Nigeria Not Yet Open To Mobile Virtual Network Operator- NCC

The Nigerian Communications Commission said it has not concluded work on the licensing framework that will open the country’s telecoms market to the Mobile Virtual Network Operator.

The NCC made this known in a statement on Tuesday while reacting to speculations that the MVNO frame work has been concluded.

The MVNO is a wireless communications services provider that does not own the wireless network infrastructure over which it provides services to its customers.

The Commission had on December 10, 2020, published on its official website, the first draft document on the MVNO

The draft was titled, “Licence Framework for the Establishment of Mobile Virtual Network Operators in Nigeria.”

The document was published after the industry stakeholders’ workshop on MVNO with the aim of collectively examining the potential benefits, technical feasibility, market demand and appropriate model for MVNO adoption in the country.

The NCC said, following regulatory procedures in policy formulation, the document published only requested for online inputs, comments and submissions from industry stakeholders.

The NCC said, “The comments obtained will be considered for possible inclusion in the framework for the formulation of a sustainable and efficient MVNO licensing framework, as well as a highly conducive regulatory regime that facilitates growth and development in the telecoms space, through competitive and differentiated services offered by these virtual operators.”

The statement quoted the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Umar Danbatta, to have said that the “ongoing development of the MVNO licensing framework is not yet concluded much less opening up the telecoms sector for the launch of MVNOs.”

Danbatta said the commission will not take any action without the conclusion of the MVNO framework.

He explained that the consideration of inputs from all relevant stakeholders and the approval by the board of the Commission was vital to the whole process.