Gicell Wireless Limited

active

In November 2006 the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the government’s telecom sector regulator, awarded a 10 year “unified access service license” to private operator Gicell Wireless Limited (Gicell). The license allowed Gicell to offer Digital Mobile Services, Fixed Telephony Services, Full International Gateway Services and National Long Distance Services. GiCell Wireless committed to build a 60,000 subscriber network for telecom services along the routes leading from Yola to Biu, Calabar to Obubra and Ilorin to Yashikera. This project was to create the backbone voice and data services for 405 communities located in the Adamawa, Borno, Cross Rivers, Kwara and Oyo states. These regions were some of the poorest in Nigeria. The NCC website did not publish the total fees paid by PresTel, but indicated they were paid in full by the end of 2006. Press articles placed the licensing fees at N260 million ($2 million). The International Development Associations (IDA) supported the project with a one time subsidy of US$5.05 million.