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Telecom

NCC to Release Final IM for 5G Auction as Applications Ends Tomorrow

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Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has released the final Information Memorandum (IM) for the planned auction of the 5G spectrum licence auction scheduled for December 13, 2021.

NCC to Release Final IM for 5G Auction as Applications Ends Tomorrow

The commission also disclosed in a statement that it tomorrow, Wednesday, November 24 will be deadline for the submission of application by interested telecom licencees and new entrants to submit bids for the auction.

NCC plans to auction two lots of 100 MHz TDD slots available in the 3.5 GHz band to support the delivery of ubiquitous broadband services. The two lots are in the 3500-3600 and 3700-3800 MHz frequency and will be offered on a technology neutral basis for provision of communications service.

Prof. Umaru Danbatta, executive vice chairman, NCC, has urged stakeholders to pay attention particularly to Sections 1 (e), VII {(i) (ii), (v) (3) (c)} and XI (e) of the IM. The NCC has already pegged the Generic Reserve Price (GRP) for each lot of the spectrum at N75 billion ($197,400,000.00) or its equivalent in naira at the prevailing Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) rates at the time of the auction.

The spectrum lot won by each bidder will be assigned on a nationwide basis covering all the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on a subsisting policy on “use-it or lose-it” with respect to the use of assigned Spectrum.

According to the final IM document, “where a winner does not hold a Unified Access Service Licence (UASL) which is the operational licence for the frequency spectrum slated for auction, it will be issued at an additional fee of N374, 600,000.00 only or at the subsisting licence fee at the time of the auction.”

The NCC says the proposed licensing of 3.5 GHz Spectrum has been influenced by the need to open up the space for the delivery of present and future generations of broadband services to subscribers in line with the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP) 2020-2025.

Professor Danbatta said through the collaborative efforts of the National Frequency Management Council (NFMC) and Nigerian Communication Satellite Limited (NigComSat), the NCC secured the necessary 3.4-3.9GHz C-band for deployment of 5G services in Nigeria.

“The C-band is globally accepted as the candidate of choice for 5G deployment due to its excellent propagation characteristics,” he said, adding that it has become imperative to immediately license the 3.5GHz band in Nigeria for the deployment of 5G services.

According to the prequalification criteria, an applicant must be a company incorporated in Nigeria; must be independent (10% ownership interest test as defined in Section 7.6.2 of this IM) from all other applicants under this auction process and must transfer an Intention-to-Bid Deposit (IBD) for the amount described in Table 2 into the designated account in cleared funds.

“This deposit will bind the applicant to take up a Licence, should it be a successful bidder, at the reserve price or any higher bid value submitted during the process. Licenced Operators participating in the process must be in good regulatory standing with the commission.”

According to Engr. Olutoyin Asaju, director, spectrum administration, NCC, new entrants are allowed to participate in the auction in addition to existing licencees.

NCC plans to use the Ascending Clock Auction which is software based. It said provisions have been made for manual auction should the auction software fail during the auction process. It plans to have a mock auction on December 6, 2021 which shall precede the main auction starting December 13, 2021.

NCC sought the active participation of stakeholders in the deliberations that would follow towards the licensing of the 3.5GHz mid band for the deployment of 5G services amongst others in Nigeria.


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Telecom

MTN Says New N6.98 USSD Charge Won’t Affect Airtime Recharge

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Lynda Saint-Nwafor, chief Enterprise business officer, MTN Nigeria, has assured the network subscribers that the new end-user billing system for the use of USSD services will jot affect them.

MTN Says New N6.98 USSD Charge Won’t Affect Airtime Recharge

USSD, otherwise Unstructured Supplementary Service Data codes are commonly used for banking transactions, airtime recharges, and other mobile services.

The telco said that  there is no significant impact or change other than the fact that they will now pay the same N6.98 per session (120 seconds) with their airtime instead of direct bank debit.

Saint-Nwafor, said this during a chat with MTN MIP fellows, explaining that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) have ordered telecom operators to ensure that the new billing model resolves trust issues and ensures transparency in the billing process.

“Our regulator insisted that at the end of every month, we are going to be providing history and statistics on the performance of the service across the board”, she explained.

Saint-Nwafor added that the new billing model has standardized messaging across all operators and ensures consistent communication with customers.

“We will take all the error codes and map them into messages that are standardised across the board. So, if you initiate a transaction, you will know if it is failing. And, when the transaction fails, you will know if it is from your bank or the telco,” she explained.

 


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Crypto Scam Unmasked: U.S. Recovers Record $225m in Global Fraud Bust

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The U.S. government has recovered $225 million in what is now the largest seizure of funds linked to a cryptocurrency investment scam.

In a statement released Wednesday, June 18, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said the recovery followed an extensive investigation by the FBI and the U.S. Secret Service, using blockchain analysis and other forensic tools. The statement did not confirm whether any arrests had been made.

According to the authorities, the stolen funds originated from fraudulent cryptocurrency investment schemes that tricked victims into believing they were making legitimate investments. More than 400 individuals around the world, including dozens in the United States, were reportedly affected.

The operation involved a sophisticated money laundering network that carried out hundreds of thousands of blockchain transactions to obscure the source and ownership of the stolen assets.

“These scams prey on trust, often resulting in extreme financial hardship for the victims,” said Shawn Bradstreet, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Secret Service office in San Francisco.

Bradstreet added that U.S. officials hope the recovered funds can eventually be returned to the rightful victims.

Cryptocurrency investment fraud accounted for over $5.8 billion in reported losses in 2024 alone, according to the statement.


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Nnaemeka Ani Calls on African Techies to Rewrite the Narrative

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Hon. Nnaemeka Ani
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In a rousing declaration that is electrifying minds across the continent, Hon. Nnaemeka Ani, Special Adviser on ICT to Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, has called for a homegrown digital revolution under the banner “Africa Will Rise: By Code, By Courage, By Us.”

Hon. Nnaemeka Ani

The message, part challenge, part philosophical—seeks to galvanize African innovators to move beyond buzzwords and build technology with impact and legacy in mind.

“Let’s stop building for hype. Let’s start building for legacy,” Ani urged while speaking to ICT journalists over the weekend. “Let’s stop waiting for someone else. Let’s start creating the future—on our own terms.”

At the heart of Ani’s vision is a shift from tech consumerism to tech authorship. With innovation hubs sprouting across cities like Enugu, Lagos, Kigali, Jo’Burg, and Nairobi, and a growing community of developers, engineers, and entrepreneurs determined to solve Africa’s unique challenges, the movement is already taking shape.

Ani emphasized that Africa’s future lies not in flashy apps or international admiration but in persistent, intentional solutions that uplift communities—solutions that digitize public services, bridge rural-urban divides, empower women and youth, and build resilience in food and climate systems.

“We have the talent,” he said. “Now it’s time to harness it—to stop building for likes and start building for lasting impact.”

With support from leaders like Ani and rising momentum in Africa’s tech corridors, it seems that a new chapter is being written—one line of code at a time.


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