The Executive Vice Chairman (EVC), Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta has met with the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Muhammed Musa Bello to discuss how best to ensure the deployment of telecoms infrastructure to the city that houses the three arms of government.
Danbatta identified a number of challenges that have denied the FCT the best telecoms services, especially with quality of service (QoS).
“We have come because, we believe that with the progressive style of your administration, these challenges will be resolved for the benefit of the government, the residents and national telecommunications development,” Danbatta explained.
According to a statement endorsed by Director, Public Affairs at NCC, Tony Ojobo, these challenges include inability of operators to co-locate because the sites offered for co-location are inadequate and do not suit the technical specifications of carrers.
He advised carriers be involved in determining allocation sites to ensure that the identified sites meet network and radio frequency standards of all stakeholders.
Danbatta also listed the 2006 fee regime of the FCTA which still exists and the astronomical rise in fees for building permits imposed on operators by the FCTA.
The others include retrospective FCTA laws that affect telecom facilities and activities of road construction companies in the city.
He also listed delayed approval for installation of base stations/fibre deployments, implementation of National Economic Council (NEC) resolution on multiple taxation, levies and charges on ICT infrastructure as part of the challenges faced by operators in the city.
On the 2006 fee regime of FCTA, he said it was agreed in a meeting between operators, FCTA and NCC that year that the Federal Capital Administration would meet and harmonise positions on the astronomical increase in fees for building permits imposed by FCTA.
“This has not been done and operators have continued to receive bills from the Administration based on the 2006 rates. Therefore, we request your approval to establish a committee made up of officers of the FCT and the NCC to resolve issues relating to charges to ensure rates agreed are cost based and comparable to what FCTA charges are, for other users of properties” Prof. Danbatta appealed to the Minister.
On the retrospective FCT laws that affected telecom facilities, the NCC boss said any law or policy by the FCTA that affect telecom facilities should not be made retroactive.
“We have observed that the fact that telecom services in the FCT were not envisaged during its initial planning has resulted in administrators approaching telecom facilities as a normal property and visiting them with regulations that should not be applicable. We therefore request that approval be given to all existing BTS in the FCTA except those that clearly pose a danger to its surrounding”. he said.
He also told the minister that the operators had complained to FCDA engineering department about frequent cuts of their fibre lines by road construction companies in the FCT. “These frequent cuts of fibres have resulted in total loss of services by subscribers and have added to the problem of poor quality of service in the FCT. Despite the efforts put in by the engineering department of the FCDA to address the complaints, the cuts have continued unabated, road construction companies should be enjoined to exercise extreme caution to ensure reduction or total elimination of fibre cuts,” he advised.
On delayed approval for installation of base stations, he said there were causes of applications for installations of base stations in Abuja that have been pending since 2014 and beyond.
The NCC chief said the quarterly contribution of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has increased to N1.6trillion from N1.4 trillion.
He added that the ICT sector was now contributing close to 10 per cent to the GDP yearly.
The country, he added recorded an increase in internet users hitting 92 million as at June.
He said that broadband penetration was expected to hit 30 per cent next year, and that would further increase the number of internet users in the country.
“Telecommunications has attracted more than $68billion in private sector investment since 2001” he said.
The FCT Minister, Mallam Musa Bello, however promised that the capital city’s administration would collaborate with the NCC to overcome those challenges.
“Part of our job is to ease businesses and increase investment in the city and the country at large. We would support you in ensuring there is always increase in broadband penetration across the country,” Mallam Bello said.
He promised to set up committee to look into all complaints raised by the NCC.
Source: http://thenationonlineng.net/ncc-fct-partner-telecoms-infrastructure/