The Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy revealed a joint project between the FG and Microsoft for the development of high-speed internet infrastructure across the six regions in the country.
This was disclosed in a statement by the media aide to the Presidency, Tolu Ogunlesi on Monday afternoon.
Details of the Microsoft deal
“Following discussions with the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy and local partners, six regions in [Nigeria] have been earmarked for the development of high-speed internet infrastructure,” the joint statement said.
“Microsoft’s Airband Initiative has succeeded in bringing high-speed internet connectivity to underserved communities around the world, tapping into the unused broadcasting frequencies of television white spaces. The technology is cheaper and faster to deploy than fibre and has the added benefit of being able to travel long distances and through forested terrain,” it added.
What you should know
The number of internet subscribers in Nigeria increased from 126.1 million as of Q4 2019 to 154.3 million in Q4 2020, representing a 22.38% increase. Lagos, Kano, Oyo, FCT, and Ogun state recorded a total increase of 8.96 million new internet subscribers between 2019 and 2020, according to the Q4 2020 telecoms report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
