Emmanuel Daudu
In a significant step towards enhancing the country’s telecommunications capabilities, Nigeria is set to join the league of nations utilizing the 6GHz band for Wi-Fi 6 applications.
This announcement was made during a landmark event by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) under the leadership of Dr. Aminu Maida, Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Commission.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Maida emphasized the Tinubu administration’s commitment to repositioning the NCC since coming on board in 2023.
“We made a strategic decision to put the Commission on a path that leverages opportunities through focused areas, driven by the recognition that our stakeholders whether licensees, industry operators, consumers, or the government each have unique perspectives and expectations of the Commission,” he said.
To achieve its strategic objectives, the NCC has identified several key factors, including people, collaboration, data, compliance, and digitalization.
These factors, aligned with the Federal Government’s Strategic Blueprint on knowledge, infrastructure, innovation, entrepreneurship, and trade, have provided the foundation for enhancing telecommunication services in Nigeria.
One of the key areas of focus for the Commission is collaboration.
In keeping with its long-standing policy of participatory regulation, the NCC has convened industry-wide consultations to gather input on the use of the 6GHz band for Wi-Fi 6 and International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT).
Dr. Maida stressed that the Commission remains committed to ensuring that its decisions are based on input from stakeholders across the telecommunications sector, in line with global best practices.
The 6GHz band, which spans from 5925 MHz to 7125 MHz, provides a significant increase in available spectrum to support the growing demand for high-speed internet and advanced applications. Wi-Fi plays a critical role in distributing fixed broadband connectivity to homes, offices, and other environments, and is essential in managing large amounts of data in enterprise settings.
However, current Wi-Fi bands 5GHz and 2.4GHz are becoming overwhelmed due to increased demand, necessitating the need for additional frequency bands.
Dr. Maida highlighted that the recently concluded 2023 World Radiocommunications Conference (WRC-23) in Dubai, UAE, allocated the 6GHz band for Wi-Fi and IMT applications, providing various recommendations for its use.
This marks the culmination of an extensive study process that paved the way for today’s discussions.
As the NCC seeks input from stakeholders on the proposed use of the 6GHz spectrum band, Dr. Maida expressed optimism about the future of telecommunications in Nigeria.
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