The winners of the licence for 5G spectrum in Nigeria, Mafab Communications and MTN, are set to deploy the technology form August24, 2022.
This follows the issuance of the final letters of award of the spectrum licences by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
Umar Garba Danbatta, executive vice chairman of NCC, confirmed the issuance of the letter to the Board of Commissioners at the Board’s Special Meeting on April 20 and 21.
According to the commission, the final letters signal that the winners are expected to accelerate the deployment of 5G network that will usher Nigeria into the fourth industrial revolution and a more digitised Nigerian economy.
“The 5G network, when deployed, will bring a lot of benefits and opportunities that will engender accelerated growth and smart living in the country,” the NCC said in a statement. “The technology is also expected to bring substantial network improvements, including higher connection speed, mobility, and capacity, as well as low-latency capabilities.”
Sources at MTN said the telecom is ready to deploy the 5G network across the country. However, stakeholders in the telecom industry said Mafab may not be as ready as MTN and could still be sourcing the funds for infrastructure. Mafab is also believed to be considering the acquisition of an existing telecom operator in order to leverage its infrastructure in the rollout.