Broadband: ATCON pledges Pantami support to realize 75% target

By Omobayo Azeez

Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) has pledged its support to the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami, and agencies under his ministry in realizing 75 per cent broadband penetration target.

Nigeria telecoms industry is currently pursuing a target to deepen broadband penetration in the country to at least 75 per cent by 2023, having met the initial target of 30 per cent at the end of 2018.

The president of the association, Olusola Teniola, said at a special reception for the honourable Minister in Abuja that operators would collaborate with the ministry on the newly launched National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy and broadband penetration targeted.

“We commend the recently launched documents on National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy. We promise to collaborate, corporate and partner with the Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy to realise the set broadband target of 75 per cent in the documents in the next five years by removing, collectively those obstacles that are working against the growth of the industry.”

Teniola said the documents on National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy will help all stakeholders to have a focus as to what the government is thinking in terms of digitalizing the entire country’s economy.

According to him, it provides a further foundation which will eventually lead the industry to a truly digital transformation that has 5G as a central vehicle for collaborative innovation to grow the GDP and raise GDP per capital in five year’s time.

He said that in 2020, in order to give complete industry support to our minister’s passion and dreams for digital economy, ATCON, in collaboration with the ministry, and its agencies would be organising a National Dialogue on Telecom and ICT in Nigeria.

He said the whole essence of the national dialogue is to foster the implementation of Digital Economy in Nigeria, adding that “the information on this proposed event would be shared with all concerned later.

“ATCON pledges to work with the ministry in order to understand how we can shape, mould and create an industry that attracts further huge investments and environment where innovation creates an eco-system where both the smaller and larger operators can co-exist to create positive shareholder’s value and deliver a consumer experience that exceeds expectations.

“Collaboration remains a critical factor in the success equation of our industry,” he said.

According to Teniola, the special reception organized in honour of the Pantami was to formally present and introduce him to the captains of the industry, share the current state of affairs with him and offer him the opportunity to share his developmental plans for the industry with the relevant stakeholders.