MainOne Company has won the licence as the infrastructure company (infraco) for Lagos region, according to Dr Eugene Juwah, executive vice chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
Juwah disclosed in Lagos during the 4th Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Industry Stakeholders Forum, organised by the Ministry of Communication Technology.
Juwah also said that IHS, an already existing infraco had won the bid for the deployment of ICT infrastructure and associated equipment in the North-Central region.
Under NCC’s ‘Open Access Model for Next Generation Optic Fibre Broadband Network’ Licensed InfraCo(s) are geographically focused to provide wholesale Layer 2 transmission services on a non discriminatory, open access, price regulated basis.
InfraCos may also provide Layer 1 (dark fibre) services on commercial basis; focus on the deployment of metropolitan fibre and provide transmission services, available at access points (Fibre to the Node or Neighborhood – FTTN) to access seekers.
They can also leverage existing inter-city fibre to deploy their services; purchase/lease transmission or long haul fibre capacity from other providers, where available, for the purpose of interconnection.
According to him, the plan of the commission is to divide Nigeria into seven zones, so as to ensure even distribution of infrastructure across the country.
”The award letters are already on the way and with the new infracos, a new regulation will come up,” the EVC said.
Juwah said that the bidding processes were still ongoing and the remaining five infracos would be licensed by July.
He added that the bid process for the licensing of infracos and the deployment metropolitan optic fibre infrastructure and associated equipment would be done in an open access, non-discriminatory and price regulated basis.
According to him, the open access model has been examined and considered as a strategic means for the deployment of optic backbone transmission infrastructure network in Nigeria.
The EVC said that the ultimate goal of the commission was to bridge the current broadband gap, facilitate the deployment of local content and deliver cost effective services to households and businesses.
He said that the process was expected to address the challenge of fibre deployment in towns and cities, promote infrastructure sharing, reduce right of way issues and transform the beneficiary state to smart states amongst other privileges.
”When the seven infracos finally come on board, they are expected to take broadband infrastructure from the ocean and connect them to the cities and hinterland across the country.
”This would make Internet ubiquitous in Nigeria and this would in turn impact positively on the economy,” Juwah said.
Ms Funke Opeke, chief executive officer of MainOne, said that the company was pleased and excited to have been announced the winner for Lagos State.
Opeke said that MainOne was eager to deliver the benefits of the licence to Nigerians.
Meanwhile, the EVC disabused the minds of stakeholders from any perceived system abuse, interferences or operational discomforts, adding that the licencing supposes that new regulations will be put in place to guide all players.