BROADBAND;Key to Rapid GDP Growth

By Prince Osuagwu Considering that voice telephony has just become a basic service in many countries of the world today, while data transmission defines for them the speed which businesses are conducted in the new world order, Accenture, gathered technology experts and other industry stakeholders last week, in Lagos, to brainstorm on possible ways of promoting and sustaining broadband availability in Nigeria. Johnson, Juwah on broadband Interestingly, Minister of Communications Technology, Mrs Omobola Johnson chaired the parley while the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Dr Eugene Juwah also made a powerful presentation on the way forward. The event seemed to have revolved around these two, considering that the institutions they head are key to the success or otherwise of the country’s broadband penetration efforts. While the ministry is expected to formulate and implement right policies to ensure growth, NCC is expected to sustain growth through focused regulation. In her opening address, Mrs Johnson noted that on weekly basis, every event that holds in Nigeria, must have one segment or the other, where broadband access is discussed. For her, that is a strong point to begin to take the issue more seriously than before. This is more so, as she observed that some countries of the world have gone as far as defining access to broadband as a fundamental human right, just as access to water, electricity and healthcare. Broadband for wealth From every indication Johnson believes that for developing countries, declaring broadband a fundermental human right is the way to go. She said: “There are compelling and empirical statistics that tell us that every 10 percent increase in access to broadband in developing countries, results in a commensurate 1.38 percent increase in GDP. Therefore any country seeking growth, job and wealth creation, must address their minds to how it can increase access to broadband.” However, there seems to be a sore point in Nigeria’s position to all these advantages that broadband access can bring about. This also seems to be giving the minister some sort of migraine. Her voice while highlighting the point, betrayed an urgent willingness to turn things around before her country plays the catch-up, forever. “Despite the fact that we have internet penetration of about 28 percent which translates to about 45 million internet users, only nine per cent which is about 14.5 million people of the population are actually internet subscribers and broadband penetration is at a mere six percent. “Although access through mobile broadband increases tremendously, that statistics only tell us that most Nigerians still access through public venues like cyber cafes and computer labs. This is not only for lack of broadband ubiquity but also the cost of access. Today, we have one of the highest costs of access in the world at approximately N8,000 to N10.000 for 5Mbs of data. This is even when the average speed of access is still low and in fact lowest in Africa,” she lamented.