Mafab Communications In Limbo Eight Months After Winning 5G Licence

Mafab Communications In Limbo Eight Months After Winning 5G Licence

OpenLife Nigeria reports that Mafab Communications Limited, one of the telecommunication companies that won the 5G licence eight months ago is technically in limbo as derived from its inability to roll out as required by the regulatory agency, Nigerian Communications Commission,NCC.
Mafab Communications was incorporated on the 8th of July, 2020 and licensed by the Nigerian Telecommunications commission to provide and operate Local Interconnect and International carrier services.
The company says, on its website that it operates under two licences:Interconnect Exchange and International Data Access.
The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, gave Mafab Communications Limited up till August 24 to begin commercial rollout of the 3.5GHz Spectrum band for 5G across the country after it won the licence. But Mafab Communications Limited appears missing from the rollout plan for technical reasons, OpenLife gathered.
Mafab Communications in a statement, said the NCC issued it a 5-month extension period for its roll out.
The Director, Public Affairs at NCC, Mr. Reuben Muoka, who confirmed the 5-month extension given to Mafab, said that NCC decided to extend the rollout date for Mafab alone, because the company does not have operating licence to roll out 5G network.
“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.
According to information, Mafab was issued extension following the delays in receiving its unified operational license (USAL) and Numbering plan, which did not happen until the end of July.
Some industry stakeholders who are worried about the development, questioned the rationale for the NCC to allow Mafab to bid for 5G licence, when it has no telecom operational licence, a development, which they said, would slow down 5G network rollout in the country.
A telecom operator who pleaded anonymity, said it was wrong for NCC to have allowed Mafab Communications Limited to bid for 5G spectrum licence.
Meanwhile, having won the 3.5GHz spectrum licence for 5G network rollout since December last year alongside Mafab Communications , MTN Nigeria Communications Limited was issued 5G spectrum licence in May this year.
The company is set to roll out its 5G network today, August 24.
The Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Mr. Karl Toriola said MTN is ready for rollout, having the required 5G equipment on ground.

Source: ThisDay Newspaper