NCC lifts suspension on spectrum trading guidelines
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Saviour Adugba
The suspension imposed by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on the Spectrum Trading Guidelines (STG) has been lifted, and will now be operational even as a review is currently on to bring out a revised guidelines.
In a statement signed by Ikechukwu Adinde, the commission’s director of public affairs, and accessed by Business A.M., the NCC said the decision was taken after its board had met at a special board meeting held on September 16.
The NCC had earlier announced in May that the STG was suspended for the telecommunications industry, informing the stakeholders in the industry, including licensed operators, prospective operators as well as the general public of the commission’s decision.
“The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has suspended the Spectrum Trading Guidelines 2018 for the Nigerian telecommunications industry.
“The board of Commissioners of the Commission rose from its meeting recently with this position and is informing all licensed telecommunications operators, prospective investors, industry stakeholders and the general public in that regard,” the statement had read at the time.
“The board had earlier taken the decision for Spectrum Trading in response to telecommunications global dynamics as well as the efforts to optimally utilise and maximise the benefits of the Spectrum scarce resource.” “Spectrum is a scarce commodity which when inefficiently utilised greatly limits broadband coverage and speeds,” the statement had continued.
The NCC has now lifted the suspension of the spectrum trading guidelines of 2018 until the ongoing review of the guideline is concluded. “The board was satisfied that, given the state of the consultation, it was possible to lift the suspension of the STG pending the conclusion of the review,” the NCC said in the statement.
“Accordingly, the board resolved that the suspension of the STG be lifted and that relevant stakeholders continue to operate the STG while a new/revised STG is finalised in consultation with the industry,” it added.
The commission added that the Nigerian National Broadband Plan 2020-2025 made provisions for the STG to be reviewed periodically in order to make sure that spectrum is traded fairly in the Nigerian telecommunications sector.
“The guidelines will also help to address the need for ubiquitous broadband deployment to accelerate penetration and access in line with the economic agenda of the Federal Government,” the statement concluded.