Home » Nigeria makes significant progress in closing Telecom Access Gaps by 53%

Nigeria makes significant progress in closing Telecom Access Gaps by 53%

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Danbatta

In a remarkable achievement, the number of areas in Nigeria lacking access to essential telecommunications services has been drastically reduced by 53.1% as of the end of 2022.

In a statement signed by the NCC director of public affairs, Reuben Muoka, stated that during a recent telecoms industry stakeholders forum in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state, Professor Umar Garba Danbatta, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, shared the encouraging news.

Telescope.ng gathered that he revealed that the industry had effectively bridged 110 clusters of access gaps, resulting in a reduction from 207 to 97 identified clusters.

This reduction in access gaps signifies a substantial improvement in connectivity for previously underserved communities across the country. It means that the estimated 37 million Nigerians who were digitally excluded in 2013 have now decreased to 27 million, thanks to enhanced access to telecom services.

Access gaps refer to the areas or communities that previously lacked telecom services. The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has made remarkable strides in reducing these clusters of access gaps by more than half.

Professor Danbatta expressed the NCC’s relentless efforts to bring telecom services to rural, unserved, and underserved areas of the country.

He highlighted the significant progress achieved thus far, mentioning that the number of clusters had been reduced to 114 by 2019. Consequently, the population within these clusters decreased from 37 million to 31 million.

Continuing their pursuit of improved connectivity, the NCC further reduced the clusters to 97 by 2022, demonstrating an even more significant reduction in the access gap. The number of Nigerians affected by this digital divide was lowered to 27 million.

This remarkable progress was made possible by deploying additional infrastructure, including base transceiver stations.

The NCC deployed 79 new base transceiver stations between 2009 and 2011, an additional 124 between 2013 and 2018, and a remarkable 364 between 2019 and 2022. In total, 567 base transceiver stations have been deployed to date

While recognizing this achievement as a significant milestone, Professor Danbatta emphasized that the Commission would not relent in its efforts. Their goal remains to provide telecom services to the remaining 27 million Nigerians who still lack access.

To bridge the remaining access gaps across the country and ensure ubiquitous connectivity, the NCC has implemented various regulatory interventions. These include the issuance of Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) licenses and the deployment of Fifth Generation (5G) networks, among other initiatives.

The reduction in telecom access gaps signifies a tremendous leap forward for Nigeria’s connectivity landscape. As the NCC continues its dedicated work, the vision of achieving comprehensive and inclusive telecom services throughout the nation draws nearer.

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