The Telecommunications industry in Nigeria is a very big business. The big 5 Mobile Telecom Operators invested over $3 billion dollars in the industry last year and provided services to over 130 million Nigerians.
Telecom mast
In spite of the tremendous scale and size of this industry, there is still room for well-conceived startups.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) believes that the biggest risk in this industry is the need for an Open Access shared Fiber Optic Network infrastructure.
According to Dr Eugene Juwah, Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, two Licenses for Open Access Fiber Optic Network Infrastructure (InfraCos) will cover Lagos State and the North Central Zone, allowing for the deployment of metropolitan fibre-optic infrastructure and associated transmission equipment on an open access, non-discriminatory and price-regulated basis.
As outlined by the regulator’s ‘Open Access Next Generation Fibre Optics Broadband Network’ paper, which was published late last year, the InfraCos will be responsible for providing a national broadband network to service providers.
The NCC says that the Open Access Model for fibre-optic network deployment is best suited to bridge the digital divide, facilitate the development of local content, and deliver fast and reliable broadband services to households and businesses. It is expected to help address the challenges of fibre deployment in towns and cities, promote infrastructure sharing and reduce right of way issues.
Now, a Lagos based Metropolitan Fiber Optic Network Operator, Broadbased Communications Limited, says there is prospects in the commission’s proposal.
The company while addressing journalists recently, said that knowing that Open Access Fiber Optic infrastructure is the way to go, 4 years ago, it established a company to provide last mile Open Access Fiber Optic Network infrastructure.
At a luncheon, in Lagos, recently, MD/CEO of Broadbased Communications, Prince Henry Ise-Okojie, said that the company’s strategy was completely aligned with the NCC strategy to take fiber optics infrastructure to the last mile.
The company said it has been utilizing a fiber optics open access non-compete strategy since its formation, promising that it will play a key role in the initial rollout of the Infraco strategy.
“In the NCC’s Infraco strategy, they already anticipated having companies like Broadbased Communications Ltd who have existing Fiber Optic Network infrastructure that can be leveraged by the Infraco to carry traffic to the last mile” he added.
Also, Chief Marketing Officer of the company, Mr. Chidi Ibisi, noted that the company is a pure play Open Access Fiber Optic Network infrastructure company and does not compete against its clients by aspiring to provide last mile services to consumers of services, rather, Broadbased Communications provides the infrastructure that makes it possible to reach the last mile.
The company promised that in the next twelve to eighteen months it will continue to expand and hopefully add 1500 to 2000 kilometers to its existing infrastructure to make the platform available to all existing Telecom Operators and new players including InfraCos seeking to lease Fiber Optic links.
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