Transparency and Integrity

6/16/2021

Telecom Operators' Licenses To Be Reviewed

 


Minister Of Communications and Digital Economy, Pantami Gives Directives For NCC To Review Telecom Licenses. 



The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy Isa Pantami Ali has issued orders for the Nigerian  Communication Commission to review the licenses of all Telecom operators in Nigeria.


Pantami who first began with the implementation of NIN-SIM registration has now moved on to sanctioning the license review which according to reports was done 20 years ago.


The Nigerian Communications Commission, NITDA, NIPOST, NIMC, NIGCOMSAT, and Galaxy Backbone are some of the agencies operational under Pantami.


According to NCC, it has over 8,000 licensees listed on its website " an international cable infrastructure and landing station" license costs about $210,000 for 20 yrs.


The Spokesperson for the NCC Ikechukwu Adinde revealed in a statement on Tuesday June 15 2021 that the move demonstrated its responsiveness to global trends in the information and communications technology ecosystem.


According to Adinde, " the vice-chairman Umar Danbatta had inaugurated a standing committee to review operators 'licenses in the Telecom industry.


Mr Danbatta while inaugurating the committee, stated that the current licensing structure was almost 20 years old.


" Therefore it is evidently clear that this standing committee, drawn up from competent hands in various departments of the commission, is perfectly suited and capable of addressing the enormous task of reviewing the existing license structure of Telecom Licensees in Nigeria," he explained. 


Mr Danbatta noted that the committee’s work would be carried out in phases to ensure effective delivery of its task and enable the commission to institute a process that will review the terms and conditions of the various licence categories.


He outlined seven-point deliverables expected of the committee to include a comprehensive review on existing licences, a report and recommendations on consultative fora, and a report on recommended new licence undertakings.


Others include a report on recommended amendment to licence fees and durations, a report on benchmarking of licenses with similar jurisdictions, a report on the impact of certain licences on other licence holders.


These would be in addition to recommended solutions, and an updated regulatory framework for new and amended licenses as the case may be, and a final report on the project with all relevant recommendations.


Mohammad Babajika, NCC’s director of Licensing and Authorisation and chairman of the committee, promised to act accordingly.


A new draft framework for new and amended licences was expected at the end of the committee’s assignment and after due consultations with industry stakeholders.


(NAN)

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