MTN Nigeria became the first telco in Nigeria to roll out 5G mobile network, but reports say the network is not yet “everywhere you go”.
Two telcos, MTN and Mafab Communications, won the auction for the 3.5GHz 5G spectrum in December 2021. By February 2022, both had completed payment of the $273.6 million licence fee required by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
At the time, both were given the deadline of August 24 to begin roll-outs, but only MTN was able to meet the deadline. Mafab, on the other hand, has been granted a 5-month extension by the NCC.
MTN commenced the roll-out by switching on the network in 190 sites across the country. The network is available in different sites across Nigeria’s major cities including Lagos, Abuja, Enugu, Port Harcourt, and Kano.
By October, it is expected that the 5G service will be operating in 500–600 sites across the country.
For now, mobile phone users will only be able to access the network if their phone makers deliver the update required to allow them access. For example, it is estimated that Samsung users will be able to access the service in a month while iPhone users might have to wait until October before the update is delivered to their phones.
With this, Nigeria joins Kenya, Zimbabwe, and South Africa as the fourth African country to have fully rolled out 5G. At least 14 more countries including Uganda, Madagascar and Gabon are running trials.
