Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), in partnership with Google, is set to drive the county into a digital transformation that will lead to cheaper internet services and higher broadband penetration with the innovation of Google’s funded Equiano subsea cable.
The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, disclosed this recently when a representative from Google Global Services Nigeria paid a courtesy visit to the Commission’s Head Office in Abuja.
During the visitation, the NCC was represented by its Executive Commissioner, Technical Services, Ubala Maska said the Commission’s expectations, initiatives, and vision towards increasing broadband penetration, quality of service, advancement of a digital economy and commitment to improving national security through technological advancement are at the front burner of its regulatory interventions.
Maska also said the Commission looked forward to creating the drives of both parties more impactful by strengthening the partnership between the NCC and Google Nigeria for quantifiable and incredible results.
The EVC affirmed the positiveness that Google’s investment in the subsea cable, Equiano, which is believed to land in Nigeria by end of April 2022, will be more impactful in leading NCC’s ongoing implementation of the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP), 2020-2025, intended for increasing broadband penetration to 70 percent by 2025.
According to the EVC, he said: “I am hopeful that Equiano will have additional landing points in the hinterlands through collaborative efforts with the licensed Infrastructure Companies (InfraCos) to reduce retail data prices significantly and thereby complementing the Commission’s efforts at ensuring affordable Internet services are available to boost the Commission’s ongoing broadband policy drive.”
The Director, Google West Africa, Juliet Ehimuan, who led the delegation to NCC applauded the commission for its consultative approach in proposing regulatory policies, and as the engine room for optimal delivery of telecommunications services that will in turn impact the digital economy drive of the government.

She also applauded the Commission for its seamless, fair, credible, impartial, and successful auction of the 3.5 Gigahertz spectrum for the deployment of Fifth Generation (5G) in Nigeria, stating that it is evident that both the NCC and Google share a common goal.
She added that research has proven that Africa will have an additional 300 million Internet users and Nigeria will take the lead, having 141 million internet subscribers and broadband penetration of over 40.88 percent as of January 2022.
According to Ehimuan, demands for internet services have increased the need for more capacity, and sustainable collaborations with all relevant stakeholders within the public and private sectors. She asserted that Google’s commitment of $1billion across five years in various interventions will support digital transformation in Nigeria and across Africa.
Ehimuan stated that research has proven that Africa will have an additional 300 million Internet users and Nigeria will lead in that number, given its current statistics of over 141 million internet subscribers and broadband penetration of over 40.88 percent as at January 2022.
The Equiano cable system is the third private international cable owned by Google and the 14th subsea cable invested by Google. Equiano connects Portugal and South Africa, running along the West Coast of Africa, with branching units along the way that can be used to extend connectivity to more African countries. The first branch is expected to land in Nigeria by end of April 2022.


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