Fibre to the Premises in Lagos: The Benefits You Might Not Have Known

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The city of Lagos is the seventh largest in the world and the fifth most populous in Africa. With around 20 million residents, it’s also one of the most densely populated cities in the world. And this unprecedented boom will continue to have a positive impact on the local economy and its inhabitants. But with any booming city comes growing pains – especially when it comes to infrastructure. The internet is constantly becoming more accessible and faster, but lagos has fallen way behind. In addition to that, there are still many buildings that don’t have fiber optic cables yet; which means residents have no choice but to rely on old copper wires for their internet services at home. As a result, lagosians spend almost twice as much time waiting for pages to load online than New Yorkers do.

What is Fibre to the Premises?

Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) is considered to be the best type of internet connection. It involves installing fibre optic cables directly to every building, so that anyone within the vicinity can connect to them via an Ethernet cable. It’s considered the “gold standard” of internet access. This is the type of internet connection most people in developed countries are accustomed to. It’s much faster than the more common type of connection – fibre to the wall or “FTTW”. FTTP is capable of transferring data up to 100 times faster than an average FTTW connection.

Internet Speeds in Lagos

As mentioned before, lagosians usually have to settle for significantly slower internet speeds than the rest of the world. In fact, the current average internet speed in lagos is just a little over one megabit per second (Mbps). This is equivalent to waiting an entire 13 seconds to load a webpage that would normally take less than a second to appear. That’s why many lagosians prefer to use data-heavy applications like video calling or video streaming on their mobile phones rather than their home computers. Since their computers are connected to old copper wires that can’t handle high-speed internet, their internet speed is significantly lower than what it should be.

Why does Lagos need Fibre to the Premises?

The current broadband infrastructure in lagos relies on an outdated copper network. Since copper is a less durable material than fibre optic cables, lagos’s internet connection is susceptible to poor quality, frequent service outages, and increased maintenance costs. Not only that, but lagosians have very limited access to fibre optic internet. In fact, the only areas that have access to fibre optic cables are Victoria Island, Lagos Island, and a few areas in Surulere. The rest of the city has to rely on the old and inadequate copper network. Since many buildings in lagos don’t have fibre optic cables yet, lagosians residing in these areas have to make do with extremely slow internet speeds. This is especially problematic for students who often use the internet to complete school-related tasks.

The Problems With Lagos’s Current Internet Infrastructure

Aside from being less reliable, lagos’s current internet infrastructure has a number of other problems as well. First of all, it has been estimated that more than 70% of lagosians don’t have internet access at home. This is because their buildings don’t have fibre optic cables yet, so they have to rely on the copper network instead. This is problematic not only for the owners of these buildings, but for everyone living in them. Since the copper network can’t handle high-speed internet, it’s slower than it should be. This means lagosians have to wait more than half a minute to load a page that would normally take less than a second to appear.

The Benefits of Fibre to the Premises in Lagos

The best solution to these problems is installing fibre optic cables to every building. This way, everyone in the city can access high-speed internet. They won’t have to make do with slow internet speeds anymore, and they won’t have to feel like they’re living in the 21st century with dial-up internet. Not only that, but the benefits of fibre to the premises extend beyond just internet connectivity. It’s also beneficial for residents’ safety and security. For example, it can help reduce the risk of electrical fires because fibre optic cables are less likely to spark than copper cables. In addition to that, installing fibre optic cables can also help lagosians save money. Since fibre optic cables have a longer lifespan than copper cables, they require less maintenance. As a result, lagosians will have to rely less on repairmen, which will save them a lot of money in the long run.

Conclusion

Fibre to the Premises is the best solution for lagos’s current internet woes. It will not only provide everyone in the city with high-speed internet, but it will also help people save money. That’s why it’s important for lagos’s government to work towards installing FTTP at the earliest possible opportunity.