The Nigerian Communications Commission NCC, has assured all stakeholders and investors, that the processes and schedule for the auction of two (2) lots of 3.5GHz Spectrum will take place as planned. The Commission has also said that the final Information Memorandum for the auction has been published on its website and urged interested applicants to adhere to the requirements as specified in the Information Memorandum for participation in the auction.

According to a statement by the Director, Public Affairs of the Commission, Reuben Muoka, Wednesday, the auction is designed to boost competition by making it open to both new entrants as well as existing licensees.

It was further gathered that the Information Memorandum that guided the 2021 auction process stated the Commission’s intention to migrate incumbent users of the remaining portion of the C-band to free up Spectrum and make it available for the deployment of new services. This is also given that the Commission has achieved the clearance earlier than estimated 24 months, thus making the Spectrum available for licensing.

Mouka therefore assured that the NCC as a regulatory body holding in trust the management and administration of scarce spectrum resources on behalf of Federal Government will continue to make available, the much needed harmonised and standardised Spectrum resources to the industry.

The statement reads in part: The Nigerian Communications Commission (the Commission), in line with Section 121 of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003 (the Act) has the responsibility to manage and administer Spectrum resources for the communications sector in an efficient and effective manner. This is for the socio-economic benefit of the country.

“Accordingly, it is the Commission’s responsibility, as the industry regulator, to ensure that harmonised and standardised Spectrum resources are made available in a timely manner to ensure its optimal utilisation. The impact of the Commission’s regulatory activities in this regard is evident in the contribution of ICT, and telecommunications in particular, to the Gross Domestic Product GDP of the country.

“The Act allows available Spectrum resources to be licensed through different methods. Spectrum licensing via Auction is one of the most transparent methods of assigning Spectrum resources globally. It is important to note that the Commission in response to requests for more Spectrum lots to be made available during the 2021 Stakeholders’ engagement had estimated a period of 24 months to clear all encumbrances in the remaining two (2) lots of the 3.5GHz band.

“The Information Memorandum that guided the 2021 Auction process further stated the Commission’s intention to migrate incumbent users of the remaining portion of the C-band to free up Spectrum and make it available for the deployment of new services. The Commission has achieved the clearance earlier than estimated 24 months, thus making the Spectrum available for licensing.”