TO aid its nationwide broadband penetration strategy, the Federal Government may reallocate the 2.5GHz spectrum band currently being used bybroadcasting stations to telecommunications operators.This decision, being planned by the National Frequency Management Commission (NFMC), is aimed at ensuring maximal utilisation of the spectrum to effectively drive broadband deployment in the country.Investigations revealed that, in other countries, the said spectrum, is often allocated to telecommunications firms, was hitherto in the custody of the Nigerian broadcasters for which relevant stakeholders in the telecoms sector had called for its retrieval from the broadcasting sector and its re-allocation to telecoms companies.The Executive Vice-Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Eugene Juwah, who reiterated the decision of NFMC on the planned re-allocation of the spectrum band, said, 'The 2.5GHz is already being used by the broadcasting stations but NFMC has decided that by 2015, the broadcasters will vacate the 2.5GHz spectrum for telecoms players.'Juwah also disclosed that NCC had mandated the Code Division Multiple Access operators to vacate the 800MHz band so that those operators that want to deploy broadband services on the spectrum can effectively utilize it.Presently, Nigeria has pent-up demand for broadband services but the spectrum to deploy this, which allow for Long Term Evolution or 4G networks, which gives efficient Internet speed, is very insufficient in the country.With Nigeria broadband penetration still estimated to be less than twoper cent when average broadband penetration in Africa is estimated about fourper cent, the EVC said the NCC would fast-track regulatory intervention to increase broadband penetration.. 'In doing this, we shall incentivize the provision of broadband infrastructure and service across the country; provide a clear guideline and regulatory framework for broadband provision and ensure effective enforcement of the regulation,' he said.Highlighting the benefits the nation is bound to derive from access to broadband services once the spectrum is available to adequately drive its ubiquitous access, Juwah said, 'Availability of broadband services would engender the growth of a highly-skilled workforce with relevant ICT skills; engender the growth of the globally-competitive industrial and service firms driven by ICT tools; facilitate the growth of a modern ICT-driven educational system and contribute to growth of the country's Gross Domestic Products.'Besides, the Minister of Communications Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson has informed of Federal Government's plan to ensure removal of all bottlenecks hindering broadband penetration in the country.To achieve this, she said government has decided to set up a Presidential Committee that will develop a roadmap and give a policy direction for the realisation of this objective in the country.Besides, the committee will also, when constituted, look into the possibility of improving on the present broadband infrastructures in the country.The minister said the need to establish such committee was informed by the government's realisation that having ubiquitous internet capacity and a national backbone that provides critical ICT infrastructure to carry data traffic to all parts of the country is as important as 'having power, transportation and water infrastructure in today's globally connected and increasingly knowledge-based world.'Johnson said all over the world, broadband or universal access to broadband was becoming a significant indicator of development and competitiveness among nations.According to her, broadband has the potential of enabling entire new industries and introducing significant efficiencies into education delivery, health care provision, energy management, public safety, government/citizen interaction and the overall organisation and dissemination of knowledge.Explaining further, the minister said: 'In Nigeria, there is already clear evidence of demand for broadband in many facets of our economic and social lives. There are very few aspects of our lives that are not impacted or affected by the Internet.'So, the demand is there, in fact so is the supply when you take into consideration the Internet capacity that we have landed on our shores. The challenge for us in Nigeria is not the proverbial last mile but the last hundreds of miles, taking that landed capacity to cities, communities, institutions and home.
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