayi suggested that there must be a leverage on the latest terrestrial wireless technology to pursue aggressive rollout; provide necessary incentives to the operators to rollout service; utilise necessary regulatory instrument to make it unattractive for the GSM operators not to rollout affordable broadband; negotiate with manufacturers for the introduction of affordable terminal devices; encourage emerging alternatives to SAT3 such as Glo1 and Main One cables.
The SAT-3 system, which began operations in 2000, provides a path between Asia and Europe for telecommunications traffic that is an alternative to the cable routes that pass through the Middle East. It provides the only optical fiber link between West Africa and the rest of the world with a capacity of 120 Gbit/s.
The SAT-3 has landing points in European countries like in Sesimbra, Portugal, Chipiona, Spain, Altavista, Gran Canaria, Spain; and in Africa, its landing stations are in Dakar, Senegal, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, Accra, Ghana, Cotonou, Benin, Lagos, Nigeria, Douala, Cameroon, Libreville, Gabon, Cacuaco, Angola and Melkbosstrand in South Africa.
However, with the recorded growth in the telecom industry and the need for more infrastructure roll out in the country, Globacom, Second National Operator (SNO), initiated plans to boost telecom and internet service through the building of Glo-1 submarine cable system. The Glo-1 is a planned cable system along the west coast of Africa between Nigeria and the United Kingdom, covering a distance of 9,500 km.
The Main One undersea cable company is also making efforts to complete its projects which run from Portugal to South Africa and to the West Africa sub-region, but with its first landing stations in Lagos and Accra. It provides wholesale bandwidth capacity to telecom operators and internet service providers in the West African region and beyond. Also, MTN Nigeria has embarked on series of initiatives in fibre optic roll out across various regions of the country; all aimed at boosting telecom and internet services.
But despite the general believe that broadband technology is scarce in Nigeria, Gbenga Adebayo insisted it is not scarce but the means of transporting it to the hinterland is what is not available. “I don’t believe that broadband is scarce, but what I think is scarce is the avenue to get it to the rural parts of the country,” he said. “There are no accessible measures of getting the infrastructure as required to drive the needed penetration in the industry.”
