Another Telecom Company Secures License to Operate, Set To Rival MTN, Airtel, Glo for Subscribers
- Swift Telephone Network Limited (STN) received a Unified Access Service Licence from the federal government, clearing its path to operate nationwide
- The indigenous telecom company, which traced its roots to a small business centre in 1998, went through years of setbacks before reviving its push for a full licence
- Telecom and economic experts weighed in on what STN's entry could mean for competition and pricing in Nigeria's telecoms market
PAY ATTENTION: Mark Legit.ng as a preferred source, and our content will appear higher in your Google feed!
Legit.ng journalist Dave Ibemere has over a decade of experience in business journalism, with in-depth knowledge of the Nigerian economy, stocks, and general market trends.
Nigeria's telecoms sector is gaining a new operator after Swift Telephone Network Limited (STN) received a Unified Access Service Licence (UASL) from the federal government, giving it the authority to provide telecommunications services across the country.
STN announced the development on Wednesday, September 30 describing the licence as a key milestone in its long effort to grow its telecoms operations.
Source: Getty Images
The company said it would reveal its strategic partnerships and national rollout plans in the coming weeks.
With the licence secured, STN will now compete in a market alongside MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom, 9mobile and Lebara.
What STN plans to build
Managing Director and CEO Oluwole Adetuyi said the company's focus areas include training engineers and digital professionals, forging partnerships with Nigerian vendors, widening connectivity to close the digital divide and creating economic opportunities across the telecoms value chain.
STN's Director of Legal and Regulatory Affairs, Yetunde Okafor, said the company aims to build a business that is rooted in Nigeria but competitive on a global scale, DailyTrust Reports.
Okafor said:
"Our ambition is clear. To build a telecommunications company that is proudly Nigerian in its roots, global in its outlook, and transformational in its impact."
She added:
"We want to connect people to opportunities, businesses to customers, and Nigeria to the possibilities of the digital future."
Adetuyi, who revived STN in February 2017 after the company's operations had shut down in November 2010, reflected on how far the business had come.
He said:
"This licence is not the destination. It is the bridge. From a small business centre in 1998 to a UASL operator in 2026, the journey has been long. But the journey has never stopped."
Source: UGC
STN's long road to this point
STN was founded in 1998 and had an early footprint in digital landline services, voicemail and connectivity projects for institutions including the World Health Organisation and the Nigerian military.
The company formally applied for the UASL on February 22, 2022, after rebuilding its operations and settling regulatory obligations that followed its earlier shutdown.
STN's operations had ceased in November 2010 following infrastructure losses and boardroom challenges.
Adetuyi revived the company in February 2017 alongside Okafor, beginning the process of rebuilding the business.
After reinstating its licence in 2019, STN resumed operations in September of the same year, Leadership reports.
The latest UASL approval now gives the company a pathway to expand its telecommunications services nationwide as it prepares to announce its rollout plans and strategic partnerships.
Lebara fits into Nigeria's telecoms market
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Lebara is entering as a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO), meaning it delivers services to customers using infrastructure owned by existing network operators rather than building its own.
This approach allows the company to compete on pricing, distribution and customer experience without the capital outlay that comes with constructing a full mobile network.
The initial service bundle covers mobile voice, SMS and data, alongside features such as usage tracking
Source: Legit.ng
