By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has fixed Thursday, October 4, 2021, for a meeting with all stakeholders in the sector for a robust discussion on the proposed auction of the 3.5 gigahertz (GHz) spectrum band, which will run on the Fifth Generation (5G) Technology.
A statement signed by the Director of Public Affairs at the NCC, Mr Ikechukwu Adinde, disclosed that the stakeholder engagement forum will take place by 10 am at the Lagos Marriot Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos and would afford participants, including government agencies, investors, the avenue to brainstorm on the draft Information Memorandum (IM) for the 5G implementation in Nigeria.
The NCC explained that it called this meeting in compliance with the provisions of the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003 and NCC’s distinctive tradition of robust stakeholder consultation on all telecom regulation-related issues.
In June, the commission inaugurated a committee to develop the IM for the auction of the 3.5 GHz spectrum band, which will be utilised for the early deployment of 5G technology services in the country.
The Information Memorandum (IM) is a comprehensive document, which defines the process emplaced by the commission for the auctioning of the 3.5GHz spectrum band. It also provides information on the Nigerian telecommunications market, details of the spectrum to be made available, the pre-qualification process, the 5G spectrum auction process as well as the indicative timetable.
The stakeholder engagement forum is, therefore, an important regulatory prerequisite for the planned auction of the 3.5Ghz spectrum band before the end of this year.
Accordingly, the commission has called on interested stakeholders and members of the public to participate and make contributions to discussions around this important draft document.
In line with the objectives of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) for a Digital Nigeria, and the positioning of Nigeria as an early adopter of digital technology as well as a major participant in the growing global digital economy, the successful and timely deployment of 5G is crucial for the country.
The 5G technology is expected to facilitate several emerging technologies, generate innovative new use cases, spur significant socio-economic growth and create jobs.
