Nigeria's latest 5G spectrum auction only caught the attention of one bidder, as Airtel Africa was the only operator to bid.
The auction centered around spectrum in the 3.5GHz band.
There was also reportedly some interest from Standard Network & Connections (Standard Network), according to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), although no bid was put forward.
Standard Network sent an email application to the NCC appealing for the deadline to be extended by 12 working days, but this was denied, said the NCC in a statement, labeling it "not acceptable in view of the auction timetable".
"Having met all the provisions in the IM, Airtel has therefore emerged as the sole Bidder. Consequently, there shall be no further bidding, and the Commission will proceed to the Assignment Stage in line with the published Information Memorandum guiding the licensing process," said the NCC.
The first 5G licenses to be issued in Nigeria by the NCC were to MTN Nigeria and Mafab Communications in December 2021 after the companies each paid $273.6 million.
