It set the reserve price at $547.2 million, translating to
$273.60 million for each licence.NCC disclosed this at the weekend in its Draft
Information Memorandum, titled ‘Information Memorandum on 3.5 GHz Spectrum
Auction’, which it published on its official website.
According to NCC, the offering includes the remaining lots
of 2 x 100 megahertz (MHz) in the 3.5 GHz spectrum band to support 5G deployment
in Nigeria.NCC last December, offered a 3.5GHz spectrum to MTN Nigeria
Communications Plc and Mafab Communication to support their 5G rollout.
Since NCC awarded the 5G spectrum, MTN has launched its 5G
network in selected locations while Mafab is yet to roll out its 5G
network.“The spectrum reserve price (RP) is the minimum price for one slot of
100MHz TDD for a 10-year licence tenure fixed at $273,600,000.00 or its
equivalent in Naira at the prevailing Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) rates at
the time of the auction, according to the memorandum.
The commission said it had developed a draft information
memorandum (IM) to support the attainment of this objective through an auction
process.“The commission will hold a Public Consultation in respect of the draft
information memorandum (IM) on November 15, 2022.
“This is in line with the commission’s participatory
rule-making process for the communications sector, to give stakeholders and
interested parties an opportunity to review and comment on the draft IM before
the final document is published,” the memorandum further said.
The commission added that applicants for the spectrum do not
have to be licensed network operators in the country but will need a unified
access service licence (UASL) if their bid is successful.
In February 2022, MTN Nigeria and Mafab Communications
Limited made their full payment of $273.6 million each for a 5G spectrum
licence after emerging winners of the 3. 5 GHz spectrum auction.
While MTN has rolled out the 5G mobile network, Mafab
suspended roll-out till December this year and got the approval of NCC for a
five-month rollout extension, which ends December 31, 2022.