• As MTN gets nod to lease NTEL spectrum
Airtel Africa has announced that its Nigerian subsidiary, Airtel Networks Limited (Airtel Nigeria), paid N58.7 billion to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to renew its 2×10 MHz 2100 MHz spectrum licence.
This was contained in a statement to the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX), which was signed by Company Secretary, Simon O’Hara.
The statement noted that once renewed, the license would be valid for 15 years, following the expiry of the previous licence on April 31, 2022.
“This investment to renew the license reflects our continued confidence in the opportunity inherent across the Nigerian market, supporting the local communities and economies through furthering digital inclusion and connectivity,” Airtel Africa stated.
In a related development, the NCC has approved a spectrum lease transaction between MTN Nigeria and Natcom Development and Investment Limited (NTEL).
The deal would enable MTN Nigeria to lease two spectrums from NTEL (5HMz Frequency Division Duplex and 10HMz FDD), which covers 19 states in Nigeria.
The transaction cost MTN Nigeria N4.25 billion, according to a corporate action filed by the telco as announced on the NGX website. The transaction cost included taxes, regulatory fees, and auxiliary charges. Also, note that the spectrum lease is for a two-year period, starting May 1st, 2023.
The company, in a statement signed by its Secretary, Uto Ukpanah, also disclosed that the NCC has also renewed its 2100MHz spectrum for a period of 15 years, effective from May 1, 2022 to April 30, 2037. This spectrum enables the operator to continue to provide 3G services on its network. For this spectrum, MTN said it has also paid N58.66 billion to the NCC.
