The licence for Nigeria's 70/80GHz spectrum band will be auctioned in the second quarter of the year, according to Eugene Juwah, executive vice chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

The band, he said, is not yet fully explored. Speaking in Lagos, Nigeria at the Stakeholders Consultative Forum on planning and licensing of 70/80GHz Band, Juwah it has become necessary to advance and multiply the potentials of the spectrum band for the benefit of the industry and the Nigerian nation.

He said, "You all may be aware of the diverse use to which every frequency spectrum band available in every part of the world could be used. Beyond the usage and application lays the critical part- how to share this resource for the common good of the investor community, the service provider community and the consumer of service community. The challenge is how to balance the interest of the stakeholders and yet deliver the values available from this scarce resource."

According to him, NCC will align potentials with already existing services and will figure out how it will affect the future outlook of the industry.

"Our zeal is to achieve ubiquitous broadband availability across the nation," he concluded.