African telco leaders urged to secure 600MHz spectrum for rural 4G/5G boost
Dr Bashir Gwandu, former head of Nigeria’s NCC and NASENI, told African telecommunications experts at the 2026 Spectrum Management Conference in Tunis on Monday that the continent must unite to secure the 600MHz frequency band for mobile services ahead of the ITU World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC‑27) in Shanghai. He argued that allocating the band to International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) would lower deployment costs and extend coverage, especially in rural areas where signals travel farther and penetrate buildings better.
Citing GSMA data, Gwandu noted that rural users already spend nearly twice as much time on low‑band spectrum as urban users, and that every extra 50 MHz of sub‑1GHz spectrum can raise 4G coverage by seven percentage points and 5G coverage by eleven points. He warned that more than 135 million Africans in the countryside remain unconnected, and without sufficient low‑band spectrum the digital divide will persist.
Gwandu urged regulators to push for a primary allocation under ITU Footnote 5.307A, or at least an interim spot in Footnote 5.307B, and to amend Resolution 235 (WRC‑23) so that upcoming WRC‑31 studies include African countries. He also called for cross‑border coordination to avoid objections that could block new spectrum awards.
Will you support regional efforts to unlock the 600MHz band, advocate for your national regulator to prioritize rural coverage, or consider how better spectrum policy could improve your own connectivity?