•Firm to leverage national roaming policy for voice services, begins 5G in six cities
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has tasked old and new licensees on the need for them to deliver on their mandates by offering telecoms consumers the best of service.
The Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, made this known in Lagos yesterday when Mafab Communications formally unveiled its logo and declared its readiness to deliver on the Fifth-Generation (5G) network mandate.
Danbatta, represented by the Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management, NCC, Barr. Adeleke Adewolu, reminded Mafab and other licensees that 5G is expected to play a huge role in Nigeria’s quest to enthrone the digital economy, security and development, hence the need for the best of service.
The NCC EVC, who described this period of 5G in Nigeria’s development as a significant milestone, said the commission targets cost effective telecoms service with reliability.
Danbatta stressed that consumer satisfaction would be very central for acceptance of the technology, adding that operators must work to satisfy Nigerians and expand adequately well.
With Mafab to do the unveiling was Mcom. the Chairman of the company, Dr. Mushabu Bashir, said Mcom 5G launch marks the beginning of immense opportunities for the country to achieve infinite possibilities with a purpose of enabling connectivity for a digital future.
Bashir said as the second operator to launch 5G in Nigeria, Mcom expects more coverage for Nigerians and acceleration of broadband services. He said the company will play a major role in advancing new technologies that will push Nigeria beyond just being a consumer of technology but a country playing an active role in developing and implementing new technologies, adding that it will also enable the country to take its position as a global technology hub in Africa and the world at large.
“You may have heard it before, but it bears re-telling that the 5G network will usher into this country, a wide array of business opportunities, wherein various business outfits will expand their frontiers with operational ease and speed, especially in the fields of education, medical sciences, engineering, security, businesses like the banking sector, SMEs, smart cities, transportation, entertainment etc., and allow Nigerians meet the long-term goal of ensuring that everybody is connected,” he stressed.
The Chairman explained that Mcom plans are quite ambitious and realistic, stressing that with the initial rollout in six cities, Mcom plans rollout additional sites and cities across the country.
According to him, it is no secret that the countries that are able to provide their citizens with the latest network infrastructure, which the 5G technology represents, will also be the ones that thrive in the coming years. He said they will be the ones that will stay competitive and the ones who will lead in innovation in addition to bringing socioeconomic benefits to her citizens.
Bashir said the 5G technology is not just a mobile network but represents a new culture, and a new era of connectivity where billions of devices exchange data and instil intelligence in everyday life, among others.
While The Guardian gathered that Mafab would connect about 100 sites by February, the Corporate Communications Manager, Adebayo Onigbanjo, said for the voice service, where the 0801 would play a major role, the firm would leverage the national roaming strategy to ensure voice services across cities.
Onigbanjo, who said voice service was from day one, noted that the technology Mafab has made it suitable for the firm to be ready to offer Nigerians the best.
According to him, Nigeria still needs significant data and data services, “we have not even scratched the surface. All of us probably have multiple dongles and still don’t enjoy the services we are getting. But we want to change some things! Customers are in for the best on Mafab network.”
On service rollout, the Mafab Chief said the firm has partnered with some strategic and significant players in the industry, including service providers, vendors, infrastructure providers, among others to ensure that services are available as and when due.
Onigbanjo, who said the firm would soon announce the date it will begin activations on the network, informed they are starting services across the six geo-political zones of the country.
On his part, the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide SanwoOlu, represented by the state’s Commissioner for Science and Technology, Hakeem Fahm, commended Mafab for the 5G launch.
SanwoOlu said the prospects of what the country can accomplish with the 5G network, “fills me with high hopes for the future of the different sectors of our economy, most especially the security sector.”
