The Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC), Umar Danbatta, has disclosed that the Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy is planning to reduce the cost of data from N1,000 to N390 per Gigabyte.
Danbatta disclosed this last weekend in Kano, saying it is the new national broadband plan for the year 2020-2025, adding that Nigeria must provide broadband connectivity for virtually all parts of the country and deploy 4G infrastructure also across the country.
According to him, the ministry has been asked to come up with a digital economy policy and strategy, adding that all the efforts are intended to bring the cost of data down to N390 as against the N1,000 that Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) are currently charging.
“Actually, the cost has come down to N1,000/gigabyte of data, but the government is saying that we should be targeting N390 in the next three to five years.
To achieve subsidized data cost, according toDambatta, the country must provide pervasive broadband data infrastructure.
“We need pervasive broadband data infrastructure because at the landing point in Lagos, where we have all the submarine cables. You know, that is why we have them. There is the main cable, 133, West African Sea Cable (WASC). And there is the other one which Glo company is trying to deploy.
“These, combined, have data capacity of 40 terabyte. This data capacity is at the landing point in Lagos. That is from the coast, where there is ocean. Until and unless you move this massive 40 terabyte data capacity into the hinterland because the undersea cables are terminating in Lagos.
“Hinterland consists virtually all the major cities of the country and the 774 local government areas of Nigeria. Through this way, you will be meeting demands for data with appropriate or commensurate supply of data. This is how it will enable Nigerians to pay less data tariff.