Niger ARCEP PNAF Transition Plan: 5G Spectrum Consultation

Niger: ARCEP Consults on PNAF Transition Plan for 2027–2029 Spectrum Migration

Niger's telecommunications and postal regulator, the Autorité de Régulation des Communications Électroniques et de la Poste (ARCEP), has opened a public consultation on a draft transition plan that would guide how the country migrates its radio spectrum between 2027 and 2029. The consultation runs from 20 July to 31 August 2026 and invites operators, broadcasters, and other spectrum users to comment on proposed band reallocations that are intended to open room for 4G and future 5G services.

The document under consultation is a draft transition plan. It is the implementation roadmap for the National Frequency Allocation Plan (Plan National d'Attribution des Fréquences, or PNAF), 2025 edition, which ARCEP adopted earlier in 2026 to replace the 2017 plan. In other words, the PNAF sets the destination and the transition plan sets the route and the timetable. Nothing in this consultation is yet enacted, and none of it currently changes equipment homologation requirements in Niger.

What the Niger ARCEP PNAF transition plan proposes

The draft plan sequences a set of band by band changes rather than a single overnight switch. The main proposals reported and corroborated across sources are:

• 600 MHz band Reallocation away from digital terrestrial television (DTT) toward IMT/mobile services (3GPP Band n105). ARCEP's stated rationale is that DTT makes limited use of the band while audiences increasingly move to IPTV and over the top (OTT) streaming; the band's favourable propagation makes it attractive for extending 4G/5G coverage into rural areas.

• 700 MHz band Continued refarming for mobile broadband. Portions of the band are currently used by broadcasters and would be cleared progressively for mobile use.

• 3.4–3.8 GHz band (3.5 GHz) Reorganisation to clear wide, contiguous blocks suitable for 5G, while managing coexistence with services currently operating in the band.

• 6 GHz / fixed wireless migration Fixed wireless access (FWA/BWA) currently using the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands could be moved toward the lower 6 GHz band (5925–6425 MHz). The plan also flags consideration of Wi-Fi 6E, Wi-Fi 7, and Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC) for 6 GHz operations.

  
  

Because these are proposals in an open consultation, the specific boundaries, conditions, and effective dates can still change in response to stakeholder input before any final instrument is issued.

What this means for manufacturers

For manufacturers, importers, and OEMs placing wireless and telecom equipment on the Niger market, the transition plan is best treated as an early warning signal rather than an immediate compliance change. Three points matter most.

First, nothing here alters type approval requirements today. A public consultation is not an enacted rule. Existing ARCEP homologation obligations, technical conditions, and documentation requirements continue to apply unchanged while the consultation is open and until any final transition plan takes legal effect.

Second, the direction of travel is clear and product relevant. If the 600 MHz and 700 MHz bands shift toward IMT/mobile and the 3.5 GHz band is reorganised for 5G, the interface conditions, permitted power levels, and coexistence requirements ARCEP applies to equipment in those bands can eventually change with them. Products designed around the 2017 allocation table should not be assumed to remain aligned indefinitely once the transition begins in 2027.

Third, the proposed 6 GHz direction is worth watching for Wi-Fi and FWA portfolios. A move of fixed wireless use toward 5925–6425 MHz, together with references to Wi-Fi 6E/7 and AFC, signals that Niger may align parts of its unlicensed and fixed wireless framework with wider international 6 GHz practice. Manufacturers with 6 GHz capable products should track whether Niger ultimately adopts AFC style coordination or a different coexistence model, as that choice affects how such devices may be configured and approved.

The most useful action right now is participation and monitoring: eligible stakeholders can file comments before the deadline, and all affected parties should map which of their products operate in the named bands so they can respond quickly once a final plan and any consequential type approval conditions are published.

Certification impact summary

Dimension	Current status under this consultation
Instrument type	Draft transition plan (spectrum migration roadmap), not a type approval instrument
Legal status	Public consultation proposals not yet in force
Immediate effect on type approval / homologation	None at this stage; existing ARCEP requirements unchanged
Bands potentially affected	600 MHz, 700 MHz, 3.4–3.8 GHz (3.5 GHz), and 2.4/5 GHz → 6 GHz (FWA)
Services in play	DTT → IMT/mobile; broadcast → mobile broadband; FWA → 6 GHz
Standards/technology references	3GPP Band n105; Wi-Fi 6E; Wi-Fi 7; AFC
Implementation window	2027–2029 (phased)
Who should act now	Operators, broadcasters, FWA providers, and equipment makers with products in the named bands
Confidence note	Band-level details corroborated via multiple secondary sources; direct ARCEP Niger notice

Timeline and required actions

Date / phase	Event	Suggested action
11 May 2026	ARCEP adopts PNAF 2025, replacing the 2017 plan	Review the 2025 allocation table as the new baseline for Niger
20 July 2026	Public consultation on the draft transition plan opens	Identify which of your products operate in the 600 MHz, 700 MHz, 3.5 GHz, and 2.4/5/6 GHz bands
20 July – 31 Aug 2026	Comment window open	Prepare and file stakeholder comments; flag coexistence, power, and migration timing concerns
31 August 2026	Consultation closes	Submit any final comments before close
Post-consultation	ARCEP reviews input; final transition plan expected	Watch for the final instrument and any consequential type approval conditions
2027–2029	Phased spectrum migration implemented	Re verify homologation alignment for each affected product ahead of each phase