NCC Conducts Mock 3.5G Auction Sales In Abuja

As Nigeria prepares to roll out its Fifth Generation (5G) spectrum by 2022, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has successfully carried out a mock session for the 3.5 gigahertz (GHz) spectrum auction for the deployment of the 5G network in the country.
The NCC Director of Public Afffairs, Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, in a statement, said the simulated auction took place in Abuja on Monday.
The conduct of the simulation exercise was in line with the requirements stipulated in the Information Memorandum (IM) for 3.5 GHz spectrum auction. The IM is a document that defines the process for the licensing of the 3.5 GHz spectrum band, earlier published on the Commission’s website at the inception of the auction process.
Using the Ascending Clock Auction System for the mock session, the three qualified bidders for the 3.5 GHz spectrum, namely MTN Nigeria, Mafab Communications Ltd, and Airtel Networks Ltd, participated in the software-based simulated auction exercise.
The mock auction was witnessed by the Chairman, Board of Commissioners, NCC, Prof. Adeolu Akande; the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta; Executive Commissioner, Technical Services, Ubale Maska and the Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management, Adeleke Adewolu.
Others who witnessed the mock auction include representatives from the bidding companies, senior management staff from relevant departments of the Commission, technical consultants, software consultants, legal consultants and other external observers.
The auction marked a turning point in Nigeria’s determination to harness the benefits of 5G for the nation’s socio-economic growth, as concrete roll-out of 5G in 2022.
In a brief remark at the Mock Auction, Danbatta said the Commission had taken all necessary steps to ensure due diligence on the credibility of the consultants and to safeguard the integrity of the software solution being used to carry out the implementation of this historic national assignment.
“This is consistent with the open, credible transparent and fair manner by which the Commission is known to have conducted previous auction processes, which have been locally and globally applauded”, he said.
In order to ensure a fail-proof process, the Commission also carried out a simulation of the manual process of the auction, aside the electronic mock.
ccording to NCC, is to ensure that bidders are also familiar with the manual auction in case of any circumstances on the Main Auction Day that may warrant a need to switch to the Manual Auction.
The Tide reports that there is a provision for both electronic and manual forms as clearly stated in the IM.
Representatives of the bidding companies, the NCC, the consultants and other observers at the Mock Auction expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the simulation exercise, which also provided opportunity for the Commission to perfect the auction process ahead of the Main Auction.
The NCC had commenced the process for the auction of the 5G spectrum in the last quarter of the 2021 and had, since then, carried out a number of activities ahead of the Main Auction.