With all the progress recorded in the country, the telecoms sector, from which much is expected, remains challenged. And like a man fighting fire, the NCC is throwing punches with both hands as it explores several regulatory options to attract and introduce new technologies to join the fray. While we pray for their success, we hope ultimately the subscriber will be a major beneficiary
THE Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), last week, presented the Nigeria Spectrum Roadmap 2026 – 2030 to industry stakeholders. Only the initiates would ever understand why that was ever necessary. Spectrum is not a mere telecoms consumable. It is much more than that.
Spectrum provides the oxygen for the telecoms industry to function. Without spectrum the industry is pure carcass or even a maze of confusion where rules and regulations are in deficit. Spectrum runs the telecoms industry; the NCC was only doing the needful when it called that meeting to explain its deployment and applicability in the next five years while reflecting inputs from the industry.
AI credits the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for describing ‘’spectrum as finite, natural, and non-depletable but limited resource that is essential for global connectivity, economic development, and social welfare.’’
In his document, the Economic Efficiency of Spectrum Allocation, Vadim Nozdrin, PhD, says ‘’spectrum is directly or indirectly used practically in all industry sectors, standing as one of the key factors promoting economic, social and cultural development, increasing consumer and producer surplus, enhancing public welfare, protecting safety-of-life and improving living standards.’’
The Nigerian situation equally falls within the bounds of the universal importance of spectrum and its ubiquitous applicability to the daily needs of life in a march towards a better and more prosperous future.
Executive Vice Chairman (EVC), Aminu Maida, gave his perspective when he described ‘’spectrum as an invisible but indispensable national resource that powers mobile communications, broadband networks, satellite services, financial platforms and smart technologies across the country.’’
While for the Executive Commissioner, Technical Services, Engr Abraham Oshadami, ‘’the way we plan, assign and regulate spectrum will determine our ability to achieve national targets, stimulate innovation and strengthen global competitiveness.’’
Telecom services have hit a tipping point in Nigeria since 2001, according to a precise industry history presented by the Commission. Services have grown, money is being made by government and service providers, including those hanging on the wings of the operators, but challenges continue to emerge and even expand as new technologies hit the scene, unfortunately mocking or nearly undermining every good step taken in the sector.
The future demands so much more. Big networks will be needed to handle bigger data, machines have started to have conversations with each other, people work more virtually now and visit the office occasionally, autonomous cars are increasing their eerie presence on the streets of countries who already live in the future, and to compound a future that looks more exciting, AI has emerged with all boisterousness to dominate every aspect of human endeavour, with Elon Musk even joking the other day, or was he actually serious? that people will not need to read Medicine in future as AI will do everything under the sun, including taking care of humans who created them!
The centrality of spectrum in this avalanche of development demands that the product exploitation and usage be properly planned and creatively applied in order to satisfy competing demands. Besides, the regulator has to manage its activities in order to fit into the framework of the government and assist in delivery services and political promises to the people.
NCC says the digital economy is growing rapidly, spectrum planning must evolve to keep pace with rising demand, new technologies, and national development goals.
Within the scope provided by government under the Nigerian Communications Acts 2003, the regulator has made forward-looking plans to meet expectations with frequencies assigned to it by the National Frequency Management Board (NFMC). Under this administration, the expectations are very clear with the NCC expected to provide a superstructure with its activities and service delivery for other sectors to run on; be it economy, banking, security, governance, and entertainment, among other sectors.
For instance, the government projects a $1 trillion economy by 2030, and a bridging of the digital divide by expanding rural connectivity to cover the 23 million people who currently remain unserved across 87 identified clusters. The ultimate plan is to create a digital economy that leaves nobody behind.
In this direction, the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, has introduced a cocktail of activities to further consolidate activities and lead government’s effort from the front. They include instituting a 3MTT Programme that will train 3 million Nigerians in Technology initiatives, to develop new tech skills in youths, introducing and canvassing policies that impact tech development and deployment, and building a 90, 000km fibre optics ring (Project Bridge) that will change the tech outlook of the nation. The minister’s vision is being driven by a Public Private Partnership (PPP) funding model.
With creative licensing and the right pricing of spectrum, NCC hopes to raise some more money for the government through flexible license sales, and among other things, deliver a faster, more reliable, and resilient broadband for all Nigerians by increasing broadband speed from 20mbps to 80mbps, 4G coverage from 85 percent to 98 percent, and 5G coverage from 13 percent to 50 percent. The NCC wants to appropriate all available technologies in its broadband pursuit.
The figures look good and encouraging, even seductive, and will remain the hallmark of a process Maina says ‘’is about creating a transparent, predictable and enabling regulatory environment that supports investment, encourages innovation, expands access and improve service quality for all Nigerians.’’
The NCC also released Draft Guidelines on the Use of 60 GHz License-Exempt Band for Multi-Gigabit Wireless Systems, saying that ‘’the 60 GHz will unlock high-speed wireless connectivity, optimise spectrum use, and support broadband expansion and innovation across Nigeria.”
Holding fast to its word, the regulator decided to excite the broadband connectivity sector by granting Amazon’’s Kuiper and BeetleSat a seven-year Internet License, respectively, to introduce services into the Nigerian market. Amazon Low Earth Orbit satellite network and BeetleSat are expected to come February 28, 2026, to introduce services into a market where Elon Musk’s SpaceX already has a head start. Relying on a constellation of low-flying satellites and receive terminals, the coming of both organisations is expected to chop prices to a reasonable level.
In its Roadmap presentation, the regulator said it would harness satellite and non-terrestrial networks (NTN) to optimise network services while adding that Nigeria will need more spectrum across bands – especially mid-band IMT – plus stronger use of satellite /NTN for reach and resilience.
With all the progress recorded in the country, the telecoms sector, from which much is expected, remains challenged. And like a man fighting fire, the NCC is throwing punches with both hands as it explores several regulatory options to attract and introduce new technologies to join the fray. While we pray for their success, we hope ultimately the subscriber will be a major beneficiary.
Meanwhile, it’s all about spectrum, dear friend; the NCC will need every support and encouragement to push their vision through and introduce the nation to a new era of service delivery.
- Aihe writes from Abuja