Broadband: NCC Postpones Auction Of 2.6GHz Band

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on Saturday postponed indefinitely the planned auctioning of the 2.6GHz (Gigahertz) spectrum.
The Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Dr Eugene Juwah, said this in a statement obtained by The Tide source in Lagos.
Juwah gave no reasons for the auction which has been postponed for the second time.
The regulatory body had in November 2014 postponed the auctioning of the spectrum, citing administrative issues.
“The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria, regrets to inform parties interested in participating in the auction of Frequency Spectrum Licenses in the 2.6GHz band that it has decided to postpone the process of the auction until further notice.
“By this announcement, the 2.6GHz indicative auction timetable is suspended. We regret any inconvenience caused by this suspension,” it said.
In the memorandum of information released by NCC, it had offered to give 14 licences at a reserved price of $16 million (N3.52 billion) at the scheduled May 5, 2015, auctioning in Abuja.
The available slots of 14 licences will enable the winners offer broadband services nationwide, under a government plan to create a high-speed Internet services in Nigeria.
“The proposed licensing of 2.6 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 consonance with the Nigerian National Broadband Plan of 2013.
“Nigeria is the most populous nation in Africa with a population of about 173.6 million people as at 2013 according to the World Bank.
“The population has grown at a rate of 2.3 per cent for each year from 2000 to 2013. Approximately 60 per cent of the population is under the age of 20.
“Today, Nigeria, which is home to over 125 million active mobile phone connections is calling on stakeholders to explore stakes in the Internet market, where subscription is lower than voice and hence opens market opportunities,” the memorandum said.