MTN Nigeria Will End Spectrum Lease with Ntel by November 2025

MTN Nigeria will end spectrum lease with Ntel by November 2025, and this news is important for anyone following telecom in Nigeria. MTN Nigeria has decided not to renew its one-year spectrum lease with Natcom Development & Investment Ltd, also called Ntel, when it expires in November. This lease includes 5 MHz at the 900 MHz band and 10 MHz at the 1800 MHz band, which cover 17 states in Nigeria.

MTN Nigeria will end spectrum lease with Ntel by November because the company is changing how it manages the frequencies it uses for mobile services. Although the lease will finish, MTN says it is still committed to improving its network and giving good service to Nigerians. They told the Nigerian Exchange that they will keep investing in new equipment and partnerships to bring better and faster telecom services to the country.

The frequencies MTN has been leasing from Ntel are very important. The 900 MHz and 1800 MHz bands are the common ones used in Nigeria for mobile networks like GSM, 3G, and 4G LTE. These bands help with making calls and using the internet on phones across Nigeria. MTN Nigeria got approval from Nigeria’s communication regulator, the NCC, to use Ntel’s spectrum so it could make its network stronger and cover more areas. This happened first in 2023 for 19 states and then was extended to the whole country.

MTN Nigeria will end spectrum lease with Ntel by November 2025

MTN Nigeria will end spectrum lease with Ntel because it is getting ready for a new plan. On the same day MTN said it would stop the Ntel lease, it also announced that it will start leasing new spectrum from T2 Mobile, which used to be called 9Mobile. From October 1, 2025, MTN will lease 5 MHz of 900 MHz and 15 MHz of 1800 MHz from T2 Mobile, and this lease will last three years.

This new deal with T2 Mobile is part of a bigger national roaming plan. It will let MTN manage more traffic as customers of the old 9Mobile use MTN’s network. MTN says this combined approach of renting spectrum and sharing networks shows it wants to work well with other companies and expand internet access across Nigeria.

So, MTN Nigeria will end spectrum lease with Ntel but will keep using other frequencies from T2 to make sure it can give better service everywhere. This change fits with MTN’s plan called Ambition 2025, which aims to grow the network in a smart, cost-effective way.

This also shows a bigger trend in Nigeria’s telecom industry, where companies lease or trade frequency bands to keep up with demand. The NCC supports this because it helps networks grow faster without waiting for new licenses or expensive auctions. Leasing also helps companies share networks, so customers can enjoy better connections.

For Ntel, MTN Nigeria ending its lease means Ntel will have to find new customers or change its business because it really depends on leasing out its frequencies. Ntel has a lot of old network equipment and frequencies from when it was part of the old government company called NITEL. Since Ntel is mostly known for renting out its spectrum and hasn’t been active like other mobile operators, this is a big change for them.

MTN Nigeria will end spectrum lease with Ntel by November because MTN now feels it can handle growing network needs with its own equipment and the new T2 Mobile spectrum. MTN reassures everyone it is still focused on making networks better and bringing new and reliable services to people in Nigeria.

To sum it up, MTN Nigeria will end spectrum lease with Ntel by November 2025 as it shifts to a new spectrum deal with T2 Mobile. This move helps MTN keep growing and providing better voice and internet service to all Nigerians, while still working closely with other companies for the best results.

Was this information useful? Drop a nice comment below. You can also check out other useful contents by following us on X/Twitter @siliconafritech, Instagram @Siliconafricatech, or Facebook @SiliconAfrica.