Nigeria eyes TV white space for broadband penetration push
Details
Rebecca Hawkes
| 01 April 2019

Over half of Nigeria’s rural population is to be internet connected through the use of television white space (TVWS) technology, according to officials.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is working with the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to develop a framework for the use of TVWS technology to extend affordable rural connectivity to 56% of Nigerians, according to the Daily Trust.

The initiative falls under the remit of the Ministry of Communications, following approval for the use of the TVWS technology by the National Frequency Management Council (NFCM).

TVWS is unused spectrum in the broadcasting band, which can be used to deliver broadband services to rural communities.

"NCC takes the connectivity of every Nigerian irrespective of where he or she resides very importantly. So, what we do is to look out for technology that fits into making this happen for us. TVWS is one of such technologies because it is coming to utilise the spectrum in the lower megahertz band and as it is, the spectrum is very good because it propagates very far,” the director of spectrum administration for the NCC, Austine Nwaulune is quoted as saying in the Daily Trust.

"So, you need less number of base stations to deliver services on TVWS and the fact that rural communities are very challenging does not mean that people in those communities should not be connected, hence the use of this innovative technology," he said.