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Tag: auction

  • Auction of remaining 5G spectrum will take place as planned – NCC

    Auction of remaining 5G spectrum will take place as planned – NCC

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said the auction of the remaining 5G spectrum will take place as planned.

    This is contained in a statement released on Wednesday by NCC’s Director of Public Affairs, Reuben Muoka.

    Recall that the NCC had in December 2022 auctioned the first two (2) lots of 3.5GHz spectrum for the deployment of 5G network across the country.

    The Commission in response to requests for more spectrum lots to be made available 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 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.

    According to the statement, NCC has achieved the clearance earlier than the estimated 24 months, thus making the spectrum available for licensing.

    The statement reads: “We, therefore, wish to reassure 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 final Information Memorandum for the Auction has been published on the Commission’s website. Interested applicants are advised to adhere to the requirements as specified in the Information Memorandum for participation in the Auction”.

    Meanwhile, NCC in the statement insisted that spectrum licensing via Auction is one of the most transparent methods of assigning Spectrum resources globally.

  • 5G: Spectrum Cap, Spectrum Auction and matters miscellaneous – By Okoh Aihe

    5G: Spectrum Cap, Spectrum Auction and matters miscellaneous – By Okoh Aihe

    With the Stakeholders’ Consultative Forum held mid November and the publication of the final Information Memorandum (IM) on the website of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), it is no longer in doubt that the 5G Auction scheduled for December 19, 2022, will hold. All initial doubt and public apprehension pale into insignificance except that they help to incident a huge process that could still be up for questioning in the future.

    At the Stakeholders Forum, which held in Lagos, healthy concerns were raised. The Reserve Price (RP) of US$273,600,000 for one Lot of 100MHz TDD for a ten (10) year licence tenure, was on the high side, they observed. Having participated in the last Auction which was held last December, Airtel,  who participated in that process, canvassed to be offered one Lot through an administrative process, meaning it would not have to be part of the Auction process again but allowed to pay the RP. MTN,who was one of the winners and has commenced limited 5G service roll out, the other being Mafab, made a case to be allowed to participate in the December 2022 Auction. Ikenna Ikeme, General Manager, Regulatory Affairs at MTN, explained that his organisation participated last year because it had the understanding that it would be an open Auction going forward. Of course there was an outrage because that would confer the status of a dominant player on MTN in the nascent 5G sector in Nigeria.

    The outrage was rooted in the draft IM which pegged the Spectrum Cap at 100MHz per operator. The Cap is the spectrum upper limit that an operator could not exceed. When the regulator auctioned 2 Lots of 100 MHz each in the 3.5 GHz band, ranging from 3500 – 3600 MHz and 3700 to 3800 MHz last year, they were won by MTN and Mafab. That success ironically rendered them unsuitable for the current process that will peak on December 19, 2022.

    Sensing the complexity of responses, the regulator had to do a quick rethink and take immediate action. The RP stays, like words carved in stone, except that this is liquid cash. To even have a little sniff at 5G services, Airtel must go to the Auction and show its financial strength. Then the big one that seemed impossible. MTN will be part of the Auction. This became manifest in the final IM. Not that it was stated clearly but a little magic wand to redeem the regulator from a sure imminent headache.

    “The Commission places a cap of 200MHz as the maximum amount of Spectrum an Applicant can acquire in the 3.5GHz band. A Licensee with an existing Assignment in the 3.5GHz band is eligible to bid for only one (1) Lot of 100MHz. However, Applicants without Spectrum holding in the 3.5GHz band are eligible to bid for the two Lots on offer,” the IM stated.

    Like shifting the goalposts when the game is already on? Not at all. There was an immediate need to apply cooling balm on a business process that should have been heated up if decisions went contrary.

    How? This writer was informed by a source within the Commission that, based on decisions and promises made last year, MTN would have had a good reason to go to court if it was pressed to. There is no need for any litigation now.

    There is yet another angle to this story. What really is the purpose of this Auction? The regulator tried to provide an answer.

    “I want to disabuse the mind of those who feel that the objective of the NCC to auction the first and the second rounds of the 5G spectrum bands is to generate money for the Federal Government. This is not correct. The overriding consideration is not to generate money for the Federal Government but principally to ensure deployment of 5G services that enhance better life for Nigerians and the growth of the nation’s economy as a whole through provision of qualitative high-speed Internet services that increase productivity and efficiency across sectors,” the Executive Vice Chairman, Prof Umar Garba Danbatta, explained at the Forum.

    There is no need for disputation here. His sense of patriotism is duly recognised. But three things, we insist,  seem to be at play here in this order – cash, desperation to satisfy some interests, and efficient service delivery.

    We also want to observe here that in doing an Auction, the regulator must look out for organisations and individuals that can validate the process through their participation and the ability to raise the cash. MTN is one of such organisations. The organisation’s sense of patriotism and commitment to the country and her economy, no matter the political uncertainties, cannot be faulted. In nearly every Spectrum Auction, MTN participates and pays up immediately.

    A source within the regulatory authority gave this testimony. “If not for the likes of MTN, we would have been in a mess right now. MTN has a good corporate structure. And in terms of corporate governance, they are number one.”

    A long story has been told in such a few words. MTN is paradigmatic of what is good in the telecommunications industry, such corporate spruce up, has also attracted a streak of envy that earns it no good report.

    What does the regulator want this time? One of the 5G licenses given out last year went to  Mafab at $273.5m. The money was quickly paid by the winner. But for Mafab, 5G remains a greenfield, which is perhaps the reason it is still struggling to roll out services. Summary: the people don’t have any service from Mafab yet.

    If the regulator will want to place emphasis on cash and service delivery without any emphasis on patronage, we plead to provide this cautionary support by telling the story of India once more. When the country concluded her 5G spectrum sales on August 1, 2022, a bouquet of spectrum bands – 600MHz, 700MHz, 800MHz, 1.8GHz, 2.1GHz, 2.3GHz, 3.3GHz and 26GHz, were on offer.

    At the final sound of the bell, Reliance Jo had a lion share of the sales, shelling out a humongous $11.15bn, Bharti Airtel followed with $5.45bn, Vodafone Idea (Vi) came third with $2.37bn, while wireless service provider Adani Group, kept a distant rear with $26.84m.

    The entire package was about $19bn, which is a very huge amount coming from just a sector of the economy within a few days. There is no doubt that emphasis was on money but they also ensured that the licenses went to those who could afford them and had the proof of ability to roll out services. This is what I will suggest to the NCC. Give licenses to those who can pay. Those who can roll out service. Forget about market dominance and platitudinous innuendoes.

    Finally, let me state very clearly that I support the transparency claims of the NCC in executing its regulatory responsibilities. But time has come to remove legacy blinkers from the eyes and face up with the reality that certain things are not going well in the telecommunications industry. Competition is impaired, services are growing increasingly worse, and there are loud complaints of an overbearing external influence on the Commission.

    I can observe that President Muhammadu Buhari is struggling to at least have one legacy to point to after May next year. 5G obviously is an easy pick. The NCC should make his job easy by conducting a good Auction that will yield results in cash and in service delivery.

  • 5G auction driven by pursuit of better quality of life, not revenue – Danbatta

    5G auction driven by pursuit of better quality of life, not revenue – Danbatta

    Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Professor Umar Danbatta, has said in Lagos, Tuesday, that the efforts by the Commission to timely auction available spectrum for 5G services in Nigeria, is primarily driven by the pursuit to join the global community to advance digital services and enhance quality communications infrastructure for the benefit of the citizenry, and not by the need to attract revenue for government.

    Danbatta, who spoke to a cross section of industry players at the Marriott Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, during the Stakeholders’ Consultative Forum on the Draft Information Memorandum for the 3.5GHz Spectrum Auction hosted by the Commission, said there is need for stakeholders to understand the genuine vision of the Commission to equip the nation with the latest technologies and services which is the focus of the efforts to deploy 5G services nationwide.

    “I want to disabuse the mind of those who feel that the objective of the NCC to auction the first and the second rounds of the 5G spectrum bands is to generate money for the Federal Government. This is not correct. The overriding consideration is not to generate money for the Federal Government but principally to ensure deployment of 5G services that enhance better life for Nigerians and the growth of the nation’s economy as a whole through provision of qualitative high-speed Internet services that increase productivity and efficiency across sectors.

    “For those who are conversant with developments in the industry, the proactive regulatory approach of the Commission in transiting Nigeria from 1G, to 2G, 3G, 4G and now to 5G has brought remarkable socio-economic developments, transforming lives and businesses. This clarification is very important at this stage to put to rest the insinuations and misconceptions being bandied in certain quarters. Our intent is purely to digitally transform Nigeria and Nigerians towards becoming a leading digital economy not only in Africa but globally and where telecoms continue to be a major enabler and contributor to the nation’s economic growth,” the EVC said.

    Danbatta also explained the rationale behind the need to conduct an auction on the second round of the 5G spectrum sale. According to him, following the successful auction of the initial two lots of the 5G spectrum in December 2021, the Commission had received requests to administratively licence the remaining lots at the exact fee the initial two lots were auctioned.

    However, the Commission, in exercise of its powers under the Nigerian Communications Act 2003, has decided to licence the available lots in the 3.5GHz band through the Auction Method which is a transparent and efficient approach that can open opportunities for new entrants as well as deepen competition in the industry.

    “The Commission has committed enormous resources to ensure that harmonized Spectrum is secured and released in a timely manner for present and future rollout of services that will unleash the potentials of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), including International Mobile Telecommunication (IMT-2020) services. We have kept ourselves abreast of developments at international fora, including ITU-R Study Groups to enable the allocation of strategic Spectrum to IMT services especially the IMT-2020 which has been on the front burner in the last two ITU-R Study Cycles”, the EVC explained.

    “Hence, it is important that we ensure the timely release of the Spectrum bands necessary for 5G deployment to the industry to enable us reap the immediate and envisioned benefits of 5G technology and facilitate the development of Nigeria’s Digital Economy to foster national growth,” he said.

    Representatives of telecoms companies, media and other stakeholders made additional inputs into the Draft IM in addition to the comments and inputs already received via correspondence before the forum commenced. The NCC’s Executive Commissioner Technical Services, Engr. Ubale Maska, who is also the Auction Adviser, also reminded stakeholders at the forum that Commission will still take comments up to close of business on 17th November 2022 just before the final IM that will guide the auction process is published on 18th November 2022.

    The Commission has developed a draft Information Memorandum (IM) for the Auction of the 3.5GHz band which has been published on its website on 21st October 2022, to enable stakeholders review and make inputs and comments.  The Tuesday, November 15, 2022 forum in Lagos, was to deliberate on the draft document and take contributions from stakeholders to enrich the quality of the document for auction process and towards the efficient management and utilization of this important spectrum resource in line with global best practices.

  • NCC convenes stakeholder forum on December 5G auction

    NCC convenes stakeholder forum on December 5G auction

    The proposed auction of two lots in the 3.5GHz Spectrum for the deployment of 5G services, set to take place in December 2022, is gathering steam and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has concluded arraignments to host an engagement session with stakeholders to discuss and provide more insight into the Draft Information Memorandum that will guide the process.

    The Commission had earlier announced the plan to license additional lots in the 3.5 GHz spectrum band for the deployment of 5G (fifth generation) Global System of Mobile communication).

    The interactive session with the stakeholders will take place at the Marriot Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, by 9:00 am prompt on the 15th of November 2022.

    The engagement session will feature comments and submissions made by the different stakeholders on the Draft Information Memorandum. The outcome of the submission will be taken into consideration by the Commission in publishing the Information Memorandum for the auction.

    The process for the auction of the proposed lots of frequencies for 5G services, commenced on 21 October 2022 with the publication of the Draft Information Memorandum on the Commission’s website.

    Stakeholders have been advised, in an earlier statement and subsequent advertisements, by the Commission to study the Information Memorandum and make their comments and questions available to the Commission.

  • ICPC begins disposal of forfeited assets to FG

    ICPC begins disposal of forfeited assets to FG

    Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) said it has commenced the process of disposing assets forfeited to the Federal Government.

    The spokesperson for ICPC, Mrs Azuka Ogugua, made this known in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday.

    She said this was in line with the Proceeds of Crime (Recovery and Management) Act (POCA), signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari on May 12, with a bid opening to select auctioneers.

    Ogugua quoted the ICPC Chairman, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, as hailing the impact of the bill on the anti-corruption war, describing it as a tool ensuring clarity of purpose to asset recovery and management.

    Owasanoye noted that the unregulated structure surrounding forfeited assets had often led to huge revenue loses, which ultimately defeated the purpose of recovery.

    He further stated that POCA was introduced as a standardised procedure of managing and disposing forfeited assets.

    The ICPC chairman added that it had also set up a governing directorate and ensured that all processes were deliberated upon and executed by professionals who were experts in relevant fields.

    This, he said, had promoted transparency and prioritised corruption prevention.

    Owasanoye also highlighted the fact that each agency that recovered assets was responsible for the disposal of the forfeited assets, adding that the process was tamper-proof.

    “As instructed, all proceeds would be lodged in a dedicated account domiciled in Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and accessible only at the discretion of the National Assembly and the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    “Whatever is gotten at the end of this exercise, there is a dedicated account under the watchful eyes of CBN.

    “Nobody has the power to transfer or move anything out of that account, except the National Assembly and the President,” he said.

    Speaking on the bill, the ICPC boss said that the commission had an asset recovery and management manual which provided the guidelines for ensuring that all processes were governed and controlled.

    He also pointed out that the commission had, in line with POCA, set up a committee comprising board members, directors, representatives of labour, civil society organisations, the media and Bureau of Public Procurement, to administer the bid process.

    Owasanoye expressed delight that the commission was among the first to carry out an auction based on POCA and suggested that the success of the process would ultimately encourage other agencies to follow suit.

    The statement further said that the bid opening process began with the opening and counting of submitted bids, based on the lots which had been publicly advertised and subjected to stringent terms and conditions.

    “There were two lots available, with 58 and 54 bids respectively. Each box was meticulously processed, with records being taken for accepted, returned and withdrawn bids.

    “The opening of technical bids was attended by ICPC board members, Dr Grace Chinda and Sen. Anthony Agbo, directors, staffers of relevant departments, bidders and external observers from Bureau of Public Procurement and a civil society organisation.

    The ICPC chairman was represented at the event by a board member of the commission, Dr Louis Mandama.

  • FACTS ABOUT AUCTIONING OF CARS CEASED BY  LAGOS STATE TASK FORCE: What you need to know

    FACTS ABOUT AUCTIONING OF CARS CEASED BY  LAGOS STATE TASK FORCE: What you need to know

    The Lagos State Taskforce, in collaboration with the Lagos State Ministry of Justice, on Thursday, auctioned 134 forfeited and abandoned vehicles at the Taskforce compound in Alausa, Ikeja.

    Following this development, TheNewsGuru.com is concerned about basic facts that triggered the recent auctioning of cars ceased by the Lagos State Taskforce.

    The role of Lagos State Taskforce is to carry out enforcement exercise which is the confiscation of vehicles for traffic offenses, and handing them over to the MOBILE COURT (with evidence) for Judgement.

    Some of the cars being auctioned were confiscated, not for ONE WAY Alone, there are other offices that attracts just a fine but some people run away from the Court Process, that is why they have been forfeited to the State Government after the stipulated period (BY LAW).

    The Coordinator of The Lagos State Special Offenses Mobile Court was present at the Auction venue, she says exercise is seemless and well organised and also disclosed that all 134 vehicles on display had gone through due process of the COURT OF LAW before being forfeited.

    Accordibg to the Taskforce, the auction exercise is to desist the public from committing crime or traffic offences as no one would be spared if found wanting. He says he hopes that this exercise would serve as a deterrent to other road users who are fond of driving against traffic.

    TheNewsGuru.com recalls that in a trending video, a man was seen crying as the bidding crossed ₦300,000 and was begging the bidders to stop bidding for the vehicle.

    The vehicle was eventually sold for ₦370,000.

    The auctioning was supervised  by the Ministry of Justice at the taskforce car park on governor’s road, Alausa area of Lagos.

    Also, a widow, 49 and her son have wept profusely after their only car was auctioned by the Lagos state government.

    It was gathered that widow, Dorothy Dike and her son, Osinachi Ndukwe had acquired the car at the rate of N1.8.million on hire purchase, but it was auctioned for N450,000.
    Ms. Dorothy and her son had earlier jumped for joy when their mini bus (Korope), with number plate, ANAMBRA NEN 347 YX, was displayed for auction with an opening bid of N50,000, but the joy was short-lived.
    Few minutes later, the atmosphere changed as they wept profusely, rolled on the ground, and begged for price reduction as the bid kept jerking up and hit N430, 000.
    The bid was about to close when suddenly the mother and son shouted N450,000 loudly, “help us, help us, please, don’t increase the price again. We cannot afford this but we are hopeful that the vehicle will be ours so that we can work again and raise money to feed ourselves.”

    See photo of cars auctioned here:

  • Customs distance self from claims of auctioning 7000 cars

    Customs distance self from claims of auctioning 7000 cars

    The Nigeria Customs Service(NCS), has distanced itself from rumours making the rounds that a special auction of over 7000 cars would soon be held by the Service.

    The Public Relations Officer of Customs, Deputy Comptroller Timi Bomodi, made this known in a statement signed on behalf of the Comptroller General of Customs in Abuja.

    He urged Nigerians to always refer to the electronic auction (e-auction) platform at https://app.trade.gov.ng/eauction/  for authentic information on auctioning.

    According to him, e-auction remains the only authentic means of auctioning goods to members of the public.

    “Auctions are periodic and advertised in advance on our website to avail the public the opportunity of selecting and bidding for items of their choice.

    “It will be recalled that the service deployed the e-auction platform in July 2017 to improve efficiency in revenue generation to the federal government.

    “It was also deployed to provide equal opportunities to all Nigerians in the seamless disposal of seized and condemned, and overtime and abandoned cargoes.

    “Since its implementation, the e-auction has lived up to expectations by guaranteeing transparency and integrity in the auctioning process,” Bomodi said.

    The spokesperson said that the requirements to take part in the e-auction bidding process by interested members of the public were clear.

    He said that applicants must process a valid Tax Identification Number (TIN), issued by Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), with an active e-mail account.

    Bomodi added that the conditions and terms of the auction must be carefully considered by an interested person before acceptance.

    Bomodi further said an applicant must have an authentic and nationally accepted means of identification.

    He explained that those means of identification include an international passport, driver’s license, national identity card or voter card.

    Bomodi referred the public to the service’s e-auction portal at https://app.trade.gov.ng/eauction/ for further guidelines.

    Bomodi used the opportunity to call on owners of uncleared vehicles at the various ports to avail themselves of the VIN-Valuation protocols to clear them.

    He said the clearance procedure had been simplified, automated and made more user-friendly.

  • Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ shirt to raise N2.2bn at auction

    Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ shirt to raise N2.2bn at auction

    The shirt worn by Diego Maradona when he scored his infamous “Hand of God” goal against England at the 1986 World Cup is now worth billions of Naira.

    Auctioneer Sotherby’s said on Wednesday that the shirt is expected to sell for at least 4 million pounds ($5.23 million or N2.25 billion).

    The shirt is owned by former England midfielder Steve Hodge.

    He had swapped shirts with Maradona after Argentina won the match 2-1, thanks to two goals by the forward.

    The second goal was a solo effort considered to be one of the greatest ever scored.

    It was Hodge’s attempted back pass that Maradona chased before using his hand to push the ball past England goalkeeper Peter Shilton for the first goal.

    Following Maradona’s death in 2020, Hodge had said the shirt was not for sale.

    Brazilian great Pele’s jersey from the 1970 World Cup final is the most expensive football shirt sold at auction, according to Guinness World Records.

    It fetched 157,750 pounds in 2002, over three times the expected price.

    Maradona, who led Argentina to World Cup glory in 1986, is widely considered one of the greatest ever footballers.

    He died at the age of 60 in 2020 due to a cardiac arrest.

  • DMO’s January bond auction receives N300bn over subscription

    DMO’s January bond auction receives N300bn over subscription

    The Debt Management Office (DMO) says its just concluded Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) bond auction for January was oversubscribed.

    DMO, which made this known in a statement on Thursday, stated that the auction received a total of 160 bids.

    It revealed some minor adjustments in the bonds offer during the auction.

    “Our FGN bond auction for January 2022 concluded yesterday with a total of 160 successful bids.

    “The auction recorded an over-subscription of N111 billion and N214 billion for the January 2026 and January 2042 bond offers respectively.

    “Successful bids for 12.5 per cent FGN January 2026 and 13 per cent January 2042 were allotted at the marginal rates of 11.5 per cent and 13 per cent respectively.

    “However, the original coupon rates of 12.5 per cent for the FGN January 2026 will be maintained while the coupon rate for 13 per cent FGN 2042 (New Issue) is set at 13 per cent, ” it explained.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the DMO had recently released a bond issuance calender for the first quarter of 2022

  • 5G: After $273m, the real journey begins, By Okoh Aihe

    5G: After $273m, the real journey begins, By Okoh Aihe

    By Okoh Aihe

     

    After eleven rounds of a grueling 3.5GHz auction in which three organizations, MTN Nigeria, Mafab Communications and Airtel Nigeria were engaged a bruising game of giants, MTN and Mafab were announced winners of the two Lots. Each winner is to pay $273m for a Lot. Airtel lost out in the protracted bidding streak which lasted over nine hours, and would have the opportunity to fight another day. Each bidding team was restricted to a room at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, totally sequestered from the rest of the world.

     

    On this page we are not disappointed at all. We predicted a bruising battle, so it turned out to be. We sketched on the allegory of a David taking down Goliath in the holy books, so it was. I have a friend who is almost clairvoyant in all these things. Last week we looked at the unfolding story before us and we could nearly arrive on a denouement. In our part of the world you don’t need any auguries to extrapolate certain things. Ours is a world where fairy tales transmogrify to realties of epic proportions.

     

    By Monday evening the world was very interested in the story of Mafab but their website simply just caved in, leaving a banner message, “Bandwidth Limit Exceeded.” There was a follow up message that “The server is temporarily unable to service your request due to the site owner reaching his/her bandwidth limit. Please try again later.”

     

    In spite of the foregoing observation, congratulations are in order. We wish MTN Nigeria and Mafab Communications well. All is well that ends well, so Shakespeare puts it. We await full and final payment of their bid money by February, 2022, even as we pray for the next phase of service rollout to begin immediately.

     

    We also wish the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), which is the regulator of the telecommunications industry, well. Throughout the period starting from preparation to final execution on Monday, the NCC promised a transparent and credible process which will make a everybody happy. On Monday, the NCC did that in style, leaving very slim opportunities for a quandary.

     

    I am happy for this administration. At least there has to be a positive attached to its footnote. Each administration must be known for something. President Olusegun Obasanjo was known for Debt Cancellation and GSM, among others, President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua for Amnesty for Niger Delta Militants, and President Goodluck Jonathan for Free, Fair and Credible Elections and BVN. But for this government, not much of a good story – Banditry, Kidnapping, Insecurity, Nepotism, among others, until Monday night. Now there is a 5G picture, which is good.

     

    There was little pitching to do, because those who came for the bid already did their homework and were ready to launch out even without sermonisation. Before commencement, officials of government, Dr Isa Pantami, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Adeolu Akande, Chairman of the NCC Board and Prof Umar Garba Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, spoke glowingly about the spectrum on offer and the technology it brings, with Pantami even saying that 5G will address some of the nation’s security challenges.

     

    But those who came ready to start a journey from the steep point of $197, 400, 000 would have more than enough information to prepare for this challenging but bold endeavor.

     

    However, in a workshop for journalists covering the Communications Sector, which held in Kano just days before the auction, titled: Setting The Stage for 5G Journey – Capacity Building for Journalists Covering the Communications and Digital Economy Sector, Prof Danbatta, speaking through Engr Bako Wakil, made some proclamations on 5G which I find very convenient and worthy of note here, both for the readers and those launching out to invest in the industry. It was more like a beginner’s guide to 5G, more like the ABC to the technology.

     

    I have said somewhere that 5G will not come with a magic wand. I still hold on to that strongly, even now, especially after going through the very elucidating teachings. “When significant changes are introduced to an existing standard, such standards are reviewed and updated leading to the emergence of a new generation of mobile network (G), Danbatta explained the G in the technology, which has passed through an evolutionary process to peak at 5G. There are some countries of the world that are already playing around with 6G.

     

    But what is 5G? Prof Danbatta sought to explain. It is the fifth generation of mobile network (5G). a new wireless standard after 1G, 2G, 3G, and 4G networks. It enables a new kind of network that is designed to connect virtually everyone and everything together. It is meant to deliver higher multi-Gbps peak data speeds, at ultra-low latency, more reliability, and a more uniform user experience to more users. Its higher performance and improved efficiency empower new user experiences and connects new industries.

     

    Danbatta explained that 5G is needed for the following reasons, which include: huge boom in mobile internet usage, huge growth of wireless network equipment and machines with communication-enabled capabilities (already over 22billion IoT devices already connected as at 2018 and expected to reach 100billion connections by 2030), technology no longer rated by speed but by latency (instant response), and 5G designed for massive intelligent connectivity of things.

     

    By way of explaining that 5G will not necessarily swallow up existing technologies, he observed that in most parts of the world, successor generation of mobile networks does not supplant the predecessor generation networks, until when it becomes very necessary to decommission the oldest generation network.

     

    5G comes with a lot of advantages which include but not limited to the following: fast response time (low Latency), open up many user cases that will revive many industries, billions of devices will be connected in smart homes, smart schools, smart and safer vehicles, enhance health care and education, increase computing capabilities for devices, improved job creation, increase GDP, unleash creativity and innovation, diversify economy, and enhance security of lives and properties.

     

    But following Danbatta’s presentation, it may be of overriding importance to note that 5G is not a job for the rookies or the infra digs. The cost outlay is huge and can humble even those with access to rivers of funds. In a country where right of way (RoW) remains a major impediment to telecoms rollout, 5G deployment will suffer a drawback. The cost of deployment is huge as 5G requires more infrastructure deployment to be effective. 5G coverage area is small thus requiring more sites for good coverage. This implies huge infrastructure investments are required to rollout comparable coverage of 5G networks. For a truth rollout is going to be much easier for a legacy operator.

     

    After all that perambulation, I want to conclude as follows: the fact that NCC made good sales on Monday still doesn’t make it a revenue generating agency. NCC is a regulator as per the Nigerian Communications Act of 2003. There is the need to build strong institutions, which explains why in spite of all the onslaught, regulatory capture and other malfeasance from higher quarters, NCC has residual capacity to still give a good performance. Without good support now such performances may not be possible a few years hence.