NCC Issues Final Letters of Licence Awards to 5G Spectrum Winners

MTN and Mafab Communications, winners of the Nigerian Communications Commission’s 3.5GHz spectrum auction on Monday, December 13, 2021, have been given final letters of award for Fifth Generation (5G) Spectrum Licences. The NCC has confirmed that these letters were given out.

Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta told the Board of Commissioners that the Commission’s management, led by EVC Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, said this to the Board at special meetings on Wednesday, April 20, and Thursday, April 21, 2022, when the Board heard about the auction’s progress from management.

PRESS STATEMENT

NCC Issues Final Letters of Licence Awards to 5G Spectrum Winners

Link: https://t.co/Ly07wgp7va pic.twitter.com/oVqwi9pE27

— ncc.gov.ng (@NgComCommission) May 4, 2022

According to the auction’s Information Memorandum (IM), the final letters of award for the 5G spectrum have been sent to the two licensees. Getting 5G networks up and running faster will lead to a stronger 4th industrial revolution and a digital Nigeria.

There will be 5G services available on August 24, 2022. This is when the licensees are supposed to start.

When fully operational, the network will provide a slew of benefits and opportunities for the country’s fast growth and smart life. Network benefits are also said to come from the new technology, including faster connection speeds, more mobility, and more capacity, as well as low-latency capabilities.

A group called the National Frequency Management Council (NFMC), led by the country’s Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, gave the Commission the spectrum for 5G and the government’s approved National Policy on 5G on February 22, 2022. The auction of the 3.5GHz spectrum took place on December 13, 2021, and the auction was open, fair, and honest.

Next, on February 24, 2022, the Commission approved the two winners’ full payment of $273.6 million each, as well as MTN’s payment of a fee for giving up its 5G spectrum rights.

The Commission is optimistic that effective implementation of the National 5G Policy will hasten the achievement of national targets set out in the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP) 2020–2025, the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) 2020–2030, and other sectoral policies aimed at accelerating Nigeria’s digital transformation.

While licensees are expected to achieve their 5G network rollout deadlines, the NCC is requiring the private sector and government to work together to revolutionize every element of the nation’s economy through 5G, which will usher in greater change than the 1G, 2G, 3G, and 4G networks.