The Future of Nigerian Backbone Infrastructure Sharing
Mobile network backhaul infrastructure plays a key role in the delivery of services to end users and is likely to be an important spend area for network operators during the medium and long terms. Operators will be upgrading backhaul to match the capacity of core and access networks. Infrastructure sharing will increasingly be used by operators to reduce capital expenditure (CAPEX) and operating expenditure (OPEX) on backhauls. These trends will create growth opportunities in the Sub-Saharan Africa’s largest mobile network backhaul infrastructure market.
Escalating demand for data services is driving the need for upgrading mobile network backhaul infrastructure. Operators need to share costs and invest in network technologies that support transmission of large quantities of data such as optical fiber and its associated technologies.
Landing of undersea cables like MAIN 1 and GLO 1 and the deployment of enhanced 3G (3G+) and 4G technologies will amplify the increasing demand for data services. Microwave-based backhaul is likely to remain dominant for rural coverage; however, operators are likely to adopt resource sharing to provide higher-capacity backhaul for areas with sustainable high demand.
A key challenge will be the high CAPEX required for new technologies.
The high CAPEX and OPEX associated with deploying and maintaining backhaul infrastructure will influence investment into higher capacity technologies, Furthermore, the inadequacy of other supporting infrastructure, like reliable power supply, will slow the deployment of new technologies.
Sharing infrastructure will enable operators to cost effectively deploy backhaul networks that meet the increasing demand for data services. Outsourcing of backhaul services can also be used to reduce OPEX in areas with limited demand.
It has become increasingly important that NCC should properly segment and differentiate the telecom licensing to enable clarity on what a national carrier should do. The landscape need not be littered with fiber manholes and the associated defacing of the highways as a result of fiber cables being laid all across our major cities and highways by different operators. Infrastructure sharing or an outright dedicated long distance backbone National carrier may be a way out of the present mess.
Mobile operators need to ensure that their backhaul networks are upgraded to avoid creating a bottleneck between access and core portions as it is currently being experience in major cities in Nigeria. It is highly deceptive to deploy a 3G, 3G plus or even 4G at the last mile access without the corresponding backhaul to carry the traffic between the access and the core and between the core and the gateway networks. A guaranteed quality of service needs to be enforced by NCC to checkmate this fraudulent activity of the operators. Backhaul networks should be upgraded in response to increasing network traffic; otherwise, this whole idea of 3G and so on will not give the requisite user experience of a fast data connection.
Since upgrades can be expensive, operators need to segment their market, They can deploy high capacity fibre technologies in high demand areas while wireless backhaul technologies can still be used in low demand rural areas.
Thanks gain for spending time with me here.
Henry O Ohakwe
Escalating demand for data services is driving the need for upgrading mobile network backhaul infrastructure. Operators need to share costs and invest in network technologies that support transmission of large quantities of data such as optical fiber and its associated technologies.
Landing of undersea cables like MAIN 1 and GLO 1 and the deployment of enhanced 3G (3G+) and 4G technologies will amplify the increasing demand for data services. Microwave-based backhaul is likely to remain dominant for rural coverage; however, operators are likely to adopt resource sharing to provide higher-capacity backhaul for areas with sustainable high demand.
A key challenge will be the high CAPEX required for new technologies.
The high CAPEX and OPEX associated with deploying and maintaining backhaul infrastructure will influence investment into higher capacity technologies, Furthermore, the inadequacy of other supporting infrastructure, like reliable power supply, will slow the deployment of new technologies.
Sharing infrastructure will enable operators to cost effectively deploy backhaul networks that meet the increasing demand for data services. Outsourcing of backhaul services can also be used to reduce OPEX in areas with limited demand.
It has become increasingly important that NCC should properly segment and differentiate the telecom licensing to enable clarity on what a national carrier should do. The landscape need not be littered with fiber manholes and the associated defacing of the highways as a result of fiber cables being laid all across our major cities and highways by different operators. Infrastructure sharing or an outright dedicated long distance backbone National carrier may be a way out of the present mess.
Mobile operators need to ensure that their backhaul networks are upgraded to avoid creating a bottleneck between access and core portions as it is currently being experience in major cities in Nigeria. It is highly deceptive to deploy a 3G, 3G plus or even 4G at the last mile access without the corresponding backhaul to carry the traffic between the access and the core and between the core and the gateway networks. A guaranteed quality of service needs to be enforced by NCC to checkmate this fraudulent activity of the operators. Backhaul networks should be upgraded in response to increasing network traffic; otherwise, this whole idea of 3G and so on will not give the requisite user experience of a fast data connection.
Since upgrades can be expensive, operators need to segment their market, They can deploy high capacity fibre technologies in high demand areas while wireless backhaul technologies can still be used in low demand rural areas.
Thanks gain for spending time with me here.
Henry O Ohakwe
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