The Nigerian Communications Commission NCC, has unveiled a set of draft Business Rules for Mobile Virtual Network Operations (MVNOs), in line with its commitment to providing level playing field for all categories of operators, ensure fair competition, and prevent bigger network operators from pricing smaller ones including MVNOs out of business, a development that might create an imbalance in the country’s telecommunication ecosystem.

The NCC in line with its inclusive regulatory structure and robust stakeholder engagement, is currently seeking industry stakeholders’ inputs before the eventual roll out of the new rules. The Commission had also following the release of the draft business rules for MVNOs, urged industry stakeholders and interested parties to submit their feedbacks not later than June 29, 2026.

While the stakeholders are expected to submit their feedbacks not later than June 29, 2026, the Commissioned has fixed a public consultation forum for July 9, 2026, where all the inputs would be harnessed, discussed and agreed upon.

While commenting on the reasons for the introduction of the new rules, the Commission disclosed that in addition to providing level playing field, ensuring fair competition and forestalling possible use of pricing mechanism to drive smaller operators out of business, the draft rules are also designed to further accelerate the slow-paced segment of the country’s telecoms market by preventing big Mobile Network Operators from obstructing virtual operators in the sector.

Major components of proposed framework include the introduction of strict onboarding timelines, fair pricing, and revenue-sharing mechanisms. The framework also mandates Telecommunications operators to adhere strictly to timelines to forestall delays, while established network hosts are equally prohibited from frustrating the integration of MVNOs

Similarly, the new rules require host operators to commence the mandatory confirmation of receipt of connection requests within 10 days and provide full technical readiness feedbacks within 20 days. They also provide that the entire business and technical agreement processes must be concluded within 120 days.

The draft rules also introduced benchmark pricing structure, which is designed to ensure fair competition, and forestall a situation where large network operators would price virtual operators out of the market, as the rules outlined baseline selling prices for data, voice, text, and USSD services.

Another key component of the rules is that they provide for a tiered framework, which stipulates clear guidelines and scope of clarifications for the several tiers of MVNOs, ranging from simple virtual operators to core facilities operators.

In order to ensure Quality of Service and Quality of consumer experience, a fundamental provision in the draft business rules provides for consumer protection and Quality of Service QoS.

The regulatory framework also sets clear Quality of Service obligations, as it outlines traffic routing rules, and ensures consumer protection standards apply across the board in the sector. This is an indication that under the new business rules, quality of service and consumer experience are sacrosanct.