Fibre Optic network key to ubiquitous Broadband penetration

ITRealms

The Senior Manager, Transmission Planning, MTN Nigeria, Olusegun Salami, has stated that the key to ubiquitous Broadband penetration in the country lies in the deployment of Fibre Optic network and wireless access, ITRealms reports.

He said that the fibre optic which is cheaper should be invested in if the 30 per cent national broadband penetration target is to be achieved in 2018, saying that the nature of village settlement which is sparse makes it difficult for investors to obtain the required number of subscribers before putting down money for such investment in the optic fibre yet it is the way to go.

He also said access to the internet in the village is less than 1 per cent, adding that there is a huge gap in broadband penetration between the urban and the rural areas.

Salami was speaking, Friday, at the quarterly Seminar of the Nigeria Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA) held at Western Town Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos. The event which had the theme “Foreign Direct Investment, an impetus to achieving ubiquitous broadband penetration,” played host to industry giants. compared broadband penetration to the availability of signals to transistor radio in the villages. “That is the kind of penetration we want to see”, he said.

He kept the audience spellbound as he advocated low price smart phones, devaluation of the currency to attract direct foreign investment, utilization of fibre optic in the rural areas, the right of way, CTDs in the urban areas as key factors for the realization of internet penetration to the last mile, saying  that attaining the 30 per cent target is a possibility, ITRealms gathered.

He said two years into the five year- journey no significant ground has been covered and therefore called on NITRA which is the umbrella body of all ICT reporters in  Nigeria, to do more reporting on the challenges that have hindered the deployment of fibre optic, even as he thanked  association for organizing the event.

The former President, Association of Telecom Companies of Nigeria (ATCON, Dr Emmanuel Ekuwem, who was the chairman of the occasion, said it is not enough to have infrastructure in place, but  that what you put in the infrastructure  is equally key. He stated that content is a major issue for ubiquitous Broadband penetration. 

Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem who is the former President of the Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Immediate Past President of Nigeria Internet Group (NIG) and also the CEO of Teledom Group, an indigenous conglomerate company with expertise in Broadband ICT infrastructure development, deployment and software development for Telecom process automation, ITRealms gathered, disagreed with those who clamour for devaluation of the Naira as a way to realize direct foreign investment for ubiquitous broadband penetration saying that no foreigner would love you more than his or her own country.

The President of NITRA, Emma Okonji had earlier welcomed guests to the occasion with a call to the authorities to put up more efforts towards the realization of the national broadband penetration target.

Cyriacus Nnaji/GEE

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