5G auction driven by pursuit of better quality of life, not revenue – NCC boss, Danbatta

Professor Umar Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), stated in Lagos on Tuesday that the Commission’s efforts to timely auction available spectrum for 5G services in Nigeria are motivated primarily by the desire to join the global community in order to advance digital services and improve quality communications infrastructure for the benefit of the citizenry, rather than the need to generate revenue for the government.

Danbatta, who spoke to a cross-section of industry players at the Marriott Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos, during the Commission’s Stakeholders’ Consultative Forum on the Draft Information Memorandum for the 3.5GHz Spectrum Auction, said there is a need for stakeholders to understand the Commission’s genuine vision to equip the nation with the latest technologies and services, which is the focus of efforts to deploy 5G services nationwide.

“I want to dispel the myth that the NCC’s goal in auctioning the first and second rounds of 5G spectrum bands is to generate revenue for the federal government.” This is not the case.

“The overarching consideration is not to generate revenue for the Federal Government, but rather to ensure the deployment of 5G services that improve Nigerians’ quality of life and the overall growth of the nation’s economy through the provision of qualitative high-speed Internet services that increase productivity and efficiency across sectors.”