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NCC Auctions 2.3GHz Spectrum Wednesday, Assures Bidders of Transparency

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ABUJA – The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) will on Wednesday and Thursday this week, begin the actual auctioning of the 2.3GHz spectrum licence between two pre-qualified bidders, Globacom Limited and Bitflux Communications Limited.

The two companies emerged at the pre-qualification stage, after some of the contenders withdrew from the race for various reasons.

The payment of a non-refundable initial bid deposit of $2.3 million, among other factors, qualified them for the next round, which is the proper bidding exercise.

NCC had fixed a minimum reserved price of $23 million for the auction. This means that the bidding, which opens on Wednesday this week, will start from $23 million and the highest bidder will emerge the winner of the licence.

The Executive Vice-Chairman of NCC, Dr. Eugene Juwah, told THISDAY that the auction exercise would be computer-base while the commission would strictly adhere to the computerised process, to make the entire bid process highly transparent.

Other contenders that willingly withdrew from the race were Zinox Telecommunications, an arm of Zinox Group, Airtel Nigeria, MTN, Etisalat and Spectranet.

Reacting to the emergence of the two bidders and the planned strategy by NCC to allow the highest bidder win the licence, a Lagos based telecoms analyst and Chief Executive Officer of Cyberschuul News, Mr. Titi Omo-Ettu, told THISDAY that he was shocked that other contenders had to withdraw, leaving only two bidders to emerge.

According to him: “The announcement that two firms, Bitflux Communications Limited and Globacom Limited are the only shortlisted bidders to participate in the forthcoming 2.3GHz Frequency Auction shocks me.

“Baring the NCC giving a good explanation that I am unable to forecast, I am surprised that the lack of interest shown in the licence, tells a very bad story of the industry, and that our Second National Operator is also on the list and on its way to cornering the licence into its bouquet of licences gives some worry.

“I have done some industry search and found that those who constitute Bitflux Communications Limited are young enterprising Nigerian professionals who have made a point of excellence in the industry although are far away from being money bags. I understand Bitflux is a Consortium of VDT Communications Limited, Bitcom Systems Limited and Superflux International Limited. Those are companies that are the hopes of the industry when the prospects of a well managed broadband landscape is considered.” Omo-Etto said.

He, however, said his comment was not a protest against Globacom but a strong feeling against monopoly, which he foresees.

Omo-Etto, who said there was nothing legally wrong in Globacom picking up the available licence, insisted that the purpose of regulation goes far beyond playing legally, but more with the need to examine legal, moral and development objectives, make interventions and go ahead to legislate what ordinarily would end up having an industry, where the yawning gaps between peoples and classes are truly closed.

“Of course we cannot pretend that it is all good that our Second National Operator (SNO) for eight years has no known rollout of fixed services, which depicts the status of SNO,” Omo-Ettu said.
Another analyst, expressed some form of apprehension over the planned bidding, since NCC had put a reserved bidding price.
According to him, what that means is that the winner would be anyone with bigger financial muscle.

He insisted that the true winner that would make better use of the spectrum licence would not emerge, since the bidding had to do with money.
He suggested that the NCC should consider other important factors, aside money, in announcing the eventual winner.

Group Chief Operating Officer of Globacom, Mr. Mohammed Jameel, told THISDAY that the 2.3GHz spectrum band would further help Globacom in rolling out its fixed line services.
Giving reasons why the Second National Operator had not been able to rollout its fixed lines services, Jameel said the challenges of fiber cut and delay in getting approval to dig up ground to lay cables, contributed to the delay.

He, however, promised Nigerians that it would use the 2.3GHz spectrum licence to rollout its fixed lines, if it eventually wins it.
But NCC said it would go ahead with the process, and make it transparent.
According to NCC, the two companies that emerged in the pre-qualifying stage had complied with the pre-qualification criteria set out in the Information Memorandum for the 2.3GHz spectrum licence, and the commission had announced both communications companies as the approved bidders for the auction of one frequency spectrum licence in the 2.3GHz band.

In order to ensure transparency in the exercise, the NCC ensured that pre-qualification criteria did not make it necessarily mandatory for applicants to have any telecommunications operational licence in Nigeria, to qualify to bid.

However, applicants should be companies registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and must transfer an Intention-to-Bid Deposit of $2.3 million into the designated bank account.
The deposit would bind the applicant to take up a licence, should it be a successful bidder, at the reserve price or any higher bid value submitted during the process.

Also, applicants should be independent from all other applicants under this allocation process.
Again, licensed operators participating in the process must fulfill all existing obligations to the commission including payments of annual operational levy and Spectrum and National Numbering Plan fees prior to pre-qualification.

At the end of the exercise, the successful bidder will be granted a Whosale Wireless Access Service Licence (WWASL) and the specified should be paid before the licence is issued.
The tenure for the WWASL licence will be 10 years and subject to renewal.

Stating reasons for their pull-out in the auction, Zinox said it’s withdrawal was based on its subsequent decision, where it prefer to focus on its core end to service delivery.

Corporate Communications Adviser to Zinox Telecoms, Mr. Uche Nnadozie said: “There was a last minute decision by the company’s board which discouraged the management from the bid. The board argues that 2.3GHz license will divert attention from our core competence.” He added, “We are already an end to end solutions service provider in the ICT sector. So the advice of the board is that we should focus on our core competence.”

Airtel’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Segun Ogunsanya, also stated in Lagos that Airtel decided to back out from the 2.3GHz spectrum preferring to wait for the 700MHz spectrum of digital dividend that would be available to operators come 2015 after migration from analogue to digital broadcasting must have been successfully implemented in Nigeria.

However, THISDAY gathered that some of the key reasons why they withdrew were not unconnected with their fear of losing the initial deposit of $2.3 million, which represents 10 per cent of the bidding price and fear of subsequent litigation.

Some of the companies reckoned that since the auction is a wholesale licence of the 30Mhz of the remaining 40Mzh of the 2.3GHz spectrum band to a single company, meaning that those who are not winners would automatically lose their initial $2.3 million, which is non-refundable.

On the fear of litigation, the solicitors to one Snytel I. G. Wills Communications Limited (Snytel), had on January 30, 2014 published a notice, and made reference to a 2.3 GHz spectrum to belong to Nigeria Telecommunications Plc (NITEL)/MTEL and a warning was issued that any person, company, corporation or commission who buys or sells the assets and shares of NITEL would be liable for contempt and the sale is liable to be set aside.

However, NCC had, in a reaction through a public notice, allayed “the fears (if any) of all persons who have either expressed interest or are desirous of participating in the 2.3 GHz Spectrum Auction which will hold on February 19 and 20, 2014.”

The commission said it had reviewed the National Frequency Plan, the court order and the originating process in Suit No. FHC/PH/CS/471/2011 filed by Snytel against the Federal Government of Nigeria, Attorney General of the Federation, National Council on Privatisation, Ministry of Finance, Bureau for Public Enterprise and NITEL.

NCC said it remained the agency reposed with responsibility to assign spectrum, and that it had not assigned spectrum in the 2.3 GHz Band to either NITEL or MTEL, saying: “It is therefore untrue and mischievous to claim that the spectrum constitutes part of the assets of NITEL/MTEL.”

According to NCC: “By virtue of a widely publicised process, the Commission had in 2009 assigned 2 frequency slots in the 2.3 GHz Band to deserving applicants. To date, the assignment has not been challenged and the winners have been successfully deploying services on this spectrum since 2009.”

– THIS DAY

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ITREALMS E-Waste Dialogue Partners EPRON, EL-AS Tech, WEE-Eco

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In efforts at spicing up the 2023 ITREALMS E-Waste Dialogue, the management of ITREALMS Media has partnered with E-waste Producer Responsibility Organization of Nigeria (EPRON) membership organisations for a day-long collection scheme of small electronic waste on Friday, December 15, 2023.

The EPRON members aligning their partnership with 2023 ITREALMS E-Waste Dialogue are EL-AS Tech Enterprises Limited and WEEE Eco-Friendly.

ITREALMS’ day-long collection scheme is part of the commemoration of 2023 international E-Waste Day (IEWD) within the ITREALMS E-Waste Dialogue with the theme “You Can Recycle Anything with a plug, battery or cable” at Welcome Centre Hotels, International Airport Road, Lagos.

Revealing this collaboration, the Group Executive Editor, ITREALMS Media, the organisers of the 2023 ITREALMS E-Waste Dialogue, Sir. Remmy Nweke, urged mobile device enthusiasts to come along with their devices that have reached their end-of-life to the venue for proper disposition by professionals who would also be on grounds to address some topical issues.

The collection of small electronic wastes especially mobile phones and like-devices, would be carried out by EPRON member organisation, EL-AS Tech Enterprises Limited as facilitated by ITREALMS Media group as part of this year’s ITREALMS E-Waste Dialogue on Friday, December 15, he added.

He disclosed that the exercise would commence at Welcome Centre Hotel by 9am till close of work hours the same day.

Nweke pointed out that the collection of small e-waste items would include mobile phones, pointers mouse, earpieces, rechargeable torches, phone chargers, to name a few.

Further, he said, that this initiative has become time-serving because some people may have missed any other opportunity before now for the year-long campaign, hence this awareness on e-Waste has to be continuous, “ITREALMS came up with this scheme.”

Nweke beckoned on Nigerians, especially mobile phone users, to leverage the opportunity in disposing of their mobile devices they no longer use, of course in exchange for a voucher or gift item.

In her reaction to this year’s day-long small waste collection, EPRON Executive Secretary, Mrs. Ibukun Faluyi, described the initiative as commendable, expressing confidence it would intensify the collection of end-of-life devices for proper disposition.

Mrs. Faluyi, also urged Nigerians to take advantage of this day-long collection of small wastes courtesy of ITREALMS Media.

Recalling for instance that in October 2022, EPRON had partnered SLOT alongside some UN agencies for collection of small e-waste items in Lagos, including the United Nations Information Centres (UNIC), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), International Labour Organisation (ILO), Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) and Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA).

This is even as the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Dr. Aminu Maida and Director-General, National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), Prof. Aliyu Jauro, would both lead speakers at the 2023 ITREALMS E-Waste Dialogue slated for this Friday, December 15, in Lagos.

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iPhone 15: Things To Know About Apple’s Newest Model

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iPhone 15: Things To Know About Apple's Newest Model

Today, September 12, the tech corporation Apple will introduce the iPhone 15, their newest iPhone model.

According to a Forbes story, this model, which will be introduced at the company’s “Wanderlust” event in Cupertino, California, will be available in four variations: the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Here are five things you should know about the new iPhone 15 model.

1. The new model is made of titaniu, not stainless steel as some other Apple smartphone models, Senior research analyst at DIGITIMES, Luke Lin reports.

2. The Pro Max model will feature double the optical zoom on the iPhone 14 as it comes with a newly-introduced ‘periscope lens upgrade, performing 5-6x optical zoom.’

3. The Pro models will carry an A17 bionic chip expected to make it perform faster.

4. The iPhone 15 model will feature a USB-C charging port, the same port featured on some Android phone models.

5. Due to its titanium shell, the new model is anticipated to be more expensive to purchase. The following is the speculated price list, as reported by Forbes:
The iPhone 15 starts at $799, the iPhone 15 Plus at $899, the iPhone 15 Pro at $1,099 ($100 increase), and the iPhone 15 Pro Max at $1,299 ($200 increase).

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FG Partner With Firm, Set To Introduce 500 Autogas-Powered Buses

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FG Partner With Firm, Set To Introduce 500 Autogas-Powered Buses

In an effort to reduce the exorbitant cost of Premium Motor Spirit, better known as petrol, the Infrastructure Bank Plc announced its collaboration with FEMADEC Group on Monday to offer 500 buses powered by autogas (Compressed Natural Gas).

Partners in the agreement claimed that the project was created to provide citizens with dependable, affordable, and environmentally friendly travel options, taking into account the negative effects of the nationwide increase in PMS costs.

Under Decree No. 51 of the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s 1992 Constitution, the Infrastructure Bank, originally known as the Urban Development Bank of Nigeria Plc, was founded in 1992 to promote the quick development of infrastructure throughout the nation.

In a statement issued in Abuja on its partnership with FEMADEC, the bank said, “The preliminary offer extended by TIB lays a solid foundation for the expansion of FEMADEC Group’s CNG bus fleet.

“With plans to introduce 500 CNG buses within the next five years, commencing with an initial batch of 50 buses in the forthcoming year, this proposal stands poised to instigate significant change.

“The acceptance of this proposition by FEMADEC Group, notably championed by Fola Akinnola, the Group Chief Executive Officer, is a testament to their zeal and dedication to this alliance.”

The bank described the partnership as a “pivotal endeavour that is primed to redefine Nigeria’s public transportation landscape, offering dependable, cost-effective, and ecologically conscious travel alternatives for citizens, while harmonising with the nation’s broader sustainability ambitions.”

“This partnership represents a remarkable stride towards a more ecologically aware future for Nigeria’s transportation sector, highlighting the shared commitment of both TIB and FEMADEC Group to sustainable advancement and progress.”

It said FEMADEC Group’s strides in operating Compressed Natural Gas buses, including the existing fleet of 20 CNG buses under LAMATA, underscored their unwavering dedication to ecologically sound solutions, a commitment predating the fuel subsidy removal.

“Their leadership within the CNG value chain is undeniable, and the new alliance with TIB underscores their foresight.

“This partnership seamlessly aligns with TIB’s sustainability objectives, echoing their resolute endorsement of the government’s net-zero and climate change agenda.

“The bank’s aspiration to champion Nigeria’s infrastructure progress is evident in its endorsement of pivotal initiatives like this, yielding expansive positive impacts on both the environment and society,” the bank stated.

The bank added that it would continue to make a significant contribution to the country’s growth as a leading financial institution committed to advancing effective and long-lasting infrastructure projects.

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