The Federal Government has moved to accelerate the deployment of 5G services in the country with the approval of an Enterprise Licensing Agreement for Microsoft products and clearing up of C-band spectrum.
This follows the presentation of 3 memos by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting which took place on June 29, 2022.
This disclosure is contained in a statement issued by the Technical Assistant (Research and Development) to the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Femi Adeluyi.
The Government-wide Enterprise Licensing Agreement for Microsoft products is a software acquisition cost-reduction strategy for government and it will be implemented by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy.
Benefits of the agreements for Microsoft products
This agreement is part of the Federal Government’s efforts towards keeping the cost of IT projects within sustainable levels.
Going further Adeluyi in the statement said, ‘’The Agreement will give the government access to discounted prices and other cost benefits, as well as reduce project duplication across Federal Public Institutions (FPIs).
‘’It will also guarantee proper technical support for Microsoft products and services, thereby ensuring protection against cybersecurity threats, which will guarantee availability and reliability of government IT services.
‘’The Enterprise Licensing Agreement will provide a projected savings of a minimum of 35% of Governments current investment in Microsoft Products and Services.
‘’This will not only substantially reduce the cost of license procurement for FPIs, it will reduce and simplify licensing complexity, facilitate accounting and cash flow predictability and monitor utilisation and impact of Government investment.’’
The statement said that FEC directed all FPIs to key into the Agreement in the procurement of Microsoft licenses and services.
The council also approved the request of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to clear part of the C-band spectrum within the country’s telecoms industry of any encumbrances and migrate the current users on affected spectrum, towards the successful roll-out/deployment of 5G technology in Nigeria.
He stated, ‘’Furthermore, with seven and a half years before the end of the lifetime of NigComSat-1R Satellite, operated by Nigerian Communication Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT), which currently operates C-Band services on the 3.4 – 3.9GHz spectrum range, NCC and NIGCOMSAT have come to an agreement to relocate/migrate the operations of NigComSat-1R C Band service to another frequency (Standard C Band) and release its current frequency for immediate deployment of 5G in the country.
‘’The approved memos will accelerate the implementation of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS), especially the pillars on solid infrastructure (broadband) and service infrastructure (platforms).’’
He also stated that the Ministry will continue to promote initiatives that will transform Nigeria into a country with a sustainable and thriving digital economy.
What you should know
Recall that a few days ago, the NCC and MTN Nigeria announced the commercial rollout of the 5G technology in Nigeria would commence effective from August 24.
