New Telecom Operator’s Entry Highlights Limits of Nigeria’s Universal Access Framework
October 8th 2026
- Swift Telephone Network has secured a nationwide license to provide fixed and mobile voice and data services in Nigeria.
- Nigeria still has 87 unserved or underserved areas covering about 23.37 million people, despite a gradual decline in coverage gaps since 2019.
- STN has not yet disclosed where it will deploy its network or how much it will invest, but says infrastructure plans and partnerships will be announced.
Nigeria’s Communications Commission (NCC) granted Nigerian company Swift Telephone Network (STN) a Unified Access Service Licence on Thursday, October 1, allowing it to provide fixed and mobile voice and data services nationwide. The license comes as Nigeria continues efforts to connect people in unserved and underserved areas.
Nigeria is addressing those coverage gaps partly through the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF), a government fund designed to expand access to information and communication technology services. The fund identifies coverage gaps, finances infrastructure and can provide subsidies to operators and service providers to expand their networks.
A 2024 coverage gap study by the USPF identified 87 unserved or underserved areas with a combined population of about 23.37 million. The number has declined over the years, from 114 in 2019 to 97 in 2022 and 87 in 2024. The USPF makes the data available to operators and infrastructure developers to help guide investment.
Under the NCC framework, universal access obligations are separate from the Unified Access Service Licence. Obtaining the license does not by itself require an operator to deploy networks in areas with coverage gaps, where expansion may not be commercially viable without additional support.
STN can now provide fixed and mobile voice and data services across Nigeria. The company says it plans to develop infrastructure and expand connectivity, but it has not yet detailed the areas it intends to cover or the scale of its investment. STN said it will announce strategic partnerships, infrastructure rollout plans and programs involving investors and stakeholders in the coming weeks as it begins commercial operations under the license.
Back