The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), yesterday, raised the alarm that vandalisation of telecommunication equipment across the country contributes negatively to quality and availability of services.
Consequently, the Commission appealed to state governors to assist in the passage of a law that would classify and protect telecommunication equipment as critical infrastructure.
Its Chairman, Engineer Peter Igoh, who led other management staff on a courtesy visit to Governor Olusegun Mimiko, in Akure, explained that the eqipment “ would come under special protection of government.
Igoh said sometimes substantial lenghts of fibre optics cables are inexplicably destroyed, disconnecting millions of subscribers at a time.
” Sometimes, ignorance plays a part as many may not apppreciate the need for massive infrastructure for telecom service,” he said.
”For instance, in the UK, there are more than 65,000 base stations for telecommunications services, in a land mass that is far less than Nigeria’s.
” Nigeria is yet to achieve 25,000 installations across its huge land mass, yet many feel that we already have enough and are defacing the environment.”
He noted that given the scenerio of infrastructure deficit, “the situation on ground becomes very discouraging as the service providers are forced to depend on very few base stations to serve the populace”.
