With a year left to fully implement the National Broadband Plan, Ife Ogunfuwa of The Punch Newspaper examines the progress made in the deployment of the critical infrastructure in the country.

The Nigerian National Broadband Plan was designed in 2013 to cater to the broadband challenges of today and take care of telecommunications issues that may evolve over time. The plan addresses broadband infrastructure deployment, service pricing as well as adoption and utilisation of broadband, particularly in schools and tertiary institutions of learning. It also provides timelines for the implementation of the various aspects of the plan. It recognises short-term (2013), mid-term (2015) and long-term (2018) performance goals that will culminate in the attainment of 30 per cent broadband penetration by next year.

Speaking on the objectives of the plan with The Punch, the Chief Executive Officer, MainOne, Ms. Funke Opeke, says it aims at accelerating high speed Internet and broadband access to boost the nation’s economic growth. According to her, the National Broadband Plan creates a road map for the licensing of operators to fill critical gaps in regional, metropolitan and last-mile infrastructure as well as increase spectrum allocation and optimisation.

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