The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has pegged the licensing fees for Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNO) between N30 million and N250 million, depending on the type of tier. According to the NCC, Tier 1 operator pays N30 million; Tier 2 operator N65 million; Tier 3 operator N100 million; Tier 4 N150 million and Tier 5 N250 million. In the ‘License Framework for the Establishment of Mobile Virtual Network Operators in Nigeria’, released by the commission on Tuesday, the tenure for the license is pegged at 10 years with an option to renew the license for the same term. A MVNO is a telecommunications product and service operator that leverages the capacity of a fully Licenced Telecommunications Service provider or Mobile Network Operator (MNO). The MVNO reaches a “Wholesale Agreement” or “Revenue Sharing Agreement” with the telecommunications company through negotiations and delivers its services after bulk-purchasing resources from the telco. The defining difference between an MVNO and an MNO is that the former has no ownership whatsoever of spectrum elements, irrespective of its operational model.

Guardian