By Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Guardian Nigeria
Published on 2024-01-24 03:12:57
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has reported that the Fifth Generation (5G) network is currently available in only about 30 cities in Nigeria, as it enters its third year of commercial launch in the country. The NCC has also called for further expansion of the 5G network, urging licensees to roll out the service in more cities.
As of August 2023, the NCC stated that 5G subscriptions in Nigeria accounted for 0.83% penetration, with approximately 500,000 individuals benefiting from the service. The current status of the 5G network was disclosed in Lagos by Dr. Aminu Maida, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, when he announced the agenda for the sector for the next five years.
Assuring that issues limiting the expansion of telecom services would receive top priority during his tenure, Maida emphasized the need for improved telephony services. He also addressed the readiness of Nigeria for the sixth-generation (6G) network, stating that the country would not be left behind in adopting new technology and that efforts to maximize the benefits of 5G were underway.
According to the Executive Commissioner, Technical Standard, Ubale Maska, the 5G network is currently available in less than 30 cities in Nigeria, indicating that further expansion is necessary. Maska also emphasized the importance of maximizing the potential of 4G before discussing the adoption of 5G or 6G.
Although 2G still dominates network usage in the country with 60.47% penetration, 3G accounts for 9.57% penetration, and 4G covers 29.13% of the population as of August 2023. The licensees MTN, Mafab, and Airtel have been working to increase 5G penetrations across the country.
Moreover, more investments in 5G networks are expected to result in a 32% revenue jump for operators, potentially reaching $400 billion by the end of 2024. A study by Juniper Research revealed that as consumer 5G penetration rates become saturated, operators will focus on launching 5G services for enterprise IoT users. The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has reported that the 5G network has already reached 40% of the global population since its launch in 2019.
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 has said that the Fifth Generation (5G) network has only reached about 30 cities in Nigeria.The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said that the Fifth Generation (5G) network has only reached about 30 cities in Nigeria.){kind=link}