By 
How to foster innovation, growth in the telecommunications industry and adopt the best regulatory response to disruptive technologies was the fulcrum of one day workshop organised by the Nigerian Communications Communication (NCC) in its Abuja headquarters recently.
The workshop held in partnership with the Global System for Mobile Association (GSMA) raises posers on how best regulators and markets could respond to emerging technologies disruptive innovations such as mobile broadband, internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing, web technologies, artificial intelligence.
Executive Vice Chairman, NCC, Professor Umar Garba Danbatta while addressing the audience in his keynote said regulators are bound to have dynamic approach to emerging technologies and a responsibility to protect investors and operators as well as consumers.
NCC has opted to be proactive, said Danbatta while noting that the objective of the workshop is to provide an ‘avenue for regulators, operators, investors as well as other stakeholders to examine and constructively exchange ideas on the main demand areas for next generation of services, spectrum licensing reforms and to discuss the requirements for 5G and other emerging technologies that are revolutionizing the telecom system and users.’
The workshop is line with the NCC’s 8-point under Danbatta with focus on optimizing usage and benefits of spectrum and facilitating strategic collaboration and partnership. The workshop had four separate sessions covering “the regulatory pathway to create world-leading 5G Networks and services; 5G Applications and Spectrum; Regulating for a 5G World; and Licensing reform in converged services- what’s at stake?”
According to Danbatta, telecommunications has become a cardinal tool of economic development, growth and integration. “The telecom industry is a key enabler of productivity across economies and societies. It is not only a significant contributor to economic activities of a nation but also for growth of other sectors of the economy as well enhancing social lives of people.”
He stressed that 5G networks are the next generation of connectivity in the telecommunications industry offering faster speeds and more reliable connections on smartphones and other devices than ever before.
His words: “telecommunications development must be taken with all seriousness to foster innovation and growth in the industry as statistics has shown that for every 10% increase in broadband penetration there is a corresponding 1.3 increase in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of a nation.”
Head of Sub-Saharan Africa, GSMA, Mr. Akinwale Goodluck, said “mobile connectivity has improved the welfare of millions of Nigerians, opening the door to new digital possibilities and powering the country’s economic development.”
“For Nigeria to take full advantage of the next phase of its digital transformation, it’s vital that there is a collaboration between the telecommunications industry and the government to enable the right policy environment for millions more to benefit from ultra-fast mobile broadband. If policies don’t keep pace with the needs of society and technological innovation, there is a risk that citizens will be left behind and productivity will suffer,” added Goodluck.
