Speakers
which included the Minister of Communication
Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, Chairman of OpenMedia Communications, Dr.
Ernest Ndukwe, Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission,
Dr. Eugene Juwah; acting Managing Director cum CEO, NIGCOMSAT, Ms Abimbola Alale,
Director-General (DG), National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) Mr. Emeka Mba,
Prof. H. Sama Nwana, CEO, Atlantic Telecoms and Media Ltd to name a few.
Most of the speakers called for the
establishment of public access ICT centers and a rollout of national awareness
campaign about the importance of broadband to all, even that an increase in
broadband penetration of any given society also has a corresponding effect on
the nation’s GDP.
Addressing participants, including DigitalSENSE Business News, Communication
Technology Minister, Mrs. Omobola Johnson said the government is not relenting
on its effort to achieve this in line with the National Broadband Plan. Stressing
its achievable by 2015, but that all hands must be on the deck.
She also told DigitalSENSE Business News that
affordability target still remains a challenge coupled with other challenges in
the sector, part of which taxation that about 70 kobo of every Naira spent on
telecommunications infrastructure is spent on taxes, levies and the likes.
For Prof. H. Sama Nwana, an increase in
broadband penetration is achievable in Africa but lamented in that there is
need to change “the way we do things.”
He also shared with DigitalSENSE Business News the Global
Broadband Commission’s target for 2015, commending the Federal Government of
Nigeria for having achieved the first target through a broadband plan in place
even before the set target.
Other targets of the broadband commission, he
told DigitalSENSE Business News
comprise reducing the cost of broadband access to less than 5 per cent of average
monthly income, connecting 40 per cent households in developing nations and
achieving 60 per cent internet penetration on a global level, all by 2015.
Enumerating the challenges of broadband
penetration in Africa, Prof. Nwana equally told DigitalSENSE Business News that 70
per cent of Africa that’s a rural settlement is one of the major challenges
facing penetration on the continent.
He further enjoined African leaders not to
adopt economic models as that of Europe if Africa really wants to connect more
people, noting that broadband access should be delivered to many, not few.
Olayinka Oni, Chief Technology Officer at
Microsoft Nigeria affirmed to DigitalSENSE
Business News at the forum that a connected world is necessary as it would
enable people get work done more efficiently and effectively while business
would also have new ways to serve client which in turn give rise to competition
advantage.
He said connecting the world is key considering
that by 2020, there will have been 50 billion items connected on the internet
of things. Oni also noted that mobile broadband drives internet growth and that
Africa has the highest growth rate in mobile broadband in the world.
And while advocating the use of TV white
space for more penetration, the Microsoft Nigeria CTO, said it would enable
rural broadband and backhaul, wide coverage hotspots serving as bridge between
small networks. One other use that TV white space can also be put to use is in
the provision of wireless surveillance services.
He however urged policy makers to have a
rethink about spectrum allocation and regulation.
And thatTV white spaces can
also drive an economic model where spectrum does not determine the price.
Correspondent Yinka Awosanya/GEE
L-R: Prof. Sama Nwana, Chief Executive Officer, Atlantic Telecoms Media, Engr. Ernest Ndukwe, Chairman OpenMedia Group,Mrs. Omobola Johnson, Minister of Communication Technology, Mr. Emeka Mba, Director-General, Nigerian Broadcasting Commission and Mr. Stanley Jegede, Chief Executive Officer, Phase2 Technology at the International Forum On Accelerating Nationwide Broadband Access in Nigeria held at the Four Points By Sheraton, Lekki Peninsular, Oniru Estate, Lagos.
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