NCC and ATCON Push for Mass FTTH Adoption in Nigeria

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) are rallying stakeholders to promote mass Fiber to the Home (FTTH) adoption and reform Right of Way (RoW) processes. During an ATCON forum, Dr. Aminu Maida, Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, emphasized that mass FTTH adoption requires collective participation from regulators, operators, and the government.

He highlighted the need for a supportive environment to sustain FTTH deployment, which is crucial for Nigeria's digital economy and global competitiveness. The NCC aims to extend the national fiber backbone by approximately 90,000 kilometers to improve broadband availability and network resilience across 774 local government areas.

Maida noted the alarming statistics of 27,685 fiber cut incidents and 4,210 theft cases in the industry, underscoring the necessity of protecting telecommunications infrastructure. He also mentioned that 13 states have waived RoW charges, while 16 others have adopted recommended rates, aiming to eliminate barriers to broadband deployment.