The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has approved the use of a new technology, TV White Space, to ensure that rural communities have access to broadband internet coverage.
The move was announced by the executive vice-chairman of NCC, professor Umar Danbatta, at a workshop organised by the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) in Abuja.
TV White Space, spearheaded by Microsoft and Google, refers to the broadcasting frequencies in the wireless spectrum that are unused and the government is anxious to use it so that broadband penetration in Nigeria can be increased.
During the workshop, Danbatta said that using TV White Space in Nigeria would be relatively cheap for broadband coverage.
“We have TV White Space in abundance in Nigeria. It is an effective means of serving underserved communities,” he said. “The communications minister is more eager than ATCON to see pervasive use of TV White Space in Nigeria. It is a cheaper way of making broadband available.”
President of ATCON Olusola Teniola also acknowledged that deploying this new technology would be of benefit to everyone, including communities that are under-served.
tagged in: Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria, ATCON, Olusola Teniola, TV White Space, Umar Danbatta