Past auctions

The Nigerian telecommunications sector is still struggling to meet the huge demand for services across the country. The Commission has for some time, been considering the introduction of an additional national operator which would compete on equal terms with the incumbent operator, Nigerian Telecommunications Limited ("Nitel"). The Commission has considered the potential growth of Nitel and Other Licensed Operators ("OLOs") and concluded that future demand will require and support a Second National Operator (SNO). The SNO will be authorised to offer the same services as Nitel.

Fixed Wireless Access (FWA), also known as Radio Fixed Access or Wireless in the Local Loop, is the use of radio technology to provide the so-called “last mile” connection between users and the core telecommunications network. FWA services can provide a more cost effective access solution compared with the cost of a wireline network solution and in many cases wireless access technologies are capable of being deployed much more rapidly than wireline technology, thus offering the prospect of responding very rapidly to the demand for service.

Following public consultation requesting comments from industry members on the preferred technology for the deployment of digital mobile networks, the Commission will licence four spectrum packages in the 900MHz and 1800MHz bands, based on the GSM specification. GSM was developed as a common European standard and operates in common spectrum across Europe and much of the rest of the world including African countries neighbouring Nigeria.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (the Commission) pursuant to its powers under section 121 of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003 (the Act) , is offering the remaining lots of 2 x 100MHz in the 3.5GHz spectrum band to support 5G deployment in Nigeria. This is to ensure reliable communications services and innovative digital technologies.

In line with developments in international licensing trends, requests by existing Licensed Network Operators to be provided with additional spectrum to meet expected increased demands for services and to support the evolution of 3G services, and following consultations with relevant stakeholders and external expert bodies, the Commission decided to offer 40 MHz of paired spectrum in the 2 GHz band for commercial allocation on a national basis in Nigeria. This spectrum is to be allocated in four equal blocks of 10 MHz paired spectrum.

The Commission has decided to offer 30 MHz of unpaired spectrum in the 2.3 GHz band for commercial assignment on a national basis in Nigeria. Following consultation with industry stakeholders, the Commission decided to allocate this spectrum in one unpaired nationally available block of 30 MHz, adjoining a 10MHz guard band with the adjacent 2.4 GHz band for the delivery of broadband wireless access service at the wholesale level to provide ISPs and other users with the requisite bandwidth to service their subscribers.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (the Commission), pursuant to its powers under Section 121 of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003, has commenced the process of licensing the 3.5GHz Spectrum towards the deployment of IMT services. The proposed deployment is in line with the 5G Deployment Plan and in fulfilment of one of the key initiatives of the Nigerian National Broadband Plan 2020 – 2025 (NNBP).

 The following documents are hereby published pursuant to the above;

Based on its understanding of the demand for spectrum, relative to availability, the Commission has decided to award 3 Carriers in the 800MHz spectrum band in 26 States, and FCT – Abuja, to further advance the development of telecommunications in the country.

The spectrum is offered by the Commission on a technology neutral basis. However, the Commission intends to follow the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) recommendations for the provision of telecommunications services in the 800MHz spectrum band.

Following consultations with the relevant industry stakeholders and in consonance with the Nigerian National Broadband Plan of 2013 and observed developments in international licensing trends on the best way to issue 2.6GHz Spectrum, the Commission decided to license the available 2 X 70 MHz slot in the 2.6GHz spectrum band in slots of 5 MHz to be aggregated by applicants through the Spectrum auction process. i.e. 14 Lots of 2 X 5 MHz FDD paired Spectrum ranging from 2500 – 2570MHz and 2620 to 2690MHz (totalling 2 X 70 MHz) for auction.