The Association Of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) has called on the industry regulator to foster collaboration between the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs).
The President, ATCON, Mr Tony Emoekpere, said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday that the regulator’s intervention would ensure a smooth working relationship between all parties.
NAN reports that in Nigeria, Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) like MTN, Glo, and Airtel own and operate the infrastructure for mobile networks, while Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) lease this infrastructure to offer their own branded services.
MVNOs do not own network infrastructure but leverage the existing infrastructure of MNOs to provide services like voice, SMS, and data to customers.
This model allows for increased competition and potentially lower costs for consumers.
Emoekpere said the partnership between MNOs and MVNOs was to achieve the common goal of increased connectivity, even to the underserved communities.
According to him, the partnership model between MNOs and MVNOs is expected to deepen telecommunications penetration in underserved regions across Nigeria.
‘’The new class of MVNO licenses issued by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is designed to bridge existing service gaps.
‘’The collaboration will allow MVNOs to reach areas where MNOs may not have the capacity or willingness to invest in infrastructure.
‘’The partnership aims to leverage existing MNO infrastructure to extend telecom services, with MVNOs providing a variety of services to a wider range of customers,’’ he said.
Emoekpere said that in spite of the obvious benefits of partnership between MNOs and MVNOs, there were complaints of challenges between the two groups, particularly regarding pricing and infrastructure sharing.
The ATCON boss, however, stated that such issues are normal with the introduction of a new licensing class.
“It’s a new class of license that is issued. What will happen is that the regulator will need to step in to address any challenges between both parties because it’s a license issued by the regulator, and the aim is to deepen penetration,” he said.
NAN also reports that the NCC initiated the licensing process for MVNOs in 2022, with the first batch of licenses being awarded on April 1, 2023.
NCC initially licensed 25 companies, this was followed by a second batch of licenses granted to 43 companies.
The aim is to increase competition, close connectivity gaps in underserved areas, and promote innovation, among others.
