By Chinwendu Obienyi
The Executive Vice-Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof Umar Danbatta, revealed yesterday that the Commission was engaging Elon Musk’s satellite internet constellation, Starlink to bring its cost of service to an affordable rate and to ensure people in underserved and unserved areas of the country can equally benefit.
This was even as he said the Commission remains committed to its strategies of combating electronic fraud (e-fraud) in the Nigerian telecommunications ecosystem.
Danbatta stated this on the sidelines of the second quarter (Q2) Industry Consumer Advisory Forum (ICAF) 2023 open forum themed; Combating e-fraud on the telecom platform: Building consumer confidence in the digital economy in Lagos.
While explaining the recent issuance of license to Starlink’s operation in the country, Danbatta noted that the company’s satellite service was quicker than 5G and is in further discussions with the company to see ways in which its cost of service can be made affordable for people living in the rural areas.
“We are trying to engage with Starlink to bring the cost of their services down to affordable levels so that people in the rural areas can equally benefit from this important intervention. With time we hope the days of unconnected Nigerians will soon be over with this important deployment of satellite communication services all over the country.
We have other satellite providers, but this one is a size through-put, communications satellite service provider. They have terminals which are selling at about $500 for 100 megahertz bandwidth, tremendous bandwidths.
We are still looking at the price of the terminals and want it brought down. This is one important measure we have put in place to address the challenge of clusters of access gaps, which I explained that there are about 97 now. We have not even not relented in deploying fixed and wireless infrastructure in those places, especially rural underserved and unserved areas of the country, in order to breach the access gaps”, he said.
The EVC also revealed that the NCC is also in the process of developing more elaborate data protection regulations to ensure the protection and privacy of data in the Nigerian communications sector and added that collaboration with third-party security firms and independent audits, fostering innovation in security technologies, is critical to staying ahead of e-fraudsters.
“Combatting e-fraud on telecom platforms and building consumer confidence in the digital economy requires a collective effort. Telecom operators, regulatory bodies, law enforcement agencies, and consumers must collaborate, each fulfilling their respective responsibilities.
By investing in robust security infrastructure, implementing stringent protocols, promoting awareness, and fostering innovation, we can create a safer digital ecosystem that inspires trust and enables the full potential of the digital economy”, Danbatta said.
Earlier in his opening remark, the Chairman, ICAF, Mazi Akpa Emeka, said that the evolution of fraud threats requires that organisations as well stakeholders in the industry seek ways of addressing vulnerabilities arising from new fraud methods and patterns.
Corroborating Emeka, the Director, Consumer Affairs Bureau at NCC, Alhaji Alkasim Abubakar, believes that “through adequate education, information sharing, and the provision of an array of channels for redress, we can safeguard telecom consumers, and innovatively promote the prospect for greater Consumer Experience in the Digital Economy.
Together, we can build a culture of digital literacy and resilience that safeguards our nation’s digital future”.