The Nigerian Communications Commission (the Commission), in line with its mandate as enshrined in Section 121 of the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003 (NCA, 2003), to manage and administer the frequency spectrum for the communications sector, and to grant licenses for and regulate the use of the said frequency spectrum, intends to conduct a Proof of Concept (PoC) trial involving LTE within the 1800MHz duplex gap (1785 – 1805MHz) and GSM technology in the immediate adjacent spectrum band.
The 1800MHz band is a key Spectrum band licensed for the deployment of 2G mobile communication services. The band is divided into uplink (1710 – 1785 MHz) and downlink (1805–1880 MHz) channels, with a duplex gap of 20MHz located between 1785–1805MHz. Recent studies conducted by the Commission have shown promising results for the coexistence of LTE in the duplex gap and GSM technology in the immediate adjacent Spectrum bands.
Accordingly, the Commission in its bid to improve broadband penetration, invites interested Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to conduct a Proof of Concept (PoC) trial within the 1800MHz band's duplex gap (1785 – 1805MHz).
The objective of this PoC trial is to validate the results of these studies in a real-world environment, ensuring minimal interference between LTE in the duplex gap and GSM services in the immediate adjacent bands.
To mitigate the likelihood of adjacent channel interference, it is proposed to utilize 15MHz from the duplex gap for LTE deployment, with a 2.5MHz guard band on either side.
Interested parties are also required to comply with the Commission’s conditions for Proof of Concept (PoC) trials, as outlined in the following link: https://ncc.gov.ng/media-center/public-notices/proof-concept-poc-trial-license
Expressions of Interest (EOI) are expected to be submitted to the Commission on or before the close of business on Wednesday, July 30, 2025.