…As NCAA demands Aviation Height Clearance approval from networks
The Association of Licenced Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), has opened up on the main reason behind the endless disruptive quality of telecoms services in the nation’s capital, Abuja.
This is as the management of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), has come up with another tax for telecom companies at airports known as Aviation Height Clearance (AHC) approval for every highrise structure, mast, tower installation, irrespective of the height and location for facilities to be sited within and around the airports.
Whereas the Director General, Capt. Muhtar Usman, at a meeting with ALTON in Lagos, said the new tax will be on renewal basis, ALTON is of the view that AHC should be a one off exercise; no renewals and that structures for AHC and payments to the NCAA should be selective – and not for all structures, particularly if it is not deemed to endanger air navigation.
However, at the height of the deadlock, ALTON President, Engr Gbenga Adebayo, who appreciated the engagement requested for a bilateral committee consisting officials of both NCAA and ALTON to be established to hold periodic meetings for a smooth working relationship.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with our correspondent in Lagos, the Executive Secretary of the group, Mr. Gbolahan Awonuga disclosed that attempts by members of ALTON to seek permission to expand service infrastructure met brick wall at Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA).
He revealed that the FCDA denied the access, saying additional masts and related infrastructure in Abuja will distort the development plan of the city.
Gbolahon decried that “What they are telling the networks is that building of more masts and allied facilities are not in the original master plan of the FCT”.
“Now, you know that every mast or telecom infrastructure has what we call carrying capacity. The population of Abuja is on the rise and all available masts or what we call first generation masts have been over-stretched by volume of subscribers, hence the need for more masts.
“But now, we cannot build ant longer because no provision was made in Abuja master plan.
“Let me tell you a shocking experience of MainOne in the Federal Capital territory (FCT). MainOne applied for RoW through the FCDA and they were given a very hostile condition to pay a heavy amount before working on the roads to deliver service ducks for fibre cable, run it for two years and handover the service ducks to them so as to start to lease same from FCDA.
Observers had been decrying that one of the major errors committed during the building of major roads all over Abuja was the absence of service ducks, stressing that the city will continue to suffer the error for years until it is corrected.
