Admin l Friday, July 16, 2021
ABUJA, Nigeria – The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC has said that less than 50 percent of the total landmass of Nigeria is covered by 3G which is needed if the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC will transmit election results electronically.
The NCC made the clarification when its officials, Executive Commissioner, Technical Services, Engr. Ubale Maska and the Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management, Mr. Adeleke Adewolu appeared before the House of Representatives looking at the suitability of the use of electronic devices for the transmission of election results in the country as part of ongoing discussion in the House provided in the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.
The NCC team based what it said on the result of the survey it carried out 3 years ago in 2018. According to Engr. Ubale Maska, who spoke for the team, less than 50% of the country enjoys 3G Internet coverage for which electronic transmission of results could rely on. NCC, he said covered 109,000 polling units, of the country’s 119,000 polling units when it carried out the survey.
He said the surveyed polling unit areas were covered mostly by the 3G and 2G networks, which represents about 50.3% of the entire country. He said about 49.7% of the national spread did not have Internet coverage, which will be required for real-time electronic transmission of electoral results.
Asked if 2G technology could be used for electronic transmission of results, Engr. Maska said though he wished the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was around to answer, however, only 3G
