BY EMMANUEL ELEBEKE

As Nigeria approaches another threshold of revolution in the telecommunications sector, the Nigerian Communications Commission, yesterday, announced that it will issue seven new infrastructure companies, InfraCos,   licences before the end of 2014.

Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, Dr. Eugene Juwah, who announced this at the NCC Day at the Centenary Trade Fair in Abuja, said in the planned auction, two of the Infraco licences would be auctioned in May, while others would be auctioned before the end of the year.

EVC, Juwah  represented by the Director of Public Affairs in the commission, Mr. Tony Ojobo explained that the auction became necessary to enable the commission fast-track its ubiquitous broadband plan  for the country.

“As at 2001, less than 10,000 Nigerians had access to Internet but today, about 50 million Nigerians have access to Internet on a regular basis. It is also worthy on note that Nigeria today ranks number 11 in the world in Internet usage. ‘

“We are aware that we are about to witness broadband revolution, the NCC recently auctioned 2.3Mhz licence that will usher in a broadband revolution. In the course of the year, about seven new infrastructure companies, Infracos licences that will provide additional access to broadband, ushering in a revolution, would be auctioned.

“What we have witnessed is a revolution in the area of voice, but what we are going to experience soon is revolution in the area of data. Two would be issued in May while five would be issued before the end of the year.

“We are proud to say that Nigerian Communications Commission is the agency that superintended the revolution which has put Nigeria in the global map as the fastest telecommunications market for consecutive five years,” he said.