Go to Contents

June 28, 2002

The  is 
designed by March Oyinki and published by Airtechniques News Service
All rights reserved � 2002

This page is hosted by

Telecom News

NCC Chides GSM Operators for Deceit

In a move by the NCC to checkmate     the operators of Global System of Mobile Communications, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Mr. Ernest Ndukwe, Thursday, June 27, warned the GSM operators to stop further deceit of the consumers and gave them an ultimatum to rectify their inter-connectivity within two months.  Mr. Ndukwe, who gave the warning at a consumer outreach program in Abuja, said that it had become necessary to avoid costly consequences. 

Reacting to the explanations from the MTN Head of Strategic Technologies, Mr. Dadison Anene, who tried to justify the high tariff charged by the GSM operators, the NCC boss said: �You can�t cost tariff based on a license fee of $285 million which is spanned over a period of 15 years as if it were or the base station.  Stop the deceit.�  He added that �nobody forced MTN or ECONET to obtain the license at that amount, anybody else could have picked it up if you didn�t indicate interest.  

IFC Offers N9 Billion to Successful Second Telecom Carrier

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) the private sector lending arm of the Internation Monetary Fund (IMF) have offered to provide a loan to cover 25 per cent of the cost of the licensing fee to the eventual winner of the Second Network Operating License (SNO) bidders.

In a letter dated May 28 which was addressed to the Chief Executive of the National Communications Commission, Mr. Earnest Ndukwe, and signed by its Investment Division Manager, Stephanie Friedeburg, reveal that IFC have already commenced negotiation with the bidders through a bureau which it has opened for the purpose of implementing the financial aid programme.

The plan of the IFC includes developing a financial package to support any programme of investment aimed at building operating and maintaining SNO network. The letter states that the investment package would be limited to between $75 million and $100 million, which is about N9 billion depending on the amount of the final bid.

< - - Go to Top - - >