The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is making the six-gigahertz (GHz) spectrum band available to network providers to tackle the country’s persistent network outages and congestion.
This was announced at the recent Stakeholders’ Consultative Forum on Emerging Technologies, where a presentation revealed that Nigeria experiences over 1,600 fiber cuts and more than 500 network outages each month, affecting the network service of over 83 million users annually.
The presentation emphasised the need for long-haul microwave links as a backup for fiber cuts, given the country’s slow and challenging fiber deployment process 23 years after the telecom revolution began.
To close this gap, the NCC has announced that Nigeria will join the growing list of countries utilising the 6GHz band for Wi-Fi -6 applications and International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) to improve network connectivity.
Atiku Lawal, acting head of spectrum administration, NCC, explained that overcrowded airwaves are currently limiting the potential of Wi-Fi in the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, prompting more than 70 countries to consider opening up the 6GHz band for unlicensed Wi-Fi use.
“Capacity in the unlicensed use of the 6GHz band for Wi-Fi will improve Quality of Service (QoS) through Wi-Fi 6 offload as the use of Wi-Fi at home, offices, institutions, and airports will help relieve networks of capacity constraints by taking devices off the cellular networks,” he said.
The 6 GHz spectrum is a band of radio frequencies that support multi-gigabit speeds, translating to faster internet speeds. Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman of the commission, said the 2023 World Radiocommunications Conference (WRC-23) allocated the 6GHz band for Wi-Fi and IMT applications.
“The 6GHz band, spanning from 5925 MHz to 7125 MHz, offers a substantial increase in available spectrum, which is crucial for supporting the growing demand for high-speed internet and advanced applications. Wi-Fi plays a crucial role in the distribution of fixed broadband connectivity in homes, offices, and various other environments,” Maida said.
Caroline Alenoghena, a professor of Telecommunications Engineering at the Federal University of Technology in Minna, pointed out that the 6GHz band would offer benefits such as increased wireless capacity and speeds, as well as reduced network congestion, and closing of the digital divide in rural areas.
Tony Emoekpere, president of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), described the 6GHz band as a critical asset for future telecommunications growth, particularly as the demand for high-speed connectivity skyrockets.
“One of the most exciting promises of WiFi-6 and IMT deployment is its potential to bring high-speed, low-latency internet to underserved and rural areas,” he said.
Read also: Nigeria’s internet speed to improve with new spectrum band
However, deploying services on the 6GHz band would require significant investments in upgrading mobile networks and WiFi infrastructure, he said.
“Telecom operators and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) must have the capacity to absorb this new technology,” he further said.
Alenoghena of FUT Minna echoed, “The deployment of 6GHz technology requires significant infrastructure upgrades, including new base stations, antennas, and fiber optic cables.”
These upgrades might face financial constraints as telecom operators grapple with the negative impacts of harsh economic conditions on their businesses. Operators have already projected a decline in network investments due to negative return on capital recorded in the last 18 months.
Karl Toriola, chief executive officer of MTN Nigeria, recently said, “Investments will not continue to come. No one will put in a dollar and continue to get 66 cents… We are in a big crisis.”
In 2023, Airtel Africa and MTN Nigeria lost N1.29 trillion in foreign exchange (FX) losses. MTNN posted its first loss since its 2019 listing on the Nigerian stock exchange – N137 billion that same year.
According to Gbolahan Awonuga, executive secretary of the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON),
“We need money to upgrade our infrastructure and import equipment so as to benefit from the 6GHz. Our members are struggling to expand their infrastructure,” Awonuga noted.
To effectively leverage the 6GHz band, Emoekpere of ATCON emphasised the importance of policies that foster public-private partnerships, reduce Right of Way (RoW) charges, and simplify regulatory processes to encourage infrastructure expansion.
He added, “A particular consideration here is the role of smaller, local ISPs who may not have the financial capacity to compete for high-cost licensed spectrum but can greatly benefit from the unlicensed spectrum provided by WiFi-6. Supporting these smaller ISPs will encourage their proliferation, contributing significantly to broadband penetration in underserved and rural areas.”
