…As ATCON boss seeks increased public-private collaboration
In line with the trending new narrative of knowledge economy being driven by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami, the Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Gbenga Adebayo, has listed two things that can be done to guarantee sustainable success.
This is as the President of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Olusola Teniola has argued that stakeholders’ collaboration remains key in the drive to seamless digital economy.
In an interview, Engr Adebayo made it clear that for the gospel of digital economy to become workable reality, Nigerian authorities must first, classify telecommunication as Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) and secondly, reduce Right of Way (RoW) charges for InfraCos.
He argued that these two actions will be the digital economy game changing tactics if reasonable progress must be recorded going forward.
This is as the President of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Olusola Teniola has argued that stakeholders’ collaboration remains key in the drive to seamless digital economy.
In his submission, Teniola decried that government charges in the telecoms sector are weighing seriously on service quality and infrastructure upgrade capacities.
According to him, industry price wars destroy value and rob the consumers of choice in the long run.
On his message to the authorities, ATCON boss advised government to among other things, “Stop the price war so that MNOs can invest in innovative solutions for the benefit of the over 175 million subscribers. Learn lessons from India’s data price wars and avoid the destruction of shareholder value.”
Going forward, one of the best bets to achieve good results include creating an enabling environment that attracts Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) and private sector investor confidence.
