The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is set to auction five slots of spectrum for deployment of the Fifth Generation (5G) technology.

Prof. Umar Dambatta, NCC Executive Vice-Chairman, disclosed this in Abuja on Tuesday during the public hearing and inquiry on the proposed draft regulations on telephone subscriber registration, Sim replacement and spectrum allocation, 2021.

Dambatta stated that the commission had put everything in place to auction five slots of 5G spectrum.

“When I appeared before the Senate on our readiness for 5G deployment, I said we were 95 per cent but right now we are 97 per cent,” he said.

Mr Adeleke Adewolu, NCC Executive Commissioner, Stakeholders Management, in his welcome address, said that the public hearing and inquiry on the spectrum trading guidelines, sim registration guidelines and telephone users guidelines would help the commission to improve the industry.

Adewolu appealed to the commission to look into the N200,000 penalty for active unregistered line and review it upward so that it could serve as deterrent.

“This spectrum trading guidelines, telephone users guidelines and SIM replacement guidelines will help to guarantee growth in the industry,” he said.

The NCC Director, Legal Services, Mrs Josephine Amuwahe, who gave an overview of Sim registration and activation, said that any network provider that allowed pre-registered Sim without full bio-data would pay N200,000 penalty per Sim.

Amuwahe, represented by the Director, Telecoms Laws and Regulatory Unit, Legal Services Department, NCC, Mrs Helen Obi, listed some of the new guidelines.

According to her, the guidelines are, Activation window (grace period where a subscriber enjoyed limited services before full registration), a period has been increased from 30 days to 60 days

“Foreigners with visas, two or more years, are to register their NIN before acquiring a telephone line but those of less than two years visas are not required to get a NIN.

“A subscriber is a person that is of 18 years and above. Subscribers are only allowed to register four sim cards per a network provider

“For the reactivation of a deactivated line, the person will have to go through the process of new activation of a Sim card,” she said.

Mr Adedoyin Oye, Airtel staff, said the company had over 300 fibre cuts in a month as a result of construction.

Oye, however, urged the NCC for an improved synergy between the commission, Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and construction firms to protect MNOs fibres.