The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is planning to deploy the 6G spectrum in Nigeria to expand access to Wi-Fi technology.

Aminu Maida, executive vice-chairman of NCC, spoke on Thursday about efficiently managing and utilizing spectrum resources at a consultative engagement forum focused on emerging technologies.

Tagged, ‘The Use of 6GHz (5925-7125) MHz for WiFi and IMT Applications in Nigeria’, the forum was held in Lagos to get stakeholders’ input and recommendations on how the new frequency can be used.

The NCC also said the forum, held annually, serves as a platform to get the support of stakeholders for its policies.

In his opening remarks, Maida, represented by Abraham Oshadami, executive commissioner of technical services at the commission, said existing spectrums (5G and 2G) are becoming overcrowded, hence the need to introduce other frequency bands.

“The 6GHz band, spanning from 5925 MHz to 7125 MHz, offers a substantial increase in available spectrum, which is crucial for supporting the growing demand for high-speed internet and advanced applications.

Wi-Fi plays a crucial role in the distribution of fixed broadband connectivity in homes, offices, and various other environments,” Maida said.

“The vast majority of home internet traffic is connected to the end-user through Wi-Fi.

In enterprise settings, Wi-Fi is essential for handling large amounts of data and simultaneously connecting large numbers of devices with improved reliability, higher data throughput, and lower latencies.

“However, the 5GHz and 2.4GHz that are being used for Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi 5) at the moment are becoming overwhelmed due to an increase in demand for capacity.

It is, therefore, imperative to identify other frequency bands to complement the 5GHz and 2.4GHz.”

Speaking on the benefits, Maida said the proposed frequency would increase capacity, allowing for the use of applications such as virtual reality, augmented reality, which existing spectrums “will not carry”.

“With Wi-Fi 6 introduction, you have more capacity opened up for people to be able to connect and have seamless access to Wi-Fi and remember, this is unlicensed, so it is free.

In the long run, it’ll bring down the cost of connecting to Wi-Fi.”

Caroline Alenoghena, a professor of telecommunications engineering at the Federal University of Technology, Minna, said the introduction of a new spectrum is necessary to address the congestion in the present Wi-Fi frequencies.

The professor said opening up the 6G band would create “opportunities for start-ups to grow” in terms of providing digital services.

On his part, Tony Emoekpere, president of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), said the 6G spectrum — if properly allocated — would allow more diverse technologies to be deployed.

Emoekpere said it would also democratise access to the urban, semi-rural, and rural areas.

“Foreseeable challenges are things like infrastructure requirements, the whole of investment that’s required, competing technologies, because some of these technologies are still being developed,” the ATCON president said.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has made it clear that the cybersecurity levy, which was previously suspended, has not been reinstated.

This clarification came in a statement released by the CBN on Friday.

More to come…

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has announced that the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) achieved significant milestones in the first half of 2024.

According to the NBS, the NRC successfully transported 1.4 million passengers and generated an impressive N3.11 billion in revenue during this period.

These figures, which represent the corporation’s revenue performance for the first six months of the year, were officially published in the bureau’s latest rail transportation report on Thursday.

The report reveals that the NRC’s half-year revenue represents a remarkable 66 percent increase over the corresponding period in 2023, during which the corporation generated N1.87 billion.

A breakdown of NRC’s performance revealed that in the first quarter (Q1) of 2024, 675,293 passengers travelled via the railway system, contributing N1.42 billion in revenue.

A similar number of passengers was recorded in the second quarter (Q2), leading to about N1.69 billion in revenue, the NBS said.

• ‘Cargo Transport Revenue Surged By 221%’

In addition to the rise in passenger traffic, the bureau said the NRC moved 304,409 tonnes of goods and cargo in the first six months of the year, generating N1.14 billion in revenue.

The result was a 221 percent increase relative to the N356.49 million recorded in the same period last year.

The report further highlights that 13,940 tonnes of goods were transported via pipelines, a significant jump from the 2,856 tonnes moved in the first half of 2023.

The data body said revenue from pipeline operations also surged to N101.21 million during the period under review, up from N12.81 million in the corresponding period of the previous year.

Additionally, the NRC was said to have recorded N1.02 billion in revenue from other income receipts, a significant increase compared to the N52.91 million generated in 2023.