Electrical Engineering-Scholarly Publications

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Assessment of the Scope and Usage of Digital Dividend in Nigeria
(ATBU Journal of Science, Technology and Education (JOSTE), 2020) Gbenga-Ilori, A.O.; Sanusi, O.I.
The rapid pace of innovation in wireless technology has placed increasing demand on the frequency spectrum in the last decade. The evolution of digital television provided a way of meeting this spectrum demand since a substantial part of the television spectrum could be released for other services after digital switchover. In this paper, we estimate the spectrum savings possible from digital television switchover in Nigeria. The paper shows that it is possible to save 168MHz as digital dividend after the transition to digital television. The paper also considers the country’s decision to use this dividend for digital television and mobile broadband by determining if this is the optimal choice for Nigeria based on technical, economic and social constraints. Findings show that, technically, the services can coexist if proper measures are taken during the planning stage of the national digital television network. Findings also show that both services have huge economic and social value to the nation. The paper recommends that social value take a higher priority over economic value in a developing country like Nigeria to bridge the existing digital divide. Finally, recommendations on a feasible digital television migration framework for Nigeria were made to the government and stakeholders.