Etisalat Sues MTN Over 800 Mhz Spectrum

Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Dr. Austin Tam-George (right), with Senior Special Assistant to Rivers State Governor on Social Media, Barr. Oraye Saint Franklyn, during a courtesy visit to the commissioner by members of the Social Media Network in Port Harcourt on Tuesday Photo: Egberi A. Sampson

Etisalat Nigeria has sued
MTN Nigeria and Visafone Limited, challenging the mobile tele-providers use of the 800 megahertz (MHZ) spectrum following the acquisition of Visafone.
The Etisalat head of media, Chineze Amanfo confirmed this in a statement to newsmen during the week.
The Tide’s online source, reports that MTN also sued Nigerian Communications commission (NCC) over the imposition of 780 billion fine on it by the regulatory body.
Part of the reasons for the fine as The Tide learnt, was harbouring some 5.2 million pre-registered subscriber identity module (sim) cards on its network in violation of extant rules.
Etisalat said it also deemed the action fit, in order to prevent the use of the spectrum by MTN.
The company, also explained that it will entrench the dominance of MTN in the retail data services market.
It would be recalled that MTN was in 2013 declared dominant by NCC and has remained dominant in the wholesale leased line and retail voice markets.
A media consultant, Mr Godwin Tunde, said the sanction issued by NCC to MTN was proper.
Tunede, who is a media pundit, said if not for the action of NCC, some telecom providers like the MTN, would have since dashed subscribers hope in the country by introducing all kinds of unhealthy services.
However, he has called on the NCC to further beam its searchlight on other telecom providers and ensure that subscribers are no longer shortchanged by mobile network providers.