The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has approved a spectrum lease deal between MTN Nigeria and Natcom Development and Investment Limited (NTEL).
MTN Nigeria would lease two spectrums from NTEL (5HMz Frequency Division Duplex and 10HMz FDD) which covers 19 states in Nigeria.
The transaction costs MTN Nigeria N4.25 billion, including taxes, regulatory fees, and auxiliary charges. The spectrum lease was for 2 years, starting May 1st, 2023.
Additionally, the telecom regulator has renewed MTN’s 2100MHz spectrum for 15 years, effective from 1 May 2022 to 30 April 2037. The spectrum would enable the telecom company to continue to provide 3G services on its network.
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Describing the development as a milestone in the company’s Ambition 2025 strategy, MTN Nigeria CEO, Karl Toriola said:
“This is a significant milestone in delivering our Ambition 2025 strategy. The access to NTEL’S 90OMHz and 1800MHz spectrums broadens our spectrum holdings and improves our 3G and 4G user experience as coverage and capacity will be enhanced by utilising these spectrums.”
MTN’s strategy, ‘Ambition 2025’, was aimed at accelerating business growth in Nigeria by leveraging emerging opportunities. The strategy was built on four key priorities that inform the company’s current and future projects.
MTN was committed to creating leading digital platforms that would drive Africa’s progress and provide the tools to ensure connectivity to access those opportunities.
With the renewal of its 3G license for another 15 years, MTN would not be shutting down its 3G service. The development would allow people in rural communities who cannot afford 4G or 5G phones to continue to enjoy access to the internet on their 3G devices.
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MTN’s investment in expanding its 5G service across the country would not only improve internet speed but also provide new opportunities for businesses and individuals.
So far, the global expansion of 5G has prompted internet service providers such as AT&T and T-Mobile to shut down 3G services earlier in 2022.
Recently, Verizon and Vodafone notified customers of their intention to cut off 3G-enabled devices from their networks by December 2022 and December 2023, respectively.
Earlier, 3G was first commercially rolled out in mid-2001 and was an upgrade over the previous 2G, 2.5G, GPRS, and 2.75G networks.
However, it has since been surpassed by the launch of 4G, 5G, and even a test run of 6G in China. These newer technologies offer significant improvements in speed and efficiency, making them more attractive to users.
In Nigeria, MTN was the first telecom operator to launch commercial 5G in September 2022. The company was also investing in additional spectrum to boost its 3G and 4G services further.
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