The Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) has stressed the need for the protection of telecoms infrastructure, especially metro, terrestrial and submarine cables against cuts.
Specifically, ATCON called for a synergy among the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC); Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) and National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) and for them to look at the issues bothering metro, terrestrial, and submarine fibre disruptions, which have become recurring decimal in the Nigerian telecoms industry.
At the maiden edition of ATCON Critical Conversation Breakfast Meeting in Lagos, the President, Tony Emoekpere, stressed that there must be collaboration to stem the tide and reduce service disruptions.
The ATCON president emphasised the need for training and awareness on the importance of fibre cables, and the dangers and negative impacts of fibre cuts, and urged telecoms assets to be designated as Critical National Infrastructure (CNI).
Emoekpere said: “Telecoms stakeholders cannot continue to pay lip service to issues and challenges that have constituted stumbling blocks to the sector’s growth, especially fibre cuts.
“This meeting aims at enabling stakeholders to look at the issues bordering on metro, terrestrial, and submarine fibre disruptions which have become recurring decimals in the Nigerian Telecoms industry.
“The stakeholders are the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA), and the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA).”
He noted that a few months ago, a reported submarine cable cut significantly affected Nigeria and other countries.
“The incidences of Metro, Terrestrial and Submarine Fibre Disruptions (cuts) have become a recurring decimal, which must be addressed by relevant agencies at all levels of government.
“Our members have had to pay a substantial amount of money to have all these disruptions fixed and this is impacting on their operational expenses which should not be, if the perpetrators are brought to book,’’ he said.
The ATCON president expressed a desire to use this opportunity to advocate for the inclusion of ducts in new road construction projects. He suggested assembling a pool of lawyers to hold construction companies accountable for damages to the fibre network.
During a panel discussion, Vice President of GICL, Olabode Ojo, discussed the risk factors associated with submarine cables. He called for collaboration with oil, pipeline, and dredging companies to mitigate these risks.
“I call for engagement with the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to understand where the fibre cables are laid.
“I also want us to identify the risk factors around fishing activities and fishing vessels that can damage submarine cables.
“I urge for training for all those that work and do businesses on the sea,” Ojo said.
Director of Business Development at WIOOC, Salwomir Cielinski, noted that natural disasters have recently caused fibre cable cuts. He emphasised the need for data centre operators to collaborate on connecting fibre to data centres to reduce costs.
On his part, the Sales Director at Rack Centre Limited, Folu Aderibigbe, said despite various proposed solutions, challenges persist, impacting telecoms companies.
Aderibigbe suggested that the minister could be instrumental in addressing these issues and encouraged companies to collaborate with the government to resolve their challenges.
