The Executive Vice Chairman of the National Communication Commission, Prof. Umar Danbatta has again assured Nigerians of the safety of their health with the proposed 5G network.
Danbatta gave the assurance when he appeared before the National Assembly joint committee on Communications to defend his commission’s 2022 budget proposal.
The NCC’s response was sequel to the fear raised by some members of the joint committee about the fears being expressed by Nigerians over the deployment of the new technology.
Danbatta said the agency proposed to generate N632.39bn in 2022 from the sale of 5G spectrum to telecommunications firms, among other revenue sources.
He said, “The revenue would be realised through the sales of 5G spectrum, fines among others.
“Concerning the fears about the 5G spectrum, we share the same concern because it is justified and we have been sensitising Nigerians about the safety of the new technology. The 5G network we are going to launch has no harm.”
“Up till date, there is no credible evidence about the health hazard of the 5G technology, therefore it is safe.”
He added that the 5G Spectrum network was good for the economy and the nation’s social transformation.
He said, “There is no medical evidence from the World Health Organisation indicating any harmful effect of the spectrum on the health of the end users.
“NCC has enjoined Nigerians at the national level to disabuse their minds on the purported harmful effect of the spectrum and we will continue to sensitise them on the spectrum until everybody embraces the use of the 5G network,” he explained.
The Executive Vice Chairman also disclosed that with the launch of Computer Incidence Response Team, telecommunications networks across the country are secured against any form of cyber attack.
“Recently, not up to a month ago, the commission unveiled its computer incidence responsive which is a certified round protection for cyber attacks against telecommunication network.
“I am very very proud to bring this information to the knowledge of the general public, that all over the country our computers are secured from cyber attacks.
“This effort is going to be intensified in order to ensure the safety of our computers,” he noted.
For the commission’s main budget, he said a sum of N86.2bn was proposed for recurrent expenditures, N29.36bn is for Capital while N2.55bn was earmarked for Special Projects.
Danbatta, while defending his agency’s budget before the Senate MTEF/FSP panels in September, had said, the agency could generate up to N400bn from the spectrum auction next year.
Danbatta said his agency projected a budget of N162bn for 2021. He, however, added that in the first quarter of 2021, “we have exceeded that amount because we were able to generate N181bn.”
“This is because two of our mobile network operators, the MTN and Airtel, requested for spectrum and that really gave us a lot of revenue.”
The NCC boss had said, “Each slot of the 5G spectrum is going for an exact price of N75bn. However, in an auction, it can go as high as N100bn.
“The exact price for the Spectrum auction, in 2022 will give the Federal Government, N300bn. When the projected revenue is added to it, we are expecting well over N400bn because it is an auction.”
(Punch)
