The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has introduced the country’s first National Mobile Coverage Maps—a digital tool that lets subscribers check real-time network availability and performance across all telecom operators.
The maps display outdoor coverage areas as reported by operators and compare them with actual user experience, using crowdsourced data on where devices connect and the download speeds they achieve.
This empowers consumers to make informed choices and encourages operators to improve service quality nationwide.
Key features of the map include: coverage areas based on operator data and real user signal reception, download speeds experienced by users, sourced from crowd measurements, and easy-to-understand performance bands showing what activities are possible at available speeds
The NCC notes that coverage and speeds can vary due to location, device, weather, network congestion, terrain, and time of day. Network conditions may also change over time due to maintenance or other factors, so information is subject to change.
Data is updated quarterly from mobile operators using standardized propagation models, while speed information is gathered continuously from real user devices.
The maps reflect outdoor and in-vehicle coverage; indoor coverage is not included.
This initiative allows the public to compare operator claims with real-world experience and helps identify areas where service can be improved.
Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.
Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.
He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.
Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).
He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.
He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.
Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled: Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.
