NCC, NBC set to leverage TVWS for affordable broadband connectivity

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), in collaboration with the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), is set to develop a framework for the use of Television White Space (TVWS) technology to extend affordable rural connectivity to Nigerians.

The initiative, midwifed by the Ministry of Communications following approval for the use of the TVWS technology by the National Frequency Management Council (NFCM), was the fulcrum of discussion by stakeholders at a one-day consultative forum organised by the NCC in Abuja yesterday.

TVWS is the unused spectrum in the broadcasting band, which can be used to deliver affordable broadband services in the rural communities, thereby bridging rural-urban digital divide. In Nigeria, TVWS is being deployed to extend connectivity to over 56 per cent of Nigerians living in the rural areas.

Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, in his opening remarks, said the government approved the use of TVWS so as to “extend broadband Internet coverage, especially to rural communities and other far-flung communities and increase broadband penetration in Nigeria.”

Also, Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, who spoke at the event, said connectivity of every Nigerian is a priority to the commission.

Danbatta, represented by the Director, Spectrum Administration of NCC, Austine Nwaulune, said the quest to achieving the rural connectivity goal had led the commission to embark on several initiatives.

He stated that one of such initiatives is the collaboration with the sister-agencies, such as the NBC, to explore the use of TVWS in the lower spectrum band to deliver low-cost broadband services to Nigerians in the rural communities.

“NCC takes the connectivity of every Nigerian irrespective of where he or she resides very importantly. So, what we do is to look out for technology that fits into making this happen for us. TVWS is one of such technologies because it is coming to utilise the spectrum in the lower megahertz band and as it is, the spectrum is very good because it propagates very far”.

“So, you need less number of base-stations to deliver services on TVWS and the fact that rural communities are very challenging, does not mean that people in those communities should not be connected, hence the use of this innovative technology,” he said.

Danbatta said that the commission had through the stakeholders’ forum demonstrated its recognition of TVWS technology as capable of delivering rural connectivity service in the country, stressing that stakeholders at the forum were expected to guide and advise the commission towards drafting a regulatory framework to have TVWS spaces provided to deliver rural connectivity.

Meanwhile, a Director from the NBC, Victoria Ngozi Ekeh, representing the Director-General of the Commission, Malam Is’haq Modibo Kawu, enjoined stakeholders to make valuable suggestions and inputs that would help the NCC in coming up with a framework to address interference issues in the use of TVWS.

“NBC will continue to support the TVWS initiative provided adequate measures would be put in place to prevent harmful interferences to the broadcasters using the spectrum band,” she said.