By Prince Osuagwu, Hi-Tech Editor
The second 5G licensee, MAFAB Communications has finally launched the services. After flagging off the launch in Abuja, Tuesday, the telco rolled out services in Lagos yesterday and hopes to launch in about four other cities in Nigeria, subsequently.
The cities include Port Harcourt, Enugu, Kano and Kaduna, even as it promises to cover the whole of the country in no distant time.
Registered in 2020 and licensed by the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC to provide telecom services, Mafab took the industry by surprise when it bidded for the 5G license in December 2021 alongside giants like MTN and Airtel and emerged one of the two winners. However, apparently for untold circumstances, one year after, it was yet to roll out services till last Tuesday. But Chairman of the company, Dr. Mushabu Bashir said his company has come out strongly to help put Nigeria in the global telecommunications map as a country to reckon with.
This is also as the governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo Olu, echoed the narrative , saying the launch marked another important milestone in the nation’s technology and telecommunications journey.
Both of them agreed that 5G technology is not just a mobile network but represents a new culture, and a new era of connectivity where billions of devices exchange data and instill intelligence in everyday life, creating new, intelligent systems that can help to develop new advanced manufacturing models.
In his welcome speech, Bashir said: “It is no secret that the countries that are able to provide their citizens with the latest network infrastructure which the 5G technology represents, will also be the ones that thrive in the coming years. They will be the ones that will stay competitive and the ones who will lead in innovation in addition to bringing socio-economic benefits to her citizens. And so, I can declare that with the 5G infrastructure, our future as a people and as a country is remarkably bright.
“I cannot forget to mention the prospect of increased job opportunities as a consequence of the value-chain benefits, the technology will generate and offer. This is the dream we have all gathered here to launch today.
“The 5G technology is not just a mobile network but represents a new culture, and a new era of connectivity where billions of devices exchange data and instill intelligence in our everyday life. It creates new, intelligent systems; and it can help to develop new advanced manufacturing models. I cannot forget to mention the prospect of increased job opportunities as a consequence of the value-chain benefits, the technology will generate and offer. This is the dream we have all gathered here to launch today. Mcom 5G launch marks the beginning of immense opportunities for the country to achieve infinite possibilities with a purpose of enabling connectivity for a digital future.
“As the second operator to launch 5G in Nigeria, Mcom expects more coverage for Nigerians and acceleration of broadband services.
“Putting things in proper perspective, we will play a major role in advancing new technologies that will push Nigeria beyond just being a consumer of technology but a country playing an active role in developing and implementing new technologies. It will also enable our country take its position as a global technology hub in Africa and the world at large. You may have heard it before, but it bears re-telling that the 5G network will usher into this country a wide array of business opportunities, wherein various business outfits will expand their frontiers with operational ease and speed, especially in the fields of education, medical sciences, engineering, security, businesses like the banking sector, SMEs, smart cities, transportation, entertainment and allow Nigerians meet the long-term goal of ensuring that everybody is connected” he added.
Welcoming guests at the launch, Gov Babajide Sanwolu said: “Though relatively new in the telecommunications industry, MAFAB Communications Limited has recorded a milestone achievement in the tech space through the launch of the 5G Network. I want to commend them for working hard to deliver this next level technology that out-guns the 4G network by a very wide margin and as such its capabilities exceed expectations.
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