Connect with us

Telecom

FG Hikes Broadband Spectrum Auction to N4Bn

Published

on

Eugene Juwah, EVC, NCC
Kindly share this post

The federal government is now asking for N3.97 billion, against the earlier price of N3.6 billion as auction fee for the 2.3GHz broadband spectrum, media reports claimed last night.

Consequently, the eventual bid winner will now be required to pay N374.6 million extra for the spectrum , which is one unpaired block of 30 MHz, adjoining a 10MHz guard band with the adjacent 2.4 GHz band.

According to Technology Times, President Goodluck Jonathan approved that an extra N374.6 million-licence fee be paid by the winner in the upcoming 2.3GHz spectrum auction that will usher in the sole provider of wholesale broadband services in Nigeria.
Already, about 16 firms seem to have indicated interest in the licence. These include the quartet of GSM operators; submarine cable firm, MainOne; a Code Division Multiple Operator, Visafone Communications owned by Jim Ovia.

In addition, Technology Times disclosed that firms linked with big businessmen like Aliko Dangote, President of Dangote Group; Smile Communications jointly-owned by Irene Charnley, ex-Director of MTN Group and Arab investors are also in the race for the license.

According to NCC, a successful bidder without a Unified Access Service License (UASL) license will be issued a Wireless Wholesale Access Service Licensee (WWASL) license upon payment of the specified fees, adding that it will also not allow the eventual winner to forge an alliance with an existing unified access licensee, a development that will mean not shelling out the N374.6m licence fee.


Kindly share this post

Nigeria CommunicationsWeek believes that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. So since 2007, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and how they affect lives.

Telecom

MTN Nigeria Non-Executive Director Mazen Mroue Quits to Focus on Group Role

Published

on

Kindly share this post

Mazen Mroue, a non-executive director at MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, has resigned effective February 27, 2026, to prioritise other responsibilities within the MTN Group, the company announced in a Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) filing.

MTN Nigeria Non-Executive Director Mazen Mroue Quits to Focus on Group Role

MTN Nigeria

 

The notice, signed by company secretary Uto Ukpanah, stated: “This is to enable Mr. Mroue to focus on other priorities within MTN Group Limited. The Board wishes to express its appreciation to Mr. Mroue for his immense service to MTN Nigeria and wishes him success in his future endeavours.”

Mroue joined MTN Nigeria’s board on June 1, 2022, bringing over 28 years of telecom experience. A veteran MTN executive, he previously served as CEO of MTN Uganda and MTN Liberia, non-executive director at MTN Cyprus, and held leadership roles at MTN Ghana.

Since February 2022, he has been MTN Group’s Chief Technology and Information Officer, overseeing technology strategy and governance. Earlier, as MTN Nigeria’s COO from August 2018 to January 2022, he also sat on the MTN Nigeria Foundation board.

The exit follows MTN Nigeria’s stellar 2025 results, posting a ₦1.70 trillion profit before tax—reversing a ₦550.3 billion loss in 2024 driven by forex woes—marking one of the telco’s strongest rebounds.


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

Telecom

Google Adds Yorùbá, Hausa to AI Search, Boosting Access for Millions of Nigerians

Published

on

Kindly share this post

Google has rolled out support for Yorùbá and Hausa languages in its AI-powered Search features—AI Overviews and AI Mode—enabling millions of Nigerians to get quick answers, summaries, and conversational web exploration in their mother tongues.

Google Adds Yorùbá, Hausa to AI Search, Boosting Access for Millions of Nigerians

Google

The update forms part of Google’s push to cover 13 African languages, including Afrikaans, Akan, Amharic, Kinyarwanda, Afaan Oromoo, Somali, Sesotho, Kiswahili, Setswana, Wolof, and isiZulu, selected based on high search activity across the continent.

Now, a Kano student can ask complex questions in Hausa, while an Ibadan trader seeks business tips in Yorùbá—both receiving culturally nuanced AI responses via text or voice on Android, iOS, or web.

Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, Google’s West Africa Communications Manager, said: “Building truly global Search requires nuanced local understanding. With Gemini-powered AI, we’ve made advanced capabilities relevant in Yorùbá and Hausa, so Nigerians converse naturally with Search in their mother tongues.”

To use: Open the Google app, tap AI Mode, and query in Hausa or Yorùbá for personalised guidance—breaking language barriers and making technology reflect Nigeria’s diverse identity.


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

Telecom

MultiChoice Shuts Down Showmax After 11 Years Amid Streaming Wars

Published

on

Kindly share this post

MultiChoice is closing its continental streaming platform Showmax after 11 years, notifying subscribers Thursday of the board’s decision to discontinue the service in the near future to refocus on sustainable digital offerings.

MultiChoice Shuts Down Showmax After 11 Years Amid Streaming Wars

MultiChoice

The email assured no immediate disruption: “You can continue streaming as usual, and no action is required from you at this time.” Showmax, launched in South Africa in 2015 and expanded across Africa, offered movies, series, documentaries, and sports to rival Netflix and others amid rising online entertainment demand.

The shutdown follows Canal+’s approved takeover of MultiChoice last year, with the French giant offering ZAR 125 per share for remaining stakes.

The deal mandates HDP ownership boosts, local content investment, and splitting MultiChoice’s SA broadcasting arm into an independent entity to meet regulations.

MultiChoice prioritised subscribers during the transition, promising advance notice on timelines.

Showmax’s exit signals consolidation pressures in Africa’s cut-throat streaming market, where global players dominate despite local content strengths.


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

Trending