Phase 3 Telecom Broadband Investments Hit $110m

A leading fiber optic network company, Phase3 Telecom has disclosed that it has so far invested $110m to enable broadband get to the underserved and unserved areas of the country.


Briefing journalist in Abuja, the company’s director of engineering Mr. Ajibade Momolosho further disclosed that between now and 2016, $68 million more will be invested in broadband development even as he said that the company would be expanding its business frontiers to Accra and Senegal in the next one year and half

He also stated that the company has so far deployed 4500km of fiber optic network. On its mandate which is to be West Africa’s IP backbone, he maintained that Phase3 Telecom has contributed immensely to the development of the telecommunications industry in Nigeria so far in its ten years of existence.

 “In 1996 we didn’t have the kind of infrastructure in place, but phase3 provided the backbone at that time. It was a major contribution. We are key to the expansion of mobile network.”

However, he opined that government needs to be more flexible with its policies to protect young companies. He admitted that the present ICT Minster Mrs. Omobola Johnson has achieved a lot in terms of reducing the cost of federal Right of Way and is currently working on states to key in to the programme.  The cost of right of way he disclosed, forms 50 per cent of the cost of deployment.

With the reduction, he revealed it has enabled firms to do more in terms of corporate social responsibility. However, he noted that getting and renewing licences was still cumbersome due to government bureaucracy which also needs to be worked on,  not forgetting the issue of power.