In a statement signed by the spokesperson of the commission, Henry Nkemmadu, on Monday, it said false information has been over the internet about the telecom industry switching to 5G by May 12, 2020.
“The attention of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has been drawn to a mischievous statement making the rounds on social media like Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, LinkedIn and other sites that the Nigerian telecoms industry is going to switch on Fifth Generation (5G) in Lagos this Sunday 10th, Monday 11th or Tuesday 12th May 2020,” it said.
In the statement, the commission unequivocally stated that there is no deployment of 5G in Nigeria at the moment.
NCC, in November, approved a trial test for 5G for a period of three (3) months. The trial has been concluded and installation decommissioned.
5G is the fifth generation of mobile technology, which is an improvement on the current 4G technology being used, with enhanced capabilities.
The technology provides the platform for new and emerging technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Big Data to improve the way we live and work.
The executive vice-chairman, Umar Danbata, in the statement, said the trial, among others, was to study and observe any health or security challenges the 5G network might present.
“Relevant stakeholders, including members of the security agencies, were invited to participate during the trial,” he said.
“The NCC will continue to maintain its policy of technology neutrality and will continue to encourage service providers to deploy the best technology that will meet the needs of the society in a secured and friendly manner.”
According to the statement, NCC had provided clarifications through ‘Frequently Asked Questions on 5G’ in view of the recent developments.
There have been materials with no proven evidence being circulated, linking coronavirus or COVID-19 with 5G technology.
Earlier, the commission also provided clarifications on the laying of fibre optic cables within Lagos and other parts of the country to the effect that the laying of additional fibre optic cables is to strengthen the existing 3G and 4G infrastructure to provide robust and pervasive telecoms infrastructure to improve network performance.
“NCC has not issued any licence for 5G in Nigeria and therefore, the mobile network operators (MNOs) cannot switch on such technology.”
“NCC is technology-neutral. As such, we don’t license technology but assign spectrum to operators for deployment of any service when allocated by the National Frequency Management Council (NFMC).
‘’As the telecoms regulator, we enjoin Nigerians to get accurate information from us rather than relying on information emanating on social media by some individuals out of ignorance to misinform our people,” the statement highlighted.
