ZIMBABWE?S Econet Wireless Holdings said it had paid Nigeria $285m for its GSM licence, setting the stage for fierce battle for control of the Nigerian telecoms industry by southern African companies. SA mobile phone operator M-Cell had earlier announced the payment of the same amount for its Nigerian GSM licence, won last month, in Africa’s most populous country. The payments came on the eve of the deadline set by the NCC state regulator for digital mobile licence holders to pay the licensing fee. M-Cell has around 76% of MTN Nigeria, with Nigerian partners holding the rest. The consortium plans to spend $1.4bn in the next 10 years on a local GSM network. – Reuters
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