While reacting to allegations that the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission sold the country’s 700MHz spectrum to MTN illegally, the Director General of NBC, Mr Emeka Mba has explained that licencing the spectrum to MTN was the only option available.
NBC had been criticised for denying other telecoms operators the lawful right to bid for the spectrum and selling the spectrum for N34 million without the knowledge of the Nigerian Communications Commission.
Mba explained that the NBC didn’t sell the spectrum. He said “The NBC and the NCC regulate separate and clearly demarcated sections of the spectrum. Each administers its own bundle without interference from the other. The basis for prior notification of NCC ahead of the licensing of MTN does not arise at all, constitutionally, legally and by regulatory practice. The licence issued was for a converged digital broadcasting licence based on the existing National Frequency Management Commission (NFMC) protocol for broadcast.
“Several stations are currently broadcasting on that spectrum in several cities across Nigeria. Cable and UHF stations are on this frequency. The NCC is fully aware of this incontrovertible fact. The NBC enjoys a good working relationship with the NCC and each of us respects each other’s boundaries.
“It is important to state that the NBC does not sell spectrum but licenses organisations based on their applications to broadcast using available broadcast spectrum, and other forms, such as IPTV.
“First of all, the NBC is not required by law or practice to refer back to the NFMC each time we issue a broadcast licence. These frequencies have since been allocated. The segment for broadcasting had been ceded to the NBC by the NFMC since, as has been with the Telecom frequencies with the NCC. The NBC does not require approval or permission from NFMC for the licensing of the spectrum.
“It is very important to emphasis that this was not a “sale” as alleged but the licensing of an operator to utilise the frequency to offer converged DTT services in the broadcasting industry. As to whether or not we followed due process, again the allegation is untrue. The Commission’s licensing process is remarkably different from the NCC since our approvals are based on applications and the easement of the submitted application proposals.”
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