The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) convened a stakeholder consultative session in Lagos yesterday to discuss the utilization of the 6GHz spectrum for the deployment of International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) and Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) in Nigeria.
The NCC claims that the overuse of the current 5GHz and 2.4GHz spectrum bands, which are being utilised for Wi-Fi 5 deployment and are becoming overwhelmed owing to an increase in capacity demand, is the reason for the need to switch to 6GHz spectrum.
In the same way that Wi-Fi is necessary for managing massive volumes of data and concurrently connecting a large number of devices with better dependability, higher data throughput, and lower latencies, it also connects the great majority of residential internet traffic to the end user.
Speaking at the stakeholders’ forum, Dr. Aminu Maida, the NCC’s Executive Vice Chairman, was accompanied by Abraham Oshadami, the Executive Commissioner for Technical Services.
According to the Executive Vice Chairman: “In line with global best practices, we sincerely believe that our actions must be guided by decisions that take into cognisance the inputs from all stakeholders in the industry.
“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,” he added.
However, he claimed that the current 5GHz and 2.4GHz Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi 5) frequencies were being overloaded by an increase in capacity demand and that finding other frequency bands to supplement the 5GHz and 2.4GHz was essential.
Speaking further, he stated: “The recently concluded 2023 World Radio Communications Conference (WRC-23) allocated the 6GHz band for Wi-Fi and IMT applications with different recommendations on how to use the band.”
In his welcome speech available to BrandSpur technology and information news desk, Atiku Lawal, the Acting Head of Spectrum Administration at the NCC, stated that more than 70 countries have already taken action or are considering taking action to open the 6GHz band for unlicensed Wi-Fi use. This is because the crowded airwaves currently limit the potential of Wi-Fi in the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands.
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Continuing, he had this to say: “Depending upon the country’s implementation plan, the decision will provide two to three times the quantum of spectrum available today, resulting in the ability to implement 80MHz and 160 MHz channels being available for the new Wi-Fi 6 standard, ideal to support digital transformation efforts and use cases like high definition video and X Reality (XR).”
Tony Izuagbe Emoekpere, the President of the Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), stated in his keynote speech that the forum was a great chance to strengthen Nigeria’s standing in the world of technological advancements.
He revealed: “As stakeholders, it is our shared responsibility to ensure that the decisions taken at the forum will benefit not only our industry but also the people of Nigeria by enabling greater connectivity, more inclusive growth, and enhanced digital innovation.”
Gbenga Adebayo, the Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), spoke on behalf of Gbolahan Awonugu, the ALTON executive secretary, as follows: “We need to do the needful in providing necessary support for the sector.
“The industry should be supported. We are going into the era of emerging technologies to deploy the 6GHz and this is a serious business,” the Chairman added.
However, during their presentations at the forum, industry players such as Meta and Huawei Technologies emphasised the importance of sharing spectrum and approving L6/7/8 GHz microwave transmission spectrum applications from Nigerian operators.
