Mobile operator MTN Nigeria Plc and Mafab Communications Ltd, licensed to provide and operate local interconnection and international operator services, are the big winners of the spectrum auction telecom frequency in the 3.5GHz band for 5G.

The introduction of mobile ultra broadband in Nigeria, which began two years ago, has successfully come to an end. MTN and Mafab Communications have indeed been the best bidders at the expense of Airtel Nigeria. Each paid $273.6 million and went well beyond the reserve price of $199,374,000. The sale was organized on Monday, December 13, at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), in collaboration with the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy. It went through eleven rounds and lasted eight hours. Airtel Nigeria made its latest offer at $270,000,000. The allocation of frequency spectrum to the two winning telecom companies is provisional until they pay the amount due by February 24, 2022.