By Prince Osuagwu
The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Tuesday gathered stakeholders in Lagos, to discuss possible ways of ensuring appropriate pricing for broadband services in the country.

The commission said appropriate pricing will enhance robust broadband access for Nigerians and ensure affordability.
The broadbased discussion is based on the report of industry statistics and market dynamics contracted to KPMG to carry out and submit by April.

Flagging the discussion off yesterday at the Digital Bridge Institute, Oshodi Lagos, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, Prof Umar said that while the Commission is happy with the phenomenal growth recorded in the industry, especially in active voice subscriptions, there was also need to move to next critical phase of growth , which is broadband and data services to ensure that everyone, irrespective of where they live would have access to the benefits of broadband.

He said this can only happen with a regime of pervasive deployment of broadband infrastructure and services across the country

He said: “The affordability and accessibility of broadband services however is largely determined by the prices that are charged for those services. Therefore ensuring that prices charged for retail broadband and data services are cost based in line with international best practice is critical to the deployment and uptake of broadband and data services in Nigeria”.

He said the commission in a bid to entrench that regime in the industry, conducted a Study on the Determination of Cost Based Pricing for Retail Broadband and Data Services Nigeria and appointed Messrs’ KPMG, after a thorough selection process, to set guidelines for the regulation of the pricing of retail broadband and data services in Nigeria and specifically determine Price cap and floor where necessary.