In order to meet the National Broadband Plan's goal of 70% broadband internet penetration in urban and rural regions by 2025, MTN Nigeria has emphasised the necessity of cooperation between it and the Federal Government.
Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka, General Manager for Fixed Broadband at MTN, said that the Federal Government's Broadband Plan, which further specified the kinds of internet speeds expected for both urban and rural areas—25 mbps and 10 mbps, respectively—could only be realised through effective collaboration between the private sector and public sectors. Ikenna-Emeka spoke with Arise TV about broadband connectivity in Africa's most populous country.
Ikenna-Emeka pointed out that the Federal Government's broadband goals are in line with MTN Group's Strategic Ambition 2025.
She claims that the goal of the technology provider is to give Africa with the proper amount of efficient digital solutions to fuel its economic development.
Ikenna-Emeka, an expert in internet connectivity, thinks that Nigeria would need coordinated efforts from the Federal Government, public and private partners to increase broadband penetration if it is to realise its objective of becoming an internationally recognised digital economy.
She expressed hope that the nation is moving in the right direction thanks to both new and existing measures.
“When we look back at 2012 when we had just about 6 per cent internet penetration to where we are today, there is a significant improvement. As of the end of May this year, we had about 43.6 percent penetration. That is quite encouraging.
“A lot of work is still being done by the Federal Government and organisations like MTN to achieve the right levels of broadband penetration. The journey has already started and further collaborations will help us to get better,” she said.
To improve internet connectivity in their locality, more than a dozen African countries have tested or are planning to roll out the 5G network in the next few years.
The next-gen network is predicted to contribute an additional $2.2 trillion to Africa’s economy by 2034. MTN, demonstrating its commitment to providing quality internet access to Nigerians, has laid the groundwork to provide the 5G service in several parts of the country in the coming months.
Ikenna-Emeka added: “What is most prevalent is the fixed wireless access and that is the technology that is being adopted by all operators globally. That’s what we want to scale and accelerate in our drive to achieve broadband penetration.’’