NCC Seals ISP Over Illegal Spectrum Usage


The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has sealed off the office of an Internet Service Provider, Cobranet, for illegal use of electromagnetic spectrum frequency.
According to details released by the telecommunications regularity agency, Cobranet had been using frequencies in some bands of the electromagnetic spectrum mapped out for broadband services in the country thereby disrupting the services of other service providers.
It will be recalled that the commission has in 2009, developed guidelines for the deployment of frequency services on the 5.2 - 5.9GHz bands. In April 2011, the Commission declared the 5.470 - 5.725 portion of this spectrum as licensed, licensable and not license exempt in Nigeria. Consequently, it warned all companies without a license of the Commission to avoid transmitting signals, or using equipment on this frequency band.
However, despite the warning, Cobranet, according to NCC, was still illegally transmitting signals on some portions of the aforementioned frequencies, thereby creating a situation that necessitated theits (NCC’s) intervention.
The commission said this it had to therefore carry out an action against the company, resulting its being shot down and its equipment disconnected and confiscated.
The Head of Compliance Monitoring of the Commission, Mr. Efosa Idehen, who led the enforcement action, Cobranet will also pay some yet to be determined amount of money to be calculated by the frequency department of the Commission with reference to the space and time the company has illegally occupied the band.

Idehen also said the action of the company was detrimental to the service quality of other providers as illegal occupations of frequencies degrade the quality of service of the other operators who may be legally operating on such frequencies.
The Head of Media and Public Relations of the NCC, Mr. Reuben Muoka, while speaking on the issue, said the clampdown on Cobranet is a signal to other operators who may be operating without proper authorization or without recourse to all the rules of the game in the telecommunications industry.
The NCC's spokesman said the current leadership at the Commission is focused on compliance to the rules, hence the need for all operators to adhere to all the rules and conditions in service provisioning for the benefit of the subscribers and the nation.

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