By Emmanuel Elebeke
In a bid to ensure a  more collaborative and harmonious co-operation among players in the telecom sector in the country, the Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) in  its 2011 outlook released  at the weekend said it is ready to collaborate with all industry  players and the public on every initiative that conforms with its mission for the year.

This, the association said, it welcomed  as part of its implementation of the 2011 business plan, saying that the framework and process of the implementation to get endorsement and collaboration with relevant stakeholders has been laid out. To this end, it listed the five  major areas of  focus for industry development in 2011 to include the following:

Optimal exploitation of convergence
It is fundamental that the industry is ultimately restructured to reflect the changes that are already taking root and imposed by technological advancement. The benefits of these changes will not be realized by simply willing them to happen but rather by matching those aspirations with credible investment.

Ubiquitous Broadband Access
It is the primary duty of government to provide access to e-resources for all of us and it can not for reasons of liberalization shirk discharging the responsibility. This extends to providing necessary support to industry players. One good case is the extension of broadband infrastructure across the country as well as providing incentives and financial support to fledging and upstart companies who show promise to disperse major broadband infrastructure and forge ubiquity of access.

Public Power System
In the absence of genuine liberalization of the power sector, we may continue to throw good money after bad on the problem without commensurate results. ATCON advocates for a truly liberalized electricity delivery system.

Frequency Management
The net industry and social benefits of an efficient frequency management system is yet to be attained. Its mismanagement poses real threat to investment and expansion initiatives. Developing skills in this special area represents an antidote to predictable catastrophe in planning, allocation and management such that the industry reduces pollution and increases  re-use.

Independence of the Regulator
To the extent that the operating law has given very commendable independence to the regulator from which the industry has immeasurably benefitted in the last decade, it is important that such independence is not subject to officials’ whims and caprices capable of derailing the march.

The independence of the NCC has truly been threatened in the past two years but fortunately, we have a judiciary, press and industry players that have  stepped up to the mark and showed its resolve guaranteeing  that we continue to move in the right direction. The 3.5G and the N6.1billion debacles are prime examples of undisguised attempts to compromise the independence of the Commission.