The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has suspended the 2018 Spectrum Business Guidelines for the Nigerian telecommunications industry.
The position was taken at a recent meeting of the Commission’s Board of Commissioners and urged all licensed telecom operators, potential investors, industry stakeholders and the general public to take note.
In a statement signed by the Commission’s Director of Public Affairs, Dr. Henry Nkemadu said the decision was in response to the global dynamics of telecommunications, as well as efforts to optimally utilize and maximize the benefits of scarce Spectrum resource.
According to the statement, the board had previously made Spectrum Trading’s decision in response to the global dynamics of telecommunications, as well as efforts to optimally utilize and maximize the benefits of Spectrum’s scarce resource.
Spectrum is a rare product that, when used inefficiently, greatly limits speed and broadband coverage.
The current Spectrum Trading Guidelines were developed in 2018 after industry-wide consultations and this instrument allows the Spectrum resource to be traded on the secondary market through transfer, participation or lease under stipulated regulatory conditions.
Nigeria’s National Broadband Plan (NNBP) 2020 – 2025 launched by President Muhammadu Buhari, in Abuja in March 2020, requires that these Guidelines be revised to ensure that unused Spectrum is fairly traded and to facilitate deployment by other operators, among others.
This is to address the need for ubiquitous broadband deployment to accelerate penetration and access in line with the Federal Government’s Economic Agenda.
” Pursuant to NNBP 2020 – 2025, for optimal use of spectrum, licensees are bound by the Use or Loss Policy because high-demand, idle spectrum harms underserved populations and must be released for effective use. as possible be required to promote the efficient use of the assigned spectrum. ”
Rule ‘The’ use it or lose it ‘rule should therefore apply in all cases where the allocated spectrum is unused or underutilized and ensures that the unused spectrum is fairly traded to facilitate implementation by other operators.
” In response to the need to revise these Guidelines as highlighted above, and also following Paragraph 12 of the Spectrum Trading Guidelines, 2018, which gives the Commission the right to revise / vary and modify these Guidelines from time to time . If deemed appropriate, the Spectrum Trading Guidelines 2018 application in Nigeria is suspended until further notice, as stated by the Board, ” he added.
