TheNewsGuru

Tag: Mafab

  • Why is NCC fretting over MAFAB? – By Okoh Aihe

    Why is NCC fretting over MAFAB? – By Okoh Aihe

    It is not impossible for a regulator to be worried about the health of one of its licensees. There are several reasons for this to happen. It’s either the operator is not performing well in the market place or there could be some backend happenings impairing its operations. For an operator worth its salt, whose activities still wear the badge of some human feelings, there is always every reason to worry about a licensee or even the health of the market generally.

    There are no indications that MAFAB Communications is having any such operational challenges or thrust in any situation that should compel the regulator of the telecommunications industry, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), to begin to make statements on behalf of the operator. Twice in less than two years, the regulator has made statements in support of the operator even if the operator should actually be speaking for itself, just like the other operators.

    MAFAB is an elite licensee of the NCC. You don’t want to agree with me? When the regulator decided to launch the country into the new world of 5G, through the auctioning of 3.5GHz spectrum in 2021, MAFAB was one of the three bidders to dare the field which requires so much investment to operationalize. The other two were Airtel and MTN but based on the bare facts that only MAFAB was coming in fresh, we dubbed the contest a David and Goliath fight, that is, if you have a little bible history of a rookie fighter, David, who triumphed over a boisterous Goliath of the Philistines. Just like David, MAFAB won at the auction of December 13, 2021, and duly paid the license fee of $273.6m, according to the NCC.

    Really, I was happy for MAFAB but waited for the rollout surprises that would come, with the two operators, MTN and MAFAB,  given August 24, 2022 deadline for rollout.

    Things were working according to plan. The NCC had made money for government and also for itself. But with a little known MAFAB able to shell out that hefty amount for a license, there was swirling rumour of some money bags who may have a hand in it. Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu was listed as one of them. Remember, he wasn’t President of Nigeria in 2021 and 2022. The rumour had gained traction and was assuming the shape of truth.

    NCC took preemptive measures. Two days after the auction, on December 15, 2021, the Commission denied that it had any knowledge that former Lagos State Governor had interest in MAFAB, adding that the auction process was transparent and internationally acclaimed. The statement signed by its then Public Affairs Director, Dr Ikechukwu Adinde, read in part: ‘’In the course of its routine media review, today, December 15, 2021, the NCC became aware of publications in some online media channels alleging the involvement of Senator Bola Tinubu, former Governor of Lagos State, in MAFAB Communications Limited, one of the winners of the 5G spectrum sold by the Commission in a public auction conducted on Monday, December 13, 2021, at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.”

    That tendentious statement was overlooked by many, including this writer. After all, so much money had just been made for an economy that needed serious help. The statement really didn’t give me so much worry until another one that was released last week.

    In the statement titled, MAFAB HAS LAUNCHED 5G SERVICES IN NIGERIA, the NCC said: ‘’The attention of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has been drawn to some misleading comments on social media which falsely claimed that ‘’MAFAB Communications, one of the companies granted Fifth Generation (5G) licenses by the Commission is yet to roll out the service, nearly two years after obtaining a license, and one year after the roll out date.’’

    ‘’Consequent upon the issuance of the 5G license, and in line with the roll out conditions, MAFAB publicly launched its services in Abuja on January 24, 2023, and in Lagos on January 26, 2023. At launch, the services were targeted at six cities – Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Kano and Kaduna,’’ the statement pursued further.

    Trying to understand the above statement only magnified the obtuseness of the December 2021 statement. Why was it ever necessary for the NCC to disclaim Senator Tinubu’s relationship with MAFAB, if any? Tinubu was a private citizen and a businessman and had the freedom to invest in anything, including tomato farming and fried been cake (akara) on the way to Osun State, if he wanted, not to talk of a high yielding field like telecommunications. That statement was incongruous and overreaching and communicates very little respect for a Commission which prides itself as independent and transparent in its operations and auction processes.

    However, the most recent statement was the ultimate clincher in frivolity and unwarranted meddlesomeness in matters completely outside the purview of the Commission, if only for ethical reasons. The regulator has no reason speaking for, or defending an operator except there are issues beyond the comprehension of those who think know how a regulatory agency and the industry should relate.

    It is true that MAFAB actually launched services. I am aware of the launch in Lagos. But I have asked a few colleagues who attended the Lagos programme whether there was any practical demonstration of how the technology works. There was none.

    In my neck of the wood, they would always say the taste of the pudding is in the eating. How could there be a launch of technology without any demonstration and there is a subtle push for the acceptance of the existence of such technology? This writer is aware of 5G services by MTN and Airtel respectively, and the cost of each product. I have no information on MAFAB, whatsoever.

    There is nothing wrong if MAFAB is making grand preparation to launch its services. It should be allowed to do so, for the simple reason that 5G deployment is cost intensive even for existing operators, not to talk of a new entrant who will build from the scratch. What is wrong is the regulator releasing press statements on behalf of a particular operator. This is compromise without measure, it is favoritism beyond the call of regulatory relationships.

    I will want to suggest there is more information people may have on MAFAB beyond the walls of the regulatory agency and it is only commonsense that they are not pressured to regurgitate them to the discomfort of a company trying to find its feet and even the unsettling of a whole industry.

    My other suggestion. NCC and the other agencies of government should leave the President alone to face a much bigger assignment that has been thrusted upon him. Having already stated that Tinubu is a big business man and a wealthy man (even his wife said so), what this writer will want to hear is that all his business interests have been consolidated in a Blind Trust where they will suffer no manipulation of power and influence, and insulated from conflict of interest. He will be celebrated for embracing probity, away from a past silhouetted in a welter of controversies.

  • MAFAB queues up behind MTN to launch 5G networks across Nigeria

    MAFAB queues up behind MTN to launch 5G networks across Nigeria

    Mafab Telecommunication Company is set to launch its 5G networks across Nigeria following the unveiling of its logo in Abuja, the federal capital territory (FCT).

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the launch held at the International Conference Centre, on Tuesday in Abuja.

    Chairman of Mafab, Dr Mushabu Bashir, in his speech said the launch had added another chapter in its journey towards a brighter and stronger future filled with hope and prospects.

    Bashir said with the 5G, business outfits would expand their frontiers with operational ease and speed, especially in the fields of education.

    Other fields are medical sciences, engineering, security, businesses like the banking sector, SMEs and smart cities, among others.

    He said 5G would not just benefit the urban areas but also meet long-term goals of ensuring that rural areas and villages enjoyed benefits of this amazing technology.

    “The rollout of Mafab 5G network is the beginning of immense opportunities for the country as it represents Nigeria’s capabilities and infinite possibilities.

    “The prospect of increased job opportunities as a consequence of the value-chain benefits the technology will generate and offer is the dream we have all gathered here to launch today,”he said.

    The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Pantami reiterated that on Jan. 25, 2022, President Muhammadu Buhari launched the National 5G Policy for Nigeria’s digital economy.

    Pantami said as the Chairman of the National Frequency Management Council, he handed over the frequency spectrum to NCC and it conducted a transparent auctioning where two operators emerged as the winners, MAFAB and MTN.

    “MTN commenced the roll out and now MAFAB has joined the queue, I congratulate the Chairman of MAFAB for his commitment to the success of MAFAB.

    “It is absolutely difficult to have a new player who joined the sector within a small period of time and also to be competing with some of the active players in the sector”, he said.

    Pantamis said 5G had enormous benefits for security institutions, “because there are technologies in security that leverage on it which allows security institutions to properly manage security situations.

    “5G allows real time communications, and this has so many benefits to our security institutions to manage challenges effectively, like robots.

    “There are so many technologies and artificial intelligence to help our security institutions. All of them leverage effectively on 5G, so this is in addition to economic benefits”, he said.

    The minister said there were many benefits of 5G, most importantly towards economic development.

    According to him, a research conducted by Boston Consulting limited in the USA in Feb. 2021 had indicated that the rollout of 5G in the US would increase their gross domestic product.

    Pantami said: “This will increase within 10 years by a minimum of 1.4 trillion USD to 1.9 trillion USD.

    “So, the benefits of 5G deployment is beyond just quality of service.”

    The minister said there were so many benefits because new technologies come along with new benefits like low latency, very high quality broadband and faster network.

    Pantami added: “It allows real time communication or almost near real time communication.

    “Today using 5G virtual surgery is being conducted globally. They did in the US and also in China.

    “The recently conducted a virtual surgery where the distance between the surgeon and the patient is over 3000 kilometers but the surgery was conducted successfully treatment of Parkinson’s in China, they did it also recently.”

    In his presentation, Mafab’s Communications spokesperson, Mr Adebayo Onigbanjo, while unveiling the company’s new logo, said, “as an operator born in the data age, Mafab will aim to serve customers.”

    Onigbanjo said that it would also serve the country by maximising the value of the digital technology.

    “While 5G brings a lot of excitement about fast downloads, low latency and high speeds, our promise is ubiquitous data for Nigerians.

    “Broadband is now an essential requirement and our data native network aims to deliver this to Nigerians,” Onigbanjo said.

    Recall that MTN Nigeria and MAFAB Communications won the 5G licenses of the 3.5GHz spectrum auction conducted on December 13, 2021.

    They paid $547.2 million licence fee each to the Federal Government by Feb. 24, 2022.

    The company also used the opportunity of the launch of its 5G services to unveil a brand-new logo, which it said heralded the dawn of a new era of infinite possibilities which the technology offered.

  • NCC sets spectrum cap for second 5G auction

    NCC sets spectrum cap for second 5G auction

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has set a cap of 200MHz as the maximum amount of Spectrum an applicant can acquire in the 3.5GHz band for the deployment of 5G network across the country.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports this is contained in the final Information Memorandum on 3.5 GHz spectrum auction published by the NCC on Friday.

    This means that MTN Nigeria and Mafab Communications which had earlier won the 100MHz auction in December 2021 are eligible to participate in this second auction of 5G spectrum.

    Airtel that lost in the first 5G spectrum auction; Glo, 9mobile and other smaller network operators are expected to participate in this second auction.

    Recall that NCC held the first 5G auction in December 2021 with MTN and Mafab dislodging Airtel Nigeria to emerge winners in 11 rounds of bidding that lasted eight hours.

    In the final Information Memorandum, the Commission placed 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, i.e. MTN and Mafab are eligible to bid for only one (1) Lot of 100MHz in this second 5G auction.

    However, applicants without spectrum holding in the 3.5GHz band, including Airtel, Glo, 9mobile and others, are eligible to bid for the two Lots on offer.

    The final Information Memorandum will guide the upcoming auction of the remaining lots of the 3.5 GHz spectrum for the deployment of 5G services in Nigeria.

    Earlier, the Commission had published the draft of the Information Memorandum and requested stakeholders to make comments and inputs into the document to enrich its contents.

    Subsequently, stakeholders’ comments were collated and discussed at a Stakeholder’s Engagement forum hosted by NCC on November 15, 2022 at Marriott Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.

    According to the Information Memorandum for the second 5G auction, the Commission will not reserve Spectrum for any group or entity, stressing that reservation is considered discriminatory and capable of creating an uneven playing field.

    Barring any last-minute changes, the second 5G spectrum auction will hold on 19th December 2022 at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.

    However, to qualify to bid in the auction, an applicant does not have to be a licensed network operator in Nigeria, opening the field for new entrants in the telecom sector.

    Any successful bidder without a Unified Access Service Licence (UASL) will be issued one and is expected to pay the specified licence fee in addition to the auction winning bid price.

    The tenure for the UASL will be Ten (10) years, subject to renewal, according to the Information Memorandum.

    TNG learnt the reserve price for the auction, being the minimum price for one lot of 100MHz TDD for a ten (10) year licence tenure, has been fixed at US$273.6 million or its equivalent in Naira at the prevailing Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) rates at the time of the auction.

    Meanwhile, the fee for the ten (10) year spectrum licence will be determined at the auction. The opening bid will be an increment higher than the reserve price in the opening round of the auction.

    A successful bidder at the auction will be expected to pay a sum equal to the amount of the winning bid minus the IBD, as well as an operational Licence fee (where applicable).

    An applicant must not have a relationship with another applicant. A relationship is defined as a situation where an applicant has a direct or indirect ownership stake of 10% or more in another Applicant.

    Licensed operators participating in the process must be in Good Regulatory Standing with the NCC.

  • BREAKING: Airtel, Glo, 9mobile get another chance to join 5G race in Nigeria

    BREAKING: Airtel, Glo, 9mobile get another chance to join 5G race in Nigeria

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has set in motion modalities to auction the remaining 3.5 GHz spectrum for the deployment of 5G networks in the country, presenting multinational telecommunications companies operating in Nigeria, Airtel, Glo and 9mobile another opportunity to join the 5G race.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports this is as the independent regulatory authority for the telecommunications industry in the country has published the draft information memorandum on the auction of the remaining 3.5 GHz spectrum.

    The information memorandum defines the process that the Commission will adopt for the licensing of the remaining 3.5 GHz spectrum. It also provides information on the Nigerian communications market, details of the spectrum on offer, the prequalification process, the auction process, and indicative timetable.

    Barring any last-minute amendments by the NCC, the auction of the remaining 3.5 GHz spectrum for the deployment of 5G in the country will hold on 19 December 2022 at a yet-to-be-determined venue with a mock auction expected on 16 December 2022.

    The auction closure will occur when the public announcement is made by the auction overseer/manager, revealing the provisional winners to be awarded the licences under the process, at which point each successful bidder will automatically be deemed to have been awarded a provisional licence.

    However, to stand a chance, Airtel, Glo, 9mobile and any other interested telecom firms are expected to pay a mandatory Intention-To-Bid Deposit (IBD)of USD27,360,000.00 tentatively by 5 December 2022, which is also the tentative deadline for the submission of applications for the auction.

    According to the draft information memorandum, the NCC is offering the remaining lots of the 100MHz in the 3.5GHz spectrum band to support 5G deployment in Nigeria in order to ensure reliable communications services and innovative digital technologies in the country.

    The Commission is offering the remaining two lots in the band ranging from 3400-3500 MHz and 3600-3700 MHz, totalling 200 MHz for auction. This will be awarded to winning bidders in 100MHz lot. The auction will be an Ascending Clock Auction.

    Each lot of 100 MHz TDD represents 1 eligibility point. This means that only two telecom firms stand a chance to succeed in the final outcome of the auction.

    While 3400-3500 MHz represents Lot A, 3600-3700 MHz represents Lot C and are available for auction. Lot B (3500-3600 MHz) had been won by MTN and Lot D (3700-3800 MHz) had been won by Mafab in 2021 with the Guard Band of 100 MHz in the range of 3800-3900 MHz not available for auction.

    Recall that NCC had in December 2021 conducted an auction of the first two lots of 100 MHz TDD in the 3.5 GHz band to deepen broadband penetration and support the delivery of ubiquitous broadband services in the country. Mafab and MTN scaled through, defeating Airtel to emerge successful during the 2021 auction.

    TNG reports that the reserve price, the minimum price for one lot of the remaining 100 MHz TDD, for a ten (10) year licence tenure, has been fixed by NCC at USD273,600,000.00 or its equivalent in Naira at the prevailing Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) rates at the time of the auction.

    However, the fee for the 5G spectrum licence will be determined at the auction. The opening bid will be an increment higher than the reserve price in the opening round of the auction. A successful bidder at the auction will be expected to pay a sum equal to the amount of the winning bid minus the IBD, as well as an operational licence fee, where applicable.

    The balance (winning bid amount less the IBD) of the auction fee shall be paid to the Commission on or before 20 January 2023.

    Inviting comments from the public and interested stakeholders, the Commission disclosed that it will hold a public consultation in respect of the draft information memorandum on 15 November 2022 in line with it’s participatory rule-making process for the communications sector.

    TNG gathers that if a bidder is disqualified from the process, the Commission reserves the right to impose a penalty. The maximum penalty may result in forfeiture of the full IBD paid and the bidder may be barred from future auctions.

  • 5G mobile network goes live in Nigeria across 190 locations

    5G mobile network goes live in Nigeria across 190 locations

    Fifth-Generation (5G) mobile network has gone live at 190 locations across Nigeria, with MTN becoming the first telecommunications provider in the country to launch the much anticipated mobile network in the country.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that the 190 locations that have gone live with 5G service are mainly in Lagos State, the commercial hub of Nigeria, and Abuja, the federal capital territory (FCT).

    Recall that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) had set the target of August for the roll out of 5G mobile network in the country after MTN and Mafab Communications won the bid for the deployment.

    While Mafab had been granted a grace period of 5 months to deploy, MTN has said it’s 5G service would be live at over 500 sites across the country by October.

    Already, MTN has started selling a 5G broadband router for its customers to be able to access the network as there are currently limited devices that can connect with the 5G network.

    “Yes today we turned on the 5G spectrum and kicked off our 5G pilot. 20,000 customers with enabled devices can now try out our next-generation network where coverage is available. 2G brought us SMS and picture messaging. 3G was about mobile internet access. 4G made streaming and sharing a part of everyday life.

    “5G delivers the future and it’s here – higher internet speeds, downloads without delay, near-instant connection when streaming, using apps, loading websites, playing games, or connecting to smart home devices,” Modupe Kadri, CFO, MTN Nigeria stated on LinkedIn.

    TNG reports the MTN 5G network is live in select locations in Anambra, Borno, Delta, Edo, Imo, Kano, Rivers, Oyo, and Lagos States, including the FCT.

    Some users have reported internet speeds of up to 1.4g per second on the 5G network, according to BusinessDay sources.

    With the launch by MTN, Nigeria has joined South Africa and Kenya in the race to 5G on the African continent.

    South Africa began its 5G network journey in March through MTN and Vodacom while Kenya started the deployment of 5G through Safaricom in April.

    ALSO READ || 5G network: Where and how to get access to service in Nigeria

    According to the Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA), around 70 countries had 5G networks as of June 2022, up from just 38 in mid-2020. It stated that approximately 15 more have had 5G mobile technology deployed in part.

    TNG reports that a vital advantage of 5G is the number of use cases it will enable and the emerging technologies it will facilitate.

    This rides on its ability to provide wireless broadband services at Gigabit speeds and data connections well above 10 Gigabits per second, latency below five milliseconds and the capability to exploit any available wireless resource, from Wi-Fi to 4G and to handle millions of connected devices simultaneously

    5G technology will support the development of new applications which will connect devices and allow innovative applications and business models due to its software virtualization abilities.

    The NCC in the National Policy document on 5G Networks for Nigeria’s Digital Economy had identified a number of use cases of 5G technology.

    These include enhancements in application areas such as Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Robotics, Drones, Advanced Communication Systems, Cloud, 3D Printing, Mixed Reality, Simulation/Imaging and Gamification.

    “These application areas will impact and create new improvements in areas such as Manufacturing, Transportation, Public Services, Health and Social Works, Agriculture, Energy, Logistics, Media and Entertainment, Mining and Quarrying, Machinery and Equipment, Automotive, Education, Information and Communication, Urban Infrastructure, Consumer experience, Sports, Semiconductor Technologies, etc,” the document reads in part.

    To drive the revolution, NCC is under the mandate to encourage stakeholders to provide innovative solutions and partner with National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and other relevant agencies to facilitate the adoption of these technologies.

    TNG reports the Commission is also under the mandate to collaborate with relevant agencies of government to support MSMEs and provide suitable enabling environments that foster innovation and creativity.

    The Commission will also continue to collaborate with the academia and research institutions to fund research proposals that encourage the development of innovative solutions based on 5G.

  • We started 5G auction that NCC had – Bola Tinubu

    We started 5G auction that NCC had – Bola Tinubu

    Frontline presidential aspirant under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu has said he was part of those who started the 5G auction conducted by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in December 2021.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Tinubu made this claim when he appeared before the screening committee of the APC ahead of the party’s presidential primary election.

    The former Lagos State Governor said, “I could remember that I brought Eron to this country. Telecommunications that is a resource in Nigeria today; I brought Econet.

    “Econet is now Airtel. As Airtel to sleep on the 5G now, the auction that they had, we started it,” Tinubu said.

    Recall that the NCC carried out a 5G spectrum auction in an history making event in December 2021 for the roll out of 5G network in Nigeria.

    In that auction, TNG reports Mafab Communications, linked to Tinubu and MTN Nigeria emerged as the winners of the 5G spectrum auction.

    However, the NCC denied at the time that it was aware that the former Lagos State Governor was involved with Mafab.

    Mafab is a corporate entity duly licensed by the NCC to conduct telecommunications business. The company holds international data access (IDA), inter-connect data exchange (IDE) and Value-Added Service (VAS) licences.

    TNG reports the two 3.5GHz spectra of the 5G network licences went for $547.2 million.

    Mafab paid $273,600,000 for the 5G spectrum licence on deadline day set by telecom regulatory agency.

  • 5G war real, what role for Nigeria? – By Okoh Aihe

    5G war real, what role for Nigeria? – By Okoh Aihe

    Looking at the unfolding scenario in the telecommunications industry, it is coming home real strongly that there was always going to be a scramble for ownership in the deployment of 5G globally. In this scramble, the people will have to be in the frontline and the governments have to add a patriotic flavour of acting in defence of their own people in order to secure a justification for their actions.

    But the real intention is veiled. It’s not really about business or who makes the most humongous amount; no, it is about yesterday, today and tomorrow and well into the future. A guy who tried to give me a schoolboy understanding simply explained that whoever controls 5G will control the future of the world. And really the big superpowers don’t want to have anybody play close to that exclusive propinquity of strength where Armageddon could be activated within minutes.

    Yes. They want to control the mysteries of the world, especially the ones hidden from the understanding of the developing countries whose lot is to scramble for the daily concerns of life. That battle is always defined by leaders, those who really understand the meaning of nationhood and how to nurture it into perpetuity. Those who know that life is real competition and unannounced war games that must be approached with tact. Leadership is not for playboy politicians who stack away the people’s money and, at the least call of headache, run to holiday resorts in the guise of medical tourism, but leaders who could take bruising decisions that could hurt them and even the people in the short run, but yield growth results well into the future.

    While a number of African countries were fighting for independence in the late 50s, the Soviet Union, which had since fragmented into smaller countries with Russia and Ukraine standing out, was already in space with Sputnik launched October 4, 1957. The space war had begun, and the war was unannounced but being fought in the field of technology. Leaders of nations were stoking the war.

    After making several speeches where he declared that the race for space was too important for America to concede to any country, President J.F. Kennedy addressing the Congress on May 25, 1961, issued a strong challenge to his nation, “I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the Earth.”

    July 20, 1969, America’s Apollo 11 landed on the moon with three astronauts – Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins. While Armstrong was the first to plant his leg on the moon, followed by Aldrin, the two men planted the American flag on the moon with another message on a plaque: “Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the moon. July 1969 A.D. We came in peace for all mankind.”

    Having conquered space, is there peace in the world? Nigerians will confess that with all the killings going on in different parts of the country, they don’t know the meaning of peace any more. With a near obliteration of some cities in Ukraine by Russia, the Ukraineans will spit on the word, peace. In the telecoms ecosystem, the battle is fierce, very fierce and no country wants to yield any space. This is what has instigated this material.

    In the next few months, Nigeria will join some elite countries of the world to enjoy 5G signals after an auction that yielded $273.6m per lot and $547.2m cumulatively for the two lots. The country has remained very effusive, seeing the success of the auction as a vote of confidence by the international community, even if system failures are noticeable across spectrums of the various sectors. After the necessary paperwork and frequency allocation, both Mafab and MTN are putting their houses in order for an epochal service launch. While it will be advised for leaders to lead the country right in picking our pieces together, it will also be advisable that the authorities go beyond the euphoria of 5G launch to look at the stories unfolding in other parts of the world and find a convenient but promising spot for Nigeria.

    China, with her big tech companies leading the 5G revolution, has been at the centre of some of these stories. A country that perennially feels diminished and unappreciated irrespective of groundbreaking achievements, China remains a bright star in the development of 5G technology which it marketed so aggressively around the world until other countries who had similar technology concluded that they could not compete with China in pricing. This has not gone down well with the rest of the world. The scramble to control the future broke in the open and, another word, trust, was thrown in the discourse to attract sentiments over jurisdictional claims. China could not be trusted, and so is their technology!

    The big story in the past few days is the ban placed by Canada on Chinese tech behemoths, Huawei and ZTE, over safety concerns and protection for Canadians.

    The ban, according to industry Minister, Francois-Philippe Champagne, will improve Canada’s mobile internet services and protect the safety and security of Canadians.

    But Huawei Canada has fired back, saying that this is a political decision that has nothing to do with cyber security and the safety of the people.

    The development was only waiting in the corner to actually happen. All through his stay in government, President Donald Trump had a running battle with China on 5G and took sundry measures to contain the country’s domineering hold on the technology. This is a matter of government policy and not party. It is not the PDP or APC story in Nigeria but decisions taken apolitically from the nation’s point of view that must be sustained over time.

    President Joe Biden inherited that legacy and has sustained it with even more robustness. Biden matched words with action by signing into law a piece of legislation that forbids companies considered as threats from doing business in the U. S. tech sector. The Secure Equipment Act forbids the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from reviewing applications from companies ruled a threat.

    FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr said at the time that the Secure Equipment Act would “help to ensure that insecure gear from companies like Huawei and ZTE can no longer be inserted into America’s communications networks”.

    The world seems to be closing in on China as they put restrictions on their tech operations. The United Kingdom and Australia have already put their restrictions in place, with all decisions taken as part of security measures to protect businesses and people. While the world does not understand China’s tech growth in sustained moments of orchestrated insularity, its leaders are not prepared to allow them spread their growth, pleading the people and their security as faithful alibi.

    The developed countries also want their tech companies to play a more leading role in the development and deployment of 5G in their domains and other domains of the world, as a way of providing jobs and tech know-how for their people and keeping hold of the future of the world.

    5G is monster technology that will rule today, tomorrow and far into the future. The developed world is taking a declared position to dominate it. The Nigerian authorities should also take a position, by ensuring that Nigeria is not just a user or consumption nation but a developer of, and contributor to a transformative technology whose import could be close to the very day a country’s flag and some messages were left on the moon.

    The 5G war is real. Nigeria should plunge in without restraints.

  • 5G spectrum: NCC issues final letters of licence award

    5G spectrum: NCC issues final letters of licence award

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has issued final letters of award of the Fifth Generation (5G) Spectrum Licences to MTN and Mafab Communications.

    This is contained in a statement by Dr Ikechukwu Adinde, Director, Public Affairs of NCC, on Wednesday in Abuja.

    Recall that MTN and Mafab won the 3.5 gigahertz (GHz) spectrum auction conducted by the commission in December 2021.

    Adinde said the management of the commission led by its Executive Vice-Chairman, Prof. Umar Danbatta confirmed the development to the Board of Commissioners at the board’s Special Meeting.

    “With the issuance of the final letters of awards of 5G spectrum and in line with the 5G auction’s Information Memorandum (IM), the two licensees are now expected to accelerate deployment of 5G network.

    “That will usher Nigeria into a more robust Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and a more digitised Nigerian economy among the comity of nations.

    “In line with the terms and conditions of the 5G licence, the licensees are expected to commence rollout of 5G services, effective from Aug. 24, 2022,’’ he said.

    Adinde said the 5G network, when deployed, would bring a lot of benefits and opportunities that would engender accelerated growth and smart living in the country.

    “The technology is also expected to bring substantial network improvements, including higher connection speed, mobility and capacity, as well as low-latency capabilities,” he said.

    Adinde said the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Pantami, had officially handed over the spectrum allocation for 5G deployment and the Federal Government approved National Policy on 5G to the commission.

    He, however, said the commission had confirmed the full payment of $273.6 million each by the two spectrum winners, in addition to spectrum assignment fee paid by MTN, for the 5G spectrum licence.

    “The commission is optimistic that effective implementation of the National Policy on 5G will accelerate the actualisation of the national targets in the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP) 2020-2025.

    “The National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) 2020-2030, and other sector policies designed to enhance Nigeria’s digital transformation.

    “The licensees are expected to meet the timetable regarding their 5G network rollout obligations,’’ he said.

    Adinde said the NCC required collective efforts and support of the private sector and government toward transforming every aspect of the nation’s economy through 5G.

    He said that this would herald greater transformation than what the nation witnessed with the 1G, 2G, 3G and 4G,” he said.

  • Anxiety as NCC awaits Mafab Communications to pay for 5G licence in 24 hours

    Anxiety as NCC awaits Mafab Communications to pay for 5G licence in 24 hours

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is currently waiting for Mafab Communications to make full payments for the 5G licence won by the little known telecoms firm.

    Recall that the Federal Government had in December 2021 announced successful bidders for two 3.5GHz spectra of the 5G network licences for $547.2 million.

    MTN Nigeria and Mafab Communications won the bidding and were given up till Thursday, 24th February 2022 to pay $273,600,000 each.

    Prof. Umar Danbatta, the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of NCC had confirmed that MTN had paid fully for the licence while Mafab still has the grace to pay up.

    Speaking when he accompanied Prof. Isa Pantami, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, to Lagos for a breakfast session with start-up digital innovation techs stakeholders on Tuesday, Danbatta said:

    “Two telecommunication companies won the bid for the 5G spectrum licences in December and were given two months within which to pay up.

    “So far, MTN has paid $273,600,000 while Mafab Communication has up to the Feb. 24 to pay. There is still time and we are optimistic,”.

    According to the EVC, there is a provision in the Information Memorandum that says “we need to give our preferred bidders up to two years to operate’’.

    However, he did not comment on what would likely happen if Mafab did not meet the payment deadline. Meanwhile, he added that there was also a provision that the waiting period could be reviewed.

    “I’m not saying the review is in the process as we talk. Not yet because we want to ensure that these two assigned licences have started operations and are okay.

    “Of course, we will give them time to see what plans they have because they need to start implementing their plan for expansion of infrastructure that will support these additional services.

    “Everything is on the table, meaning we have so far auctioned two slots. We have three more to go and nothing stops the NCC from assigning the remaining slots,” Danbatta said.

    TNG reports the Federal Government last week officially handed over the spectrum allocation for 5G deployment in the country to the NCC in Abuja.

    Danbatta revealed the NCC may roll out three additional 3.5GHz spectra licences for the Fifth Generation (5G) licences in the next two years, stressing that the rollout of the three licences would depend on the pace at which winners of the first two licences developed their respective spectrum.

    He, however, said that NCC was delaying to roll out the remaining slots “until after the two years specified or the government may say, look, cut down the years from two years to maybe one year’’.

    Danbatta also noted that the government could provide additional incentives to the two licensees.

    “This is so that together, we can be able to agree that there is a need for a reduction in the waiting time for a licence,” he said.

  • 5G roll out: Tinubu’s link to Mafab sparks outrage as NCC denies being aware

    5G roll out: Tinubu’s link to Mafab sparks outrage as NCC denies being aware

    Former Governor of Lagos State and National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who many have said is nursing presidential ambition has been linked to Mafab Communications Ltd, sparking an outrage.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Mafab, battling MTN Nigeria and dislodging Airtel Communications Ltd, recently won the bid for the deployment of 5G network technology in Nigeria.

    As Tinubu is linked to Mafab, the process by which the little known telecom company emerged winner in the 3.5GHz spectrum band auction for 5G network deployment in the country has been called into question.

    The development sparked an outrage, especially on social media as many questioned how Mafab was able to out-bid Airtel, a more known telecom company.

    Some alleged Tinubu being who he is might have influenced the auction exercise carried out by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on Monday in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    However, Nigeria’s telecommunications regulatory body has denied ever knowing that the APC National Leader and presidential hopeful has links with Mafab.

    In a statement by Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, NCC’s Director of Public Affairs, NCC argued that higher standard of integrity and openness was emplaced in the auction of the 3.5GHz spectrum band for the deployment of 5G networks in the country.

    According to the statement, NCC came to the knowledge of Tinubu’s stakes in Mafab only recently from a report in the course of its routine media review.

    The statement titled 5G Auction: NCC not aware of Senator Bola Tinubu’s connection to Mafab Communications Ltd reads:

    “In the course of its routine media review, today, December 15, 2021, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) became aware of publications in some online media channels alleging the involvement of Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former Governor of Lagos State, in Mafab Communications Limited, one of the winners of the 5G spectrum sold by the Commission in a public auction conducted on Monday, December 13, 2021, at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.

    “It bears restating that, consistent with the Commission’s long-established regulatory culture and tradition, the process leading to the auction of the 5G spectrum was open, fair and transparent in the most, as the public auction followed a rigorous due process and was witnessed by a cross-section of stakeholders as observers, including the media, the Association of Telecom Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) as well as civil society groups.

    “Mafab Communications Limited is a corporate entity duly licensed by the Commission to conduct telecommunications business. The company, which is in good regulatory standing with the Commission, currently holds international data access (IDA), inter-connect data exchange (IDE) and Value-Added Service (VAS) licences.

    “It is pertinent to state that the Information Memorandum (IM) for the auction of the 3.5 gigahertz (GHz) spectrum clearly set out eligibility criteria for participation of interested bidders in the auction, which included that new companies could participate in the bid.

    “Over the years, the NCC has had spectrum auctions and as an independent regulatory agency, has maintained an undisputable reputation of successful auctions based on openness, fairness and transparency, a fact widely acknowledged locally and internationally. NCC’s auction proceedings conform to international best practice, devoid of any undue influence or interferences whatsoever.

    “A higher standard of integrity and openness was emplaced in the 5G auction as the process was, for the first time, witnessed by the public both physically and virtually through a link provided by the Commission on its official website.

    “The Commission would like to assure Nigerians that, following the successful auction of the 5G spectrum, it is prepared to drive the implementation of the next phase of the deployment of the new technology, in line with the Federal Government’s approved plan, for the benefit of all citizens.