“NCC’s Planned Spectrum Licensing Too Expensive” – Telcos

Telecommunications operators in Nigeria have said the pricing for the proposed licensing of spectrum in the new 38 gigahertz (GHz) and 42 GHz spectrum bands by the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, is too high.

According to the telcos,  the pricing was benchmarked against were all matured telecoms markets, adding that the indexes do not speak to current market situation in the country.

Speaking on Thursday, May 5, during the stakeholders consultative forum organized by the NCC on licensing of 38GHz, 42GHz and re-planning of 23GHz spectrum at Lagos Sheraton Hotel and Towers, an official of Airtel, Luckky Ubani said the NCC should take a second look at the pricing model to reflect what is happening in the country.

However, the regulator said it is not re-inventing the wheel, adding that its pricing was arrived at after evaluating what is happening in other jurisdictions.

The NCC Deputy Director, Spectrum Administration Department, O. A. Yusuf said Nigeria has a huge population, stressing that the Commission is not opposed to any proposal on lowering the price for the spectrum.

He said the Commission arrived at the pricing after a careful study of the pricing models in countries such as United States (U.S), United Kingdom, South Africa, Netherlands and Canada, arguing that the pricing was neither too low nor too high as it was in the medium level.

Stakeholders agreed that written submissions be made to the NCC in four weeks time after which the proposal shall be deemed to have been approved by all.

 

Leave a Reply