Nigeria 6 GHz Band: NCC Draft Opens Wi-Fi 6E (5925–6425)

Nigeria 6 GHz Band: NCC Draft Guidelines Open the Lower Band for Wi-Fi 6E

Nigeria is moving to add new license exempt spectrum for high-capacity wireless. The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has issued draft regulatory guidelines for the lower 6 GHz band the frequency range 5925–6425 MHz designating it for Wireless Access Systems (WAS) and Radio Local Area Network (RLAN) use on a license exempt, shared basis. In practical terms, this is the spectrum that underpins Wi-Fi 6E, the extension of Wi-Fi 6 into the 6 GHz range.

Two points set the frame for compliance teams. First, the guidelines are not yet final. The NCC released the draft in mid-2025 and carried it into a virtual public inquiry held on 19–20 January 2026, alongside the draft 60 GHz guidelines and the draft Spectrum Roadmap 2025–2030. As of the latest verified record, the lower 6 GHz guidelines remain a draft pending final approval, not an operational rule. Second, access once the rules take effect will be license-exempt but conditional: every device that touches the band must be NCC type-approved before importation, sale, or deployment.

What the Nigeria 6 GHz band draft actually changes

By opening only the lower portion of the band (5925–6425 MHz), Nigeria joins jurisdictions such as the UK, the EU, China, and India that have released part of the 6 GHz range for unlicensed use rather than the full 5925–7125 MHz opened in markets such as the United States, Canada, and South Korea.

The draft establishes a license-exempt but regulated regime with the following core conditions:

• License-exempt, shared, non-exclusive. There are no exclusive assignments in the band and no guaranteed protection from interference. Users must still obtain an Operational Licence-Exemption Certificate from the NCC and comply with the guidelines once they become operational.

• Mandatory type approval. All equipment that accesses the band must be type-approved by the NCC prior to importation, sale, or deployment. Approved devices must operate strictly within 5925–6425 MHz; any post-approval modification can trigger sanctions under the Type Approval Regulations 2024.

• Incumbent protection. Licensed fixed-service users are protected from interference; license-exempt users must optimise their use to avoid causing disruption.

• Notification and reporting. Operators must notify the Commission on deployment using the License Exempt Spectrum Registration Form and submit bi-annual utilisation data (or data as requested).

  
  

Device power classes and permitted use

The draft technical framework distinguishes two device classes, and the distinction governs where a product may legally operate:

• Indoor Low Power (ILP): indoor use only homes, offices, and enclosed environments such as trains and aircraft interiors. Reported limits: up to 23 dBm (200 mW) with a mean in-band power spectral density of 10 dBm/MHz.

• Very Low Power (VLP): permitted indoors and for certain outdoor uses. Reported limits: up to 14 dBm (25 mW) with a mean in-band power spectral density of 1 dBm/MHz. VLP does not cover fixed outdoor deployments, radio-controlled models, or drone-mounted use.

  
  

Fixed outdoor deployments in the band fall outside the license-exempt regime and require a separate spectrum licence.

Standards alignment and a terminology note

The NCC has indicated the framework aligns with IEEE 802.11ax (the Wi-Fi 6/6E air interface) and ETSI EN 303 687, the harmonised European standard for 6 GHz WAS/RLAN equipment. Manufacturers can therefore expect a test-evidence path built on familiar references.

One terminology point is worth flagging for product teams: the NCC's documents predominantly use the label "Wi-Fi 6." Technically, equipment operating in the 6 GHz band is marketed as Wi-Fi 6E (and, in newer silicon, Wi-Fi 7). It is the band designation not the marketing label that governs compliance, so any 6 GHz-capable device intended for Nigeria falls within scope.

What this means for manufacturers

For OEMs, importers, and regulatory affairs teams, the draft reshapes the route to market for any 6 GHz-capable product:

• A new SKU pathway opens behind a gate. Once the guidelines are finalised, 6 GHz / Wi-Fi 6E devices become marketable in Nigeria for the first time, but only after NCC type approval. Products cannot be lawfully imported, sold, or deployed in the band ahead of that approval.

• Existing approvals do not carry over. A device previously type-approved for 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi is not automatically covered for 6 GHz operation; a fresh approval scoped to 5925–6425 MHz is required.

• Power class decides the product claim. Whether a SKU is positioned as ILP or VLP determines its permitted operating environment. Confirm the classification early — it affects technical configuration, labelling, and the use cases marketing can advertise.

• Configuration control is a compliance control. Because post-approval modification can trigger sanctions, lock firmware and RF configuration so that approved units cannot drift outside the permitted band or power envelope.

• Plan around an imminent but not-yet-final rule. The framework is still a draft. Preparing now de-risks the timeline, but market claims should not state that Nigeria has already authorised 6 GHz operation until the guidelines are finalised.

  
  

Certification impact summary

Element	Draft requirement	Impact on manufacturers / importers
Band	Lower 6 GHz, 5925–6425 MHz only	New, narrower band than the full 6 GHz range; confirm device tuning is constrained to this sub-band
Licensing model	License-exempt, shared, non-exclusive	No spectrum licence for typical WLAN use; no interference protection
Type approval	Mandatory NCC type approval before import, sale, or deployment	New approval required; 2.4/5 GHz approvals do not extend to 6 GHz
Device classes	ILP (indoor only) / VLP (indoor + limited outdoor)	Classification drives permitted use, power limits, and marketing claims
Excluded uses	Fixed outdoor, drone-mounted, radio-controlled models	Separate spectrum licence needed for fixed outdoor; drone/RC use not permitted under exemption
Standards	IEEE 802.11ax; ETSI EN 303 687	Build the test-evidence file against these references
Operational obligations	Operational Licence-Exemption Certificate; deployment notification; bi-annual reporting	Post-market administrative duties for operators/deployers
Change control	Operate strictly within band; sanctions for post-approval modification (Type Approval Regulations 2024)	Lock configuration; manage variants through controlled re-approval

Timeline and required actions

Date / stage	Event	Required action
Mid-2025	NCC releases draft guidelines for the lower 6 GHz (5925–6425 MHz) band	Begin gap analysis for any 6 GHz-capable products in the portfolio
14 January 2026	Public inquiry notice issued by the NCC	Review the draft technical annex; position devices against ILP/VLP limits
19–20 January 2026	Virtual public inquiry held (with 60 GHz draft and Spectrum Roadmap 2025–2030)	Submit comments or monitor outcomes via a local representative or certification partner
Pending	Final approval and entry into force	Prepare the NCC type-approval file now: assemble IEEE 802.11ax / ETSI EN 303 687 test evidence, confirm ILP/VLP classification, lock configuration control
Post-finalisation	Market entry	File for NCC type approval before any import, sale, or deployment; secure the Operational Licence-Exemption Certificate for deployment scenarios

Draft-Regulatory-Guidelines-on-the-use-of-lower-6GHz.pdf

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