Telecom
GSMA Study Finds IMT Ecosystem Ready to Support Use of 6 GHz Spectrum For 5G

The fast-developing 6 GHz IMT ecosystem is poised to play an important role in supporting 5G rollouts worldwide, a new report from the GSMA has revealed.
However, whilst 6 GHz ecosystem developers are standing by to meet consumer demand, regulatory decisions at next year’s World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-23), and subsequently by national regulators, will play a major role in its future success.
GSMA analysis indicates that regulators should aim to assign between 700 and 1200 MHz of spectrum in the 6 GHz band to licensed 5G use in order to maximise the benefits to society of scarce spectrum resources, and support operators in delivering the full capabilities of 5G network rollouts.
The GSMA 2022 6 GHz IMT Ecosystem report was issued as governments and regulators gathered at Mobile360 Asia Pacific in Singapore this week. The report discusses the development progress of 6 GHz IMT systems and the central role that 6 GHz will play in delivering successful 5G rollouts.
It warns that allocating the full 6 GHz band to unlicensed use risks countries losing out on the full benefits of scarce spectrum resource, and damaging their ability to maximise the societal impact of governments’ and operators’ investments in 5G networks.
As shown in the GSMA’s recent Vision 2030: Insights for Mid-band Spectrum Needs report, 5G requires an average of 2 GHz mid-band spectrum per country to deliver the ITU’s IMT-2020 (5G) requirements and realize the technology’s full potential.
Reaching this figure is difficult without 6 GHz capacity. The increases in bandwidth and capacity that numerous 5G applications require mean that mid-band frequencies especially play an important role and allow capacity for city-wide coverage.
A recent study by GSMA Intelligence concludes that mid-band spectrum will drive an increase of more than $610 billion in global GDP in 2030, producing almost 65% of the overall socio-economic value generated by 5G.
This can only happen, however, if sufficient spectrum resources are assigned to mobile operators to provide the capacity and performance that is needed to support growing mobile data traffic and advanced 5G use cases.
According to the analysis, up to 40% of the expected benefits of mid-band 5G could be lost if no additional mid-band spectrum is assigned to mobile services in the near future.
Luciana Camargos, Head of Spectrum at the GSMA, said: “6 GHz is crucial for 5G expansion in many countries. Without it, operators will often struggle to meet the predicted average of 2 GHz of mid-band spectrum needed for 5G, impacting service quality. Countries may, in consequence, lose out on the full societal and economic benefits of investment in modern 5G networks.”
6 GHz spectrum is the largest remaining contiguous block of mid-band spectrum that can be allocated to licensed mobile in most markets. Harmonisation of 6 GHz spectrum could therefore provide more bandwidth and improve network performance.
At the same time, the broad contiguous channels offered by the 6 GHz range could reduce the need for network densification, helping governments to speed up access to 5G services.
Telecom
9mobile Nigeria Inks Agreement to Roam with MTN

9mobile, Nigerian operator, has reportedly gained approval for roaming on the MTN Nigeria network in a deal that some commentators suggest could improve its position in the market and, more specifically, tempt back lost subscribers.
After finally gaining regulatory approval from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), 9mobile plans to launch national roaming services on the MTN network from this month.
Under the agreement, 9mobile subscribers will gain access to MTN’s infrastructure for calls, texts and data in areas where 9mobile’s coverage is weak or unavailable.
For 9mobile, the deal offers a cost-effective way to expand coverage without the heavy investment required for nationwide infrastructure.
According to ITWeb Africa, the decision comes nearly five years after initial discussions – much longer than expected due, the Techloy news service said, to regulatory bottlenecks, shifting market conditions, and unclear execution timelines.
It may, however, prove pivotal for 9mobile, whose market share has dwindled to 1.72% in April 2025, down from 6.6% in 2020 when the proposal was first submitted. Indeed, in 2015 the company once known as Etisalat Nigeria had over 23 million subscribers and a 15.7% market share.
Of course, there’s also something in this for MTN. In exchange for network access, MTN gains utilisation rights to 9mobile’s underused spectrum in the 900MHz, 1800MHz, and 2100MHz bands – key frequencies for expanding coverage and improving data capacity.
For MTN, which serves over 84 million subscribers, this additional spectrum could reduce congestion and improve service quality.
The company has also had financial difficulties in the Nigerian market due to the naira’s substantial depreciation; this deal could support better service provision at a reduced cost.
That said, MTN Nigeria’s results for the first quarter to March 31 2025 were apparently much improved, and the company recently announced a massive capital expenditure drive for 2025 of some NGN900 billion (US$568.5 million) as it seeks to significantly enhance network service quality in major cities like Lagos and Abuja and extend improvements to other areas.
Telecom
Banks, Telcos to Start Deducting USSD Charges from Airtime Today

Banks and telecom companies will begin deducting USSD banking charges directly from customers’ airtime instead of their bank accounts beginning from today, June 3.
USSD, otherwise Unstructured Supplementary Service Data, is a communications protocol used by GSM cellular telephones to interact with a mobile network operator’s computers.
First City Monument Bank (FCMB) announced this change in an e-mail message to customers, following a directive from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
Key details:
Each USSD session will cost ₦6.98 per 120 seconds, charged by your mobile network.
You will be asked to approve the charge before it’s deducted from your airtime.
If you prefer, you can use other banking channels like ATMs, mobile apps, or internet banking.
This change is part of a move to end the long-standing debt dispute between banks and telecoms over unpaid USSD fees.
As of late 2024, banks owed telecom companies ₦160 billion. For example, MTN was owed ₦42 billion by Nigerian banks.
By shifting USSD fees to customers’ airtime, the telcos aim to recover these debts and avoid future issues.
Telecom
IHS Nigeria Moves to Enhance G4S Secure Solutions Site Patrols and Increase Operational Efficiency with Patrol Vehicles

IHS Nigeria, a subsidiary of IHS Holding Limited and one of the largest independent owners, operators, and developers of shared telecommunications infrastructure in the world by tower count, has formally commissioned 65 Response, Patrol, and Escort (RPE) vehicles to G4S Secure Solutions Nigeria Limited, its long-standing security partner.
The commissioning ceremony which held in Ikeja GRA, Lagos, underscores IHS Nigeria’s commitment to operational excellence, safety, and strategic partnerships.
The fully equipped vehicles, customized with radio systems, public address systems, medical kits, ladders, and amber lights, are expected to significantly enhance G4S’s patrol capabilities and enable proactive risk mitigation across IHS Nigeria’s infrastructure footprint in the country.
Speaking at the event, Jubril Saba, Vice President, Operations at IHS Nigeria, remarked: “IHS Nigeria is delighted to formally hand over these Response, Patrol and Escort (RPE) vehicles to our valued security partner, G4S Secure Solutions Nigeria Limited. As a company, we recognize that the success of our operations lies not only in our technology and infrastructure but also in the strength of the partnerships we build and sustain.
G4S has been an essential partner in protecting our sites, supporting our teams, and ensuring operational continuity across the country. This initiative is more than just a commissioning of vehicles; it is a reaffirmation of our commitment to the safety of our people and assets, our drive for operational excellence, and our belief in strong partnerships.
We understand that securing our infrastructure and communities is critical to sustaining high-quality services nationwide, and we are confident this fleet will enhance G4S’s capacity to support us.”
Also speaking at the event, Jonas Ahl, Managing Director of G4S Secure Solutions Nigeria Limited, expressed his appreciation for the partnership:
“We are proud to receive these 65 custom-built patrol vehicles from IHS Nigeria. Each unit is fully outfitted to meet the specific security needs of our operations, equipped with communication systems, emergency response tools, and visibility-enhancing features. These vehicles will not only improve our response times and field presence but also enable us to reduce risk and deter criminal activity more effectively.
I would like to thank the IHS team for their excellent collaboration throughout this project. We are proud to serve IHS and remain committed to protecting the assets that power connectivity across Nigeria.”
This strategic gesture reinforces IHS Nigeria’s position as a socially responsible and security-conscious industry leader, while highlighting the value of operational synergy with trusted partners like G4S.
The deployment of these vehicles marks another milestone in IHS’s mission to secure its infrastructure and deliver uninterrupted service to millions of users across the country.
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