Rival Mafab gearing up for new year launch
MTN Nigeria has announced an open 5G network pilot scheme ahead of a full commercial launch in seven cities in ‘the near future’. A limited offering is available to 5G-enabled devices in the cities of Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Kano, Owerri and Maiduguri, where the telco is testing its 5G network infrastructure.
MTN’s rival in Nigeria is Mafab Communications, which holds the other license for 5G spectrum. It has been granted a five-month deadline extension on launching commercial services by national regulator the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), according to Agence Ecofin, because there was a delay in the award of its unified operational license (UASL).
“The 5G license comes with a frequency license and not an operating license. So Mafab only has a frequency license and does not have an operational license. So it has to apply for a telecoms operational license to be able to deploy 5G services and other telecoms services,” said NCC director of public affairs Reuben Muoka.
Mafab Communication and MTN bought 100 MHz in the 3.5 GHz band for $273.6 million in the nation’s spectrum auction in December 2021. Last May, as 5G spectrum licensing letters were delivered to Mafab and MTN, the NCC asked them to start deploying the new technology from August 24.
Mafab then ‘initiated discussions with the regulator’ while MTN Nigeria has said that it is ready to launch 5G on the indicated date and aims to build on its lead. In a statement seen by Ripples Nigeria, Mafab blamed the delay in obtaining Unified Operational License (USAL) and numbering plan as the reason for not meeting its deadline.
Mafab Communications received the Unified Operational License and numbering plan at the end of July, making it impossible for the company to rollout the 5G network before January 2023. “We are fully committed to bringing the benefits of 5G services to Nigerians and deploying a network that will drive economic development with increased broadband capabilities nationwide. I have no doubt that the service will help bring improvements in the fields of education, business, smart cities and entertainment,” said Musbahu Bashir, President of Mafab Communications.
According to MTN Nigeria’s chief marketing officer Adia Sowho MTN has been at the forefront of every new generation of technology, “from GSM to 2G, 3G and 4G”, so 5G will be no different.