With the release of the 6GHz frequency range to unlicensed Wi-Fi users, the Nigerian Communications Commission has taken a major step towards improving connectivity.
The operators have been advocating for public-private partnerships (PPPs) to seize this opportunity by extending their networks to underserved and frightened areas.
The Executive Vice Chairman, of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr Aminu Maida, who was represented by the executive commissioner of technical services at NCC, Engr. Abraham Oshadami, at the Annual Stakeholders Consultative Forum on Emerging Technologies, on Thursday, in Lagos, averred that the 5GHz and 2.4GHz that are being used for Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi 5) at the moment are becoming overwhelmed due to an increase in demand for capacity, as it becomes imperative to identify other frequency bands to complement the 5GHz and 2.4GHz.
To achieve this, Maida revealed that Nigeria will join the group of nations that have already begun to use a portion of the 6GHz band for Wi-Fi-6 applications. She also stated that the 6GHz band, which runs from 5925 MHz to 7125 MHz, provides a significant increase in available spectrum, which is essential for meeting the rising demand for cutting-edge applications and high-speed internet.
Speaking on the importance of WIFI in driving the digital economy, Maida said: “Wi-Fi plays a crucial role in the distribution of fixed broadband connectivity in homes, offices, and various other environments. The vast majority of home internet traffic is connected to the end-user through Wi-Fi. In enterprise settings, Wi-Fi is essential for handling large amounts of data and simultaneously connecting large numbers of devices with improved reliability, higher data throughput, and lower latencies.”
In the same vein, the head, of Spectrum Administration, NCC, Engr. Atiku Lawal, said, that with the overcrowded airwaves currently limiting the potential of Wi-Fi in the 2.4GHz and 5GHz, it is not a surprise that more than seventy (70) countries have already acted, or are considering acting, to open the 6GHz band for unlicensed Wi-Fi use.
“Depending upon the country’s implementation plan, this decision will provide two to three times the quantum of spectrum available today, resulting in the ability to implement 80 MHz and 160 MHz channels being available for the new Wi-Fi 6 standard ideal to support digital transformation efforts and use cases like high definition video and X Reality (XR).
“Further to this, additionally, capacity in the unlicensed use of the 6GHz band for Wi-Fi will improve Quality of Service (QoS) through Wi-Fi 6 offload, as the use of Wi-Fi at home, offices, institutions, airports, etc. will help relieve networks of capacity constraints by taking devices of the cellular networks,” he disclosed.
