The Executive Vice Chairman, Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), Prof Umar Garba Danbatta has revealed measures taken by the Commission to improve regulations to accommodate the rapid and continuous development in Nigeria telco.
Danbatta was speaking today at the first `Talk-To-The Regulator ` Forum for the Year, 2023, holding in the South-South, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
He noted that the TTTR 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.
Some of the interventions and responses of the Commission, Danbatta said, includes but are not limited to:
• 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.
• In line with the Nigeria National Broadband Plan (NNBP 2020 – 2025), the NCC is providing industry leadership to facilitate the achievement of 90% Broadband penetration by year 2025, and well above 50% at the end of 2023. Currently, over a One Hundred and Fifty (I50) million Nigerians have access to internet, while over eighty (80) million can access high speed internet.
According to him, NCC, in keeping with its mandate, creates opportunities to interact with its licensees on industry issues and new trends via stakeholder fora, with a view to gathering relevant information that would further advance the development of the industry, while improving regulations and service delivery to telecom consumers.
IT News Nigeria gathered that the TTTR Forum in Yenagoa which was originally scheduled to hold in 2022 but was postponed due to the dreadful flood disaster that hit Bayelsa and some other states in the year.
Danbatta also seize the opportunity to commiserate with the people of Bayelsa State and the entire nation on the worst flood disaster recorded in the history of the nation.
The TTTR Forum continues tomorrow.
