NCC confirms MAFAB’s launch of 5G in Nigeria

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The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has dismissed as false and misleading, some comments on social media which claimed that “ MAFAB Communications, one of the companies granted Fifth Generation (5G) licences by the Commission is yet to roll out the service, nearly two years after obtaining a licence, and one year after the roll-out date.”

A press release issued by Reuben Muoka, Director of Public Affairs at NCC stated further as follows:

“For a fact, MAFAB Communications is one of the two successful companies that won a 5G Licence during the globally-acclaimed transparent 5G Auction conducted by the Commission on 13 December, 2021. Upon fulfilling the condition of payment for the fee of $273.6 million in February 2022, the company formally received the licence on 22 February, 2022.

“Consequent upon the issuance of the 5G licence, and in line with the rollout conditions, MAFAB publicly launched its services in Abuja on 24 January, 2023, and in Lagos on 26 January, 2023. At launch, the services were targeted at six cities – Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Kano and Kaduna.

“The Commission has continued to monitor the progress of rollout by MAFAB and has been regularly briefed about the status of infrastructure deployment for service offerings as conditioned in its operating licence.

“The public and all stakeholders should ignore the false and misleading information concerning the 5G rollout by MAFAB.”