Federal Government of Nigeria has approved the National Policy on Fifth Generation (5G) network in the country.
Gatekeepers News reports that the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, says the National Policy on Fifth Generation (5G) network in Nigeria has been approved.
Pantami disclosed this while addressing journalists in Abuja after the weekly Federal Executive Council on Wednesday.
The Minister listed the benefits that accrue from employing such network as larger capacity, higher data rates among other economic, health, security, and educational opportunities.
Pantami added that contrary to stories peddled on social media, the radiation from the 5G has proven to be lower than the 4G, televisions, or microwaves.
He made this clarification following the purported linkage of the deployment of the 5G communications network with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Similarly, Femi Adeluyi, the Technical Assistant (on Information Technology) to the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami in a statement noted that the implementation of the National Policy is with immediate effect.
“The National Policy has been developed over a period of 2 years, due to the need for extensive stakeholder engagement and the need to ensure adequate public awareness and sensitisation,” the statement reads.
“The stakeholder engagement was thorough and multi-sectoral. It also took into account the report of the 3-month 5G trials that commenced on the 25th of November 2019.
“The report critically reviewed and studied the health and security implications of deploying 5G in Nigeria.
“Leading international organisations such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), an organ of the United Nations, have confirmed that the deployment of 5G networks leave no adverse health effect and are safe.”
According to the Ministry, the 5G networks “offer significant advantages over the current technologies.”
“Some of its advantages include much lower latency, higher bandwidth, greater device density, longer battery life for nodes, and greater network flexibility.
“Several countries have already commenced the deployment of 5G and are enjoying its benefits.”
In the statement, Adeluyi listed countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, Republic of Korea, South Africa, and Lesotho, currently operating on the network.
The Statement added, “The National Frequency Management Council (NFMC), chaired by Minister Pantami, will soon release spectrum to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) for the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) that meet all the required conditions.
“The NCC, as the regulator of the telecommunications sector, will continue engaging stakeholders to develop the regulatory instruments required for the successful deployment of the technology in Nigeria.”
5G is the Fifth Generation technology that is planned to succeed the 4G networks in telecommunications. Cellular phone companies began deploying it worldwide in 2019.
