The Nigerian Communications Commission has published a notice saying it is exploring options to license users in the 38GHz and 42GHz bands and re-plan the 23GHz Microwave Spectrum Band.

As a result, the regulatory body has invited industry stakeholders, service providers, investors, financiers, VAS providers and experts to an industry consultative forum on 5 May in Lagos to chart the way forward for the licensing of service providers in these bands.

The consultation will take place just days before the scheduled frequency spectrum auction of 14 slots in the 2.6GHz band - which is expected to generate about US$224 million for the Nigerian government.

If talks are successful, the end result could be additional auctions and licensing of spectrum.

Opening up broadband

Speaking last week on the proposed 16 May auction, Austine Nwaulune, Director, Spectrum Administration at NCC, denied that the move to license 2.6GHz spectrum bands is geared towards raising money for the federal government.

According to Nwaulune, it was rather necessitated by the need to open up the space for the delivery of present and future generations of broadband services, especially wireless services to subscribers in accordance to the Nigerian National Broadband Plan of 2013.

Nwaulune claimed that the regulator is yet to confirm the number of companies that have expressed interest in bidding, but added that foreign firms are expected to participate alongside local counterparts in the bidding processes.

Companies that participate and win any of the slots, Nwaulune added, are expected to roll out services in a year or lose the license as stated in the Information Memorandum.

According to the NCC's National Frequency Allocation Table, frequencies in the 38GHz band are for fixed satellite (s-E) mobile (Earth exploration satellite (s-E) 5.547) with a 37.058- 38.654: point-to-point capability while those in the 42 band are for fixed satellite (s-E) 5.516B broadcasting Mobile (5.547 5.551H 5.551) with 41-43.5: point-to-point link.

The 23GHz Microwave is a short wave in the upper range of the radio spectrum used mostly for point-to-point communications systems. It is meant for fixed inter-satellite 5.338a mobile (space research (E-s) 5.532a 5.149) with a 21.2-23.6: point-to-point link.

No details were provided about the available quantity or likely costs of the new bands to be discussed.

The proposed auction of the 2.6GHz band spectrum has dragged on since 2014. This was partly due to the noted lapses in the last auction held for a 2.3GHz frequency spectrum for which Bitflux Communications bid $23.25million to narrowly win over Glo's offer in 2014.

NCC Deputy Director Dr. Henry Nkemadu recently blamed the low participation in the 2.3GHz auction (involving only two competitors) on a lack of adequate information.

He said some understood that other operators can equally provide the service that would be provided by the 2.3GHz, and other GSM operators felt the spectrum might not impact on their plan to move from 2G to 3G and then 4G which did not fit in with the 2.3GHz band.