The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has issued a pre-enforcement notice, alerting the public that any transmission of signals or utilisation of equipment on the 5.4GHz frequency band without a valid frequency licence from the Commission is considered illegal.
The warning conveyed through a press statement signed by Mr. Reuben Muoka, the Director of the Public Affairs Department at the Commission, emphasised that the 5.4 GHz frequency band, ranging from 5.430 to 5.725 GHz, is designated as a licensed frequency in Nigeria.
All telecommunications service providers, private/public organizations or any person(s) using this band in any location across the country should note to Section 122 of the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA), 2003, it that pursuant is a criminal offence to operate in any frequency not duly assigned by the Commission. The consequences of such act may lead to imprisonment, sanction, and confiscation of equipment used in operating the illegal services,” stated the commission.
The Commission has issued a 14-day enforcement notice, instructing all unlicensed operators on the 5.4GHz frequency band (5.430-5.725GHz) to promptly cease any further transmission of signals or use of equipment on the band without proper authorisation obtained from the NCC.
After the specified deadline, the NCC emphasised that it will initiate necessary enforcement actions, including but not limited to prosecution, imposing fines, and confiscating equipment involved in the unauthorised transmission of services.
For reference and guidance, a comprehensive set of regulatory guidelines for deploying services across the entire 5GHz band is outlined in the “Guidelines for Deployment of Broadband Services on the 5.2–5.9GHz,” available at www.ncc.gov.ng under Licencing and Regulation (Regulatory Functions).