FG’s 70% broadband penetration target by 2025 achievable with private sector collaboration – MTN
Nigeria will achieve a 70% internet penetration in urban and rural areas by 2025 as desired by the Federal Government if tactical collaborations between the private sector and the public sector are effectively utilised.
The General Manager, Fixed Broadband at MTN Nigeria, Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka, who stated this during a media chat noted that while the country is on the right path in terms of policy, there is a need for concerted efforts of all stakeholders to achieve the target.
Recall that the Federal Government has designed the National Broadband Plan to deliver a penetration rate of 70 per cent by 2025; as well as data download speeds across Nigeria with effective coverage available to at least 90 per cent of the population by 2025.
The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Pantami, made this known recently, while delivering a keynote address at the National Strategic Mobilisation for the Actualisation of National Broadband Target of 70 per cent Conference and Exhibition, themed “Realizing the New Set Target of 70 per cent of Broadband Penetration,” organised by the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) in Abuja.
Pantami said the penetration rate also targets a minimum of 25Mbps in urban areas and 10Mbps in rural areas, at a price, not more than N390 per 1GB of data (2 per cent of median income or 1 per cent of minimum wage).
Ikenna-Emeka said apart from the 70% penetration, the National Broadband Plan (2020-2025) also specified the kind of internet speeds expected for both urban and rural areas; 25mbps and 10mbps respectively.
Ikenna-Emeka said: “When we look back at 2012 when we had just about 6% internet penetration to where we are today, there is a significant improvement. As of the end of May this year, we had about 43.6% penetration. That is quite encouraging.”
“A lot of work is still being done by the Federal Government and organisations like MTN to achieve the right levels of broadband penetration. The journey has already started and further collaborations will help us to get better,” she added.
Ikenna-Emeka noted that MTN Group’s Strategic Ambition 2025 is in close alignment with the Federal Government’s broadband targets. According to her, the technology provider’s intent is to deliver the right level of effective digital solutions to power Africa’s growth.
Enunciating MTN’s role as a driver of quality network across the country, Ikenna-Emeka said: “Today, what is most prevalent is the fixed wireless access and that is the technology that is being adopted by all operators globally. That’s what we want to scale and accelerate in our drive to achieve broadband penetration.
“We’re very shortly going to launch the 5G technology. There is also a lot of progress we’ve made in fibre optics which is another prevalent technology. This, along with the 3G, 4G, and 5G networks will provide us with the ability to serve more market segments and more different sectors.”
MTN Nigeria recently launched its home broadband services tailored to provide fast and reliable internet access in homes across Nigeria. With the imminent commercial deployment of the 5G network, Nigeria will be hoping to expand its internet penetration and connectivity to achieve its ambition of a near-perfect digital economy in the next three years.
