MTN Nigeria Paid $273.6 Million for 3.5GHz Spectrum Licence to Facilitate 5G Rollout

MTN Nigeria Communications Plc has emerged as one of the winners for 3.5GHz spectrum licence bids organised by the Federal Government through the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

Three companies, MTN Nigeria, Mafab Communications and Airtel Networks Limited, participated in the bid for the 3.5GHz spectrum auction needed for the deployment of fifth-generation (5G) internet. MTN Nigeria and Mafab Communications emerged as the two winners in the keenly contested bid.

Airtel Networks Limited dropped out of the bid after the 11th round at $270 million. Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, therefore announced MTN Nigeria and Mafab Communications Limited as the two winners.

Each of the winners will now pay $273.6 million for the spectrum. However, MTN Nigeria will pay an additional $15,900,000 to get lot one of the spectrum, while Mafab will pay $11,120,000 to get lot two.

The two winners are now expected to make full payment by February 24, 2022. To qualify for the bid, each of the bidders had paid a non-refundable N7.5 billion, a 10 percent of N750 billion or $197.4 million starting amount for the bidding.

Mr. Karl Toriola, MTN Chief Executive Officer represented MTN at the bidding. Airtel Networks was represented by its Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Sreeddhar Krishna Menon, and Mafab Communications Limited was represented by its Chairman, Alhaji Musibau Bashir.

Commenting on the success of the bidding, MTN Nigeria CEO, Karl Toriola, said “5G is the future of network technology and offers incredible possibilities for new and enhanced services for our customers. Our successful bid presents an opportunity to be at the forefront of delivering these technological advancements to as many Nigerians as possible.

“The benefits of 5G are multi-faceted, and they hold the key to unlocking new avenues for the nation’s growth and development. It is far more than high-speed internet or faster-streaming speeds; 5G has implications for improved service delivery across every sector. It has the potential to transform our nation’s economy and make a difference in the daily lives of every Nigerian. We thank the NCC for organising a transparent auction which will transport us into the ‘tomorrow’ we desire.”