The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has released draft business rules for Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) in furtherance of its regulatory measures to enhance competition and expand access to telecom services in the country.
The commission indicated that the proposed “Business Rules for Mobile Virtual Network Operations in Nigeria” had been opened for industry-wide consultation, adding that stakeholders in the digital space are expected to submit comments on the draft guidelines on or before June 29, while it has scheduled a public consultation session on them for July 9.
According to the NCC, commission the proposed framework outlines the operational responsibilities and obligations of both MVNOs and Host Network Operators (HNOs) and that the draft rules also provide guidelines covering licensing conditions, interconnection arrangements, compliance obligations, numbering resources, SIM and eSIM management, as well as network hosting agreements.
Specifically, the commission maintained that the draft MVNOs was designed to ensure fair access to telecom infrastructure and reduce delays associated with integrating MVNOs into existing mobile networks.
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Also, it stated that the draft rules contained provisions relating to quality of service, customer protection, network reliability, cybersecurity, and data protection, cautioning that mobile network operators (MNOs) and other telecom services providers found violating the guidelines could face administrative sanctions and corrective actions in line with existing telecommunications regulations.
It would be recalled that the licensing regime of the MVNOs’ rules was introduced in 2023, when the commission issued licences to 25 operators for a combined value of N5.9 billion.
Since then, the NCC has reportedly issued 40 MVNO licences with some operators already commencing commercial operations.
The commission expressed optimism that when finally adopted, MVNOs would help to improve competition in the telecom sector and facilitate services extension to underserved and unserved communities in the country.
