The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, in line with its key factors on collaboration, as outlined in the Commission’s focus areas, have called for the inputs of telecommunications industry stakeholders on the use of the 6GHz for Wi-Fi – 6 and International Mobile Telecommunications (MT).
The NCC, as part of its mandate to enhance the quality of telecommunication in Nigeria, said it has set out to strategize on relevant policies.
The Executive Vice Chairman, EVC, of NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, represented by the Executive Commissioner, Technical Services, NCC, Engr. Abraham Oshadami, disclosed this while delivering his keynote speech at the Annual Stakeholders’ Consultative Forum on Emerging Technologies held in Lagos on Thursday.
The EVC noted that the sector has experienced an all-round advancement in development.
He pointed out that in line with global best practices, the actions of the commission must be guided by decisions that take into cognizance the inputs from all stakeholders in the industry.
“To accomplish our objectives in driving our strategic goals, the Commission identified some key factors, which include people, collaboration data, compliance, and Digitalization.
“In line with one of the key factors on collaboration as outlined in our focus areas and the Commission’s traditionally institutionalized policy of participatory regulation and the practice of industry-wide consultations in conducting its regulatory functions, we are here again to elicit your comments and inputs on the use of the 6GHz for Wi-Fi – 6 and International Mobile Telecommunications (MT).
“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.
“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.
“The recently concluded 2023 World Radiocommunications Conference (WRC-23) allocated the 6GHz band for Wi-Fi and IMT applications with different recommendations on how to use the band.
“This was the outcome of a long study cycle process leading to the decision at the WRC-2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.”