‘90% of telecoms operators may close shop in 5 yrs’

90 per cent of homegrown telecom operators may close shops within the next five years, a telecom legal and regulatory expert, Barr. Ayoola Oke has said.

Ole, who spoke on the issues affecting the local operators Thursday in Lagos, said the bigger telecom operators are suffocating the local ones.

Oke described the industry as subdivided into three tiers, with tier 1 for big network operators Mobile Network Operators (GSM); Starcomms, MTS 1st Wireless, Intercellular, Startech and the likes belonging to tier 2 and smaller operators such as Internet service providers, PNLs, International Data Access Service Providers, Swift Telephone networks, Rainbownet and the likes for Tier 3.

He further stated that almost all the operators that were active and vibrant 14 years ago are now dead or struggling, leaving the tier 2 space almost empty, noting that tier 1 operators face no competition or incentive to improve.