NCC confirms payment of N3.63bn bid price for 2.3GHZ spectrum licence by Bittflux

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has confirmed that Bitflux, winner of 2.3GHZ spectrum licence, has paid the N3.63 billion ($23.25 million) bid price for the licence.

Mr Tony Ojobo, NCC Director, Communications and Public Affairs, confirmed the payment in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, on Wednesday in Abuja.

He said that Bitflux paid for the licence on Tuesday March 12.

“NCC confirmed the payment after checking its account,’’ Ojobo said.

Mr Tokunbo Talabi, a Director at Bitflux, also told NAN that the company had met its financial obligations to NCC to retain ownership of the spectrum.

It would be recalled that the company emerged the winner of the 2.3 GHz frequency auctioned in February with a N3.63 billion ($23.25 million) bid against Globacom’s $23.05 million.

The Federal Government, through the NCC, had placed a reserve price of N3.6 billion for the remaining 30 MHz of 2.3 GHz frequency spectrum sale which the company won.

Talabi said that the firm would also carry out its responsibility to provide efficient and good services to subscribers in line with the National Broadband Plan.

Dr Eugene Juwah, Executive Vice Chairman, NCC, said earlier that winning the spectrum licence auction had made Bitflux the sole provider of wholesale wireless broadband to other service providers in the country.

Bitflux Communications was given 14 working days, beginning from Wednesday Feb.19 to pay the money.

Juwah said that failure by the firm to meet the payment dateline would give opportunity for Globacom to acquire the licence as the second highest bidder, in line with the Information Memorandum of the auction.

NCC said that licencing of the spectrum was to ensure that Internet Service Providers had retail wireless services in Nigeria. (NAN)