The Federal Executive Council has approved the National Policy on Fifth Generation (5G) Networks in Nigeria.
The 5G policy, aimed at supplying the country’s digital economy, was approved at the Council meeting on Wednesday, after the presentation by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami).
In a statement signed by the Information Technology Technical Assistant to the Minister, Femi Adeluyi, the implementation of the national policy is effective immediately.
According to reports, national policies have been developed over a period of two years, due to the need for extensive stakeholder involvement and the need to ensure adequate public awareness and awareness.
The multi-sectoral involvement of stakeholders took into account the report of a 3-month 5G trial that started on November 25, 2019.
The report critically assessed and studied the health and safety implications of 5G deployment in Nigeria.
Leading international organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), a body of the United Nations, have confirmed that the deployment of 5G networks has no adverse health effects and is safe.
According to experts, 5G networks offer significant advantages over current technologies.
Some of the benefits include much lower latency, higher bandwidth, greater device density, longer battery life for nodes, and greater network flexibility.
Some countries have already started rolling out 5G.
They include the United States, United Kingdom, Republic of Korea, South Africa, and Lesotho, among others.
The National Frequency Management Council, chaired by Pantami, said it will soon release spectrum to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) for the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) that meet all the required conditions.
