Nigerian operator Mafab Communications met its deadline extension and finally launched 5G services after months of delay.
Vanguard reported, the fledgling operator launched its 5G network in the city of Abuja and has expanded to Lagos. There are plans to deploy in Port Harcourt, Enugu, Kano and Kaduna in the future.
Mafab Communications chairman and founder Musbahu Bashir said: “The rollout of Mafab 5G network is the beginning of immense opportunities for the country as it represents Nigeria’s capabilities and infinite possibilities.
“The prospect of increased job opportunities as a consequence of the value-chain benefits the technology will generate and offer is the dream we have all gathered here to launch today.”
Mafab Communications was founded in 2020 and was issued a licence by the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) immediately to provide competition to MTN, Airtel, Globacom and 9 Mobile.
The operator missed a deadline from the NCC to launch its 5G services in August 2022 as it did not gain a full unified access service licence (UASL), prompting the regulator to issue a five-month extension.
The deadline was given as a stipulation after the operator bagged itself 100MHz in the 3.5GHz band for US$273.6 million, in Nigeria’s 5G auction.
Rival MTN Nigeria also bagged itself spectrum from the 3.5GHz auction and launched services in September 2022.
