The Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) has embarked on a review of its existing licenses as part of efforts to accommodate industry trends. NCC Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, Prof Umar Garba Danbatta, disclosed this on Thursday in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, while delivering a Keynote Address to declare open the first ‘Talk-To-The Regulator’ (TTTR) Forum for this year.

“The Commission is currently reviewing the scope and structure of its existing licenses to make them more robust and to accommodate some of the identified new industry trends,” Prof Danbatta disclosed.

He noted that “the telecom industry has witnessed milestones in more ways than one, including the rapid growth in technology, which is redefining service delivery, and creating wide and high expectations from all stakeholders.” As a result, “to keep up to date with developments in the industry, the Commission has equally taken measures to improve regulations to accommodate the rapid and continuous development.” The NCC helmsman identified some of the interventions and responses of the Commission to include facilitating the roll-out of 5G service provision, and introduction of Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) Licence to bridge the gap between unserved and underserved areas.

He noted that “in line with the Nigeria National Broadband Plan (NNBP 2020 – 2025), the NCC is providing industry leadership to facilitate the achievement of 90% Broadband penetration by year 2025, and well above 50% at the end of 2023. Currently, over I50 million Nigerians have access to internet, while over eighty (80) million can access high speed internet.”

News Express reports that TTTR Forum is a common platform for non-discriminatory interaction on a one-on-one basis, between the Licensees and the Regulator on several industry issues, pertinent to the Licensees and of national interest.

The TTTR Forum in Yenagoa, holding June 1 and 2, is the first to take place in the South-South. It was originally scheduled to hold in 2022 but was postponed due to the flood disaster that hit Bayelsa and some other states.

Update news