{"id":228975,"date":"2025-10-21T09:10:07","date_gmt":"2025-10-21T09:10:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/228975\/"},"modified":"2025-10-21T09:10:07","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T09:10:07","slug":"nigerias-ncc-set-to-launch-5-year-spectrum-plan-next-month","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/228975\/","title":{"rendered":"Nigeria\u2019s NCC set to launch 5-year spectrum plan next month"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) will unveil a five-year national spectrum roadmap in November, aiming to enhance broadband quality and expand internet connectivity nationwide<\/a>. The initiative, led by the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) Aminu Maida, will guide how Nigeria allocates, manages, and optimises its finite spectrum resources to meet rising digital demands and achieve the National Broadband Plan 2020\u20132025<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Maida, who spoke to TechCabal on the sidelines of Moonshot by TechCabal last Wednesday, described spectrum as \u201cthe invisible highway\u201d that carries data between telecom infrastructure and users\u2019 devices. He likened it to a multilane road network with limited capacity, a finite resource that must be efficiently managed to prevent congestion and ensure high performance.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cHistorically, we\u2019ve assigned these lanes, our frequency bands, through auctions or administrative processes,\u201d he explained. \u201cBut we must also ensure that those who get access actually use it effectively, because idle spectrum in a country with growing connectivity demand is a wasted opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Maida, the upcoming roadmap will project Nigeria\u2019s spectrum needs over the next five years, aligning them with international frameworks established by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). \u201cWe\u2019re ensuring Nigeria\u2019s spectrum planning follows global standards,\u201d he said. \u201cThat alignment is crucial so that device manufacturers and infrastructure vendors can produce equipment that works seamlessly across markets.\u201d<\/p>\n

The roadmap will also address legacy challenges in Nigeria\u2019s spectrum management, from underutilised allocations to fragmented frequency holdings. Maida admitted that past allocations sometimes went to operators who lacked the capacity to deploy, resulting in dormant assets.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve seen cases where spectrum was assigned but not used optimally,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re correcting that through spectrum trading, encouraging operators to lease or sell unused spectrum to those who can deploy it more efficiently.\u201d<\/p>\n

This secondary market reform, already underway, has enabled recent trades, including the spectrum sharing agreement<\/a> between 9mobile and MTN. The NCC facilitated the transaction to prevent service disruptions and maintain market stability. Maida confirmed that additional trades and policy updates will be announced within weeks. \u201cOur data clearly shows a correlation between spectrum holding and broadband quality,\u201d he noted. \u201cUnlocking idle spectrum will have a direct, positive impact on user experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nigeria\u2019s mobile broadband ecosystem relies heavily on 4G, while 5G deployment remains limited to major cities like Lagos and Abuja. The roadmap is expected to accelerate 4G densification and support the gradual expansion of 5G across the country, while improving access in underserved rural areas.<\/p>\n

Maida emphasised that the regulator\u2019s ultimate goal is sustainable connectivity that benefits operators and consumers. \u201cWe\u2019re an economic regulator, so investments must make sense,\u201d he said. \u201cBut we also have to ensure Nigerians get the quality of service they deserve. After life and health, connectivity is what people rely on every day, and that\u2019s why getting this right is critical.\u201d<\/p>\n

The roadmap, according to the NCC, will form the foundation for spectrum efficiency, equitable access, and a more resilient broadband future for Nigeria beyond 2025.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) will unveil a five-year national spectrum roadmap in November, aiming to enhance broadband…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":228976,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[49,48,244,61],"class_list":["post-228975","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-internet","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-internet","tag-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/228975","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=228975"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/228975\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/228976"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=228975"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=228975"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=228975"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}