By Prince Osuagwu, Hi-Tech Editor

The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, has revealed that as at August this year, only about 67 out of the over 174 million active subscribers in Nigeria have subscribed to the 3G and 4G network platforms so far.

The irony is that both platforms are categorised as broadband networks. The low adoption, apparently accounts for why broadband penetration on the platforms, stood at 35.10 per cent as at August, 2019.

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It also means that the 2G network platform still dominates Nigerian telecom landscape at 122.9 million.

Statistics from the commission, states that as at August 2019, 2G subscriptions stood 122.9 million, corresponding to 64.42 per cent of the population. 3G subscription, accounts for  49.7 million, representing  26.03 per cent of the population while 4G accounts for a paltry 17.3 million subscriptions representing 9.07 per cent of the population.

However, the Commission said it is actively exploring the utilisation of television white space (TVWS) technology to expand affordable broadband services to rural areas, to complement the efforts of the Infrastructure Compananies (InfraCos)  it issued licences recently.

The InfraCos are expected  to deploy fibre across the geopolitical zones with Access Points in all the 774 local government areas of the Federation.

The Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, Prof Umar Danbatta who disclosed this at an Information and Communications Technology, ICT event in Lagos, recently, said: “ In line with the Next Level agenda of the current administration, the Commission hopes to increase the number of fibre deployment in Nigeria to 127,000 kilometre from its current 42,000 kilometre of fibre connectivity in the country”.

Danbatta who was represented at the event by Director Public Affairs, Dr Henry Nkemadu, added that “through the InfraCo initiatives, the Commission expects additional 30,000 kilometre of fibre to be added. This is aside the results expected from major Mobile network Operators (MNOs), who also earmark resources, on a yearly basis, to expand their fibre deployment”.

He said the commission is also working with the Ministry of Communications and other necessary stakeholders towards addressing the perennial industry challenges such as the Right of Way (RoW) issues, multiple taxation and regulation, vandalism/fibre cuts, theft of telecoms equipment, insecurity, power problem, among others – all of which are critical industry issues- impeding fast broadband infrastructure deployment in the country, which has impacted the level of access to government, businesses and individuals to enjoy e-government services.