Mafab Communications has been granted a 5-month extension by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) for the launch of its 5G service. Mafab, a fresh face in the Nigerian telecom market, now has until January 2023 to roll out 5G after winning the 5G spectrum licence with MTN in December of last year.
According to the license’s terms, the two operators were supposed to start offering the service on August 24, 2022. Mafab has five more months to prepare, while MTN is moving forward with its intentions to roll out the service by the end of Q2 2022.
Mr. Reuben Mouka, Director of Public Affairs at the NCC, noted that the extension was made possible by the late issuance of Mafab’s unified operational licence (USAL) and Numbering Plan, which occurred at the end of July.
Recall that MTN and Mafab had obtained the 3.5GHz Spectrum band for a 5G licence in December 2021, and the NCC had given both operators till August 24 to roll out 5G technology services across the nation.
At the NCC Day held in conjunction with the Kaduna Trade Fair, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman and CEO of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), stated that “more importantly, it is also our commitment, at NCC, to continue to provide a level-playing ground for operators to thrive, promote investment and delivery of innovative services to individual consumers, SMEs, and big business owners by ensuring enhanced consumer quality of experience.”
“The 5G licence comes with frequency licence and not operational licence. So Mafab only has frequency licence and does not have operational licence and it needs to apply for a telecom operational licence to enable it roll out 5G services and other telecom services.”
“The five months extension will enable Mafab to process its telecom operational licence” Muoka said.
