NCC to license 7 infrastructure coys, to sell 2.3 GHz band in January

By The Rainbow

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said it will auction one frequency licence in the 2.3 GHz Band for the provision of wholesale broadband services in Nigeria in January, 2014.

The commission also plans to  license one infrastructure company for each of the six zones and one for Lagos.

NCC’s spokesman, Tony Ojobo, while announcing the auction date on Friday, said that Information Memorandum detailing the qualification criteria, auction processes, requisite forms and other key information will be made available at the Commission’s Head Office and its official website (www.ncc.gov.ng) to guide all interested stakeholders.

The commission invites expression of interest under the subject “2.3 GHz Auction – Expression of Interest” within three weeks from today.

It should be addressed to: The Executive Vice Chairman / CEO, Nigerian Communications Commission, Plot 423, Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Abuja

NCC had decided to assign the 1 slot of 30MHz nationally available in the 2.3 GHz band for the delivery of broadband wireless access service at the wholesale level, as a complement to its Open Access Broadband Strategy.

The 2.3 GHz Band will provide ISP’s and other retail telecoms service providers with the requisite bandwidth to service their subscribers.

This wholesale broadband provider will have the required spectrum to expand wireless broadband access across the country to ISPs and other Retail Telecoms Service Providers for the provision of retail high speed internet access services.

The Commission said it is adopting an auction process to ensure transparency in the assignment of the available spectrum.

Meanwhile, the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC)  of the NCC, Dr.Eugene Juwah,  told a stakeholder forum in Lagos on Friday  that it proposed to license one infrastructure company for each of the six zones and one for Lagos.

According to him, the plan is sequel to adoption of a Nigerian Model of Open Access regime by the commission for the management of  service delivery in the emerging broadband environment.

Juwah, in a paper,  presented the new simplistic industry structure on which the model will run.

He said the commission would manage the landscape to offer nationwide fibre penetration, available on a non-discriminatory basis and complete with a strategy to ensure cooperation of existing operators.

'Commission' the EVC added, ' is retiring the current industry structure in which integrated operators offer end-to-end services and long distance operators offer wholesale services'.

The NCC requested for input of the stakeholders in the proposed model.