Operators Highlight the Surge for Broadband Development in Nigeria

On 03.08.10, In Technology, by venus

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The internet service providers and stakeholders of Nigeria have gathered together to boost the internet service in the country to pace up with the counterparts across the globe. Gathered at a forum last week in Lagos, they highlighted on the issues that hindered the growth of internet in the African nation and coaxed the government and telecom operators to work in the direction.

Nigeria is world’s fastest growing market for telecommunications with its telephone subscriber count exceeding over lwt-globe 75 million. On the contrary the internet subscribers barely sum up as 2 million. The stakeholders in the internet industry of Nigeria now want the broadband speeds and internet networks to be heightened with government taking potential measures in building a stronger and more robust information infrastructure.

Senior Partner, Praxis Partners LLC, Mr Fola Odufuwa blames the satellite systems stalling the broadband development thus directly impacting the internet connectivity. He insisted over operators to sustain the effort through investment in fibre cable optic.

The President, Nigeria Internet Group, Mr Lanre Ajayi adding on to the measures urged the government and operators to leverage on the latest terrestrial wireless technology to pursue aggressive rollout. He added that the government should give the necessary incentives to the telecoms operators to rollout service and take the necessary regulatory measures to make it unattractive for the GSM operators not to rollout affordable broadband.

“It is important to note, especially in the context of discussing government policies aimed at diffusing broadband technologies more rapidly, that what is regarded as “broadband” today may well be considered “narrow band” in a couple of years. On this basis, it may be better to think of broadband as a wide set of technologies that generate some minimum level of high speed bandwidth interconnection, “ said President, Digital Bridge Institute, Prof. Raymond Akwule.

He went on to say that there should be policies to enhance competition, open telecommunications markets and promote access to infrastructure. He stressed that government must provide sufficient financial support to telecommunications providers along with actively taking the initiative of building the infrastructure to lease out to these providers.

Source: Thenationonlineng.net

Image source: mobile.broadbandgenie, lwtbroadband