Other operators and industry stakeholders are currently enraged by MTN's interest in acquiring additional Fifth-Generation (5G) spectrum licenses.
Other operators and stakeholders who opposed MTN's proposal
did, in fact, assert that such a chance may turn the player into a dominant
service provider in the nation without taking the evolution of the telecoms
industry into account.
Yesterday in Lagos, the Nigerian Communications Commission
(NCC) held a meeting on "Stakeholders' Engagement on the Draft Information
Memorandum (IM) on the Auction of Additional 2 Lots of 100MHz in the 3.5GHz
Band." This problem ended up being the main topic of discussion.
Prior to the proposed $273.6 million 5G spectrum auction, set
for December 19 in Abuja, the NCC called the meeting. The event was utilized by
the commission to further solicit feedback from the industry on the draft for
the auction, in which Lots A (3400-3500MHz) and C (3600-3700MHz) are made
available to potential bidders.
Nigeria already had plans for four 5G licenses. Two lots have
received licenses thus far, with one of them being operational. NCC anticipated
that by December there would be two more.
MTN's proposal isn't the first in the telecoms sector, the
NCC Executive Commissioner for Technical Services, Ubale Maska, said, adding
that Nigeria is an open market and there will be additional consultations on
the matter.
Maska cited other nations where such things had already
occurred, including the United States, Germany, and Finland.
The Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Garba
Danbatta, stated that all requests will be given due consideration and that a
final decision will be made before the auction in the light of the fact that the
current 5G license auction is politically motivated and a way for the Federal
Government to raise more money.
However, NCC claimed in the IM that the most recent auction
had established the market price for the spectrum lots.
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