The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has disclosed that over 80 million Nigerians can presently access high-speed Internet services as part of the milestones the industry has recorded.
The Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Umar Danbatta disclosed this at the first `Talk-To-The Regulator ` Forum for the Year, 2023, held in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
Danbatta, who stated that I50 million Nigerians also have access to the internet, noted that this is in line with the Nigeria National Broadband Plan (NNBP 2020 – 2025), which is allowing the NCC to provide industry leadership to facilitate the achievement of 90% Broadband penetration by year 2025, and well above 50% at the end of 2023.
“Currently, over One Hundred and Fifty (I50) million Nigerians have access to the internet, while over eighty (80) million can access high-speed internet,” he said.
To keep up to date with developments in the industry, the Commission has equally taken measures to improve regulations to accommodate rapid and continuous development.
They are:
- Facilitating the Roll-Out of 5G Service provision.
- Introduction of Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) Licence to bridge the gap between unserved and underserved areas.
- The Commission is currently reviewing the scope and structure of its existing licenses to make them more robust and to accommodate some of the identified new industry trends.
The ‘Talk-To-The Regulator` Forum is a common platform for non-discriminatory interaction on a one-on-one basis, between the Licensees and the Regulator on several industry issues, pertinent to the Licensees and of national interest.