The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, has set up an annual operating regulatory levy to ensure that all licensees are properly and equitably assessed to meet statutory and regulatory expectations.

This was disclosed by Professor Umar Danbatta, Executive Vice-Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, during the Public Inquiry on two regulatory instruments draft in Abuja.

Professor Danbatta explained that the two key regulatory instruments were tailored to meet the challenges and to further strengthen the market structure of the industry.

The instruments are Annual Operating Regulations and the Frequency Spectrum Regulations, which fees and pricing fall under.

The first instrument will bring the regulations in line with current realities and sustain the enviable contributions of the communications sector to the country’s Gross Domestic Product.

The second instrument is a vehicle that enables the commission to meet its role and exclusive mandate in Section one-two-one of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003 by assigning this scarce national resource in an equitable manner.

The regulations also ensure that frequency spectrum are assigned and managed in a way that ensures fair pricing and efficient deployment of attendant services.

The public inquiry is a precursor to the commission’s current drive to ensure efficiency in spectrum management and unveiling of next-generation services through varied enablers.

The Executive Vice-Chairman said that the Commission had begun the process of deploying Fifth Generation technology in Nigeria, which largely depended on the appropriate frequency spectrum.