Shopping for Easter free from dropped calls

•We’ll hold you responsible, NCC charges at Telcos
•We’re doing all in our powers to deliver, Telcos respond
By Prince Osuagwu

If Telecom services remain the way it had been in the past few weeks, we surely will have an Easter celebration full of dropped calls and data depletion complaints.

But, it had better not be, because the body language of the regulator, the Nigerian Communications commission, NCC does not seem to have the tolerance for such conditions any more.

A foretaste of this body language is the unscheduled visit the commission made, Wednesday, to the network facilities of major Telecom companies in Lagos.

The surprise visit was apparently to assess the level of investments the telcos have so far made, to still have their networks allegedly falter to the extent subscribers lamented.

The visit may not be unconnected with a series of complaints the commission said it received from subscribers over poor services rendered by the telcos.

The complaints, last week, led the commission to issue a directive, mandating the telcos to pay compensation to affected subscribers or face the Commission’s wrought.

In an official statement signed by the Head, Public Affairs of the Commission, Mrs Nnenna Ukoha, the Commission said: “ Our position is that subscribers should not be made to bear the full burden of service disruptions where operators fail to meet prescribed standards of service delivery.

“Under this directive, erring operators will compensate affected users directly for breaches of Quality of Service (QoS) Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

“Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) shall be required to pay these compensations for instances of poor quality of service recorded within specified time frames.

“The compensation will be provided in the form of airtime credits, calculated based on subscribers’ average spending patterns and their presence within Local Government Areas where service failures occur.

“The directive is rooted in the Commission’s broader regulatory philosophy that places the consumer at the centre of Nigeria’s telecommunications ecosystem.

Telecommunications services today underpin economic activity, social interaction, and access to digital opportunities. When service quality is poor, the consequences affect productivity, commercial activities, and even public confidence in our communications system.

“While regulatory fines have traditionally served as a deterrent against poor service delivery, the Commission is adopting a more consumer-focused approach that strengthens accountability within the industry.

“The Commission has designed this measure to complement existing and ongoing efforts to strengthen service quality monitoring and enforce performance standards.

“Further to this directive the Commission is also mandating Tower Companies who own the critical infrastructure for Quality of Service delivery, such as masts, to invest in infrastructure with measurable outcomes using sums that it has fined these companies, in addition to other financial fines the Commission will deem appropriate.

“The Commission will continue to reinforce the obligation of operators to invest consistently in network resilience, capacity expansion, and infrastructure upgrades to meet the growing demand for telecommunications services. At the same time, it will deploy regulatory tools that promote fairness, transparency, and accountability across the sector, ensuring that every subscriber receives the quality of service they deserve while sustaining a telecommunications industry capable of powering Nigeria’s digital future”.

Meanwhile, the telcos tactically challenged the commission to prove that its decision was backed by empirical data.

Represented by the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria, ALTON, the telcos queried the methodology behind pronouncing them guilty.

President of the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria, ALTON, Engr Gbenga Adebayo who said he was aware of the directive of the commission to his members, however noted that the telcos were engaging the regulator to clear some gray areas in the directive. He said some of his members affected by the directive were confused about how the commission arrived at such decisions.

“While we would also want to comply with the Commission’s directives, we are also obligated to ask questions where issues are not clear; and that’s the stage we are now. Perhaps, we may have a resolution within the window of the Commission’s directive” he added.

Apparently to show it meant business, the commission assembled a team, led by the Chairman of board, Dr Idris Olorunnimbe and the Executive Vice Chairman, Dr Aminu Maida, who visited the facilities of MTN Nigeria, Airtel, Globacom and a data centre, Open Access Data Centre OADC on Wednesday.

The team which looked all determined, skipped all niceties and went straight to business.

At MTN’s facility a firm and stern looking Olorunnimbe hurled out the words: “We have received many complaints particularly that on your network the services are poor and that data disappears. However, we know that data doesn’t disappear. So we have come to see your network physically and also ask you what is going on”.

Also, Maida who didn’t look any less determined like his Chairman, added: “Like the Chairman said, I have always told all the telcos that I will work harmoniously with them but in the same breadth, I will hold them accountable. That is exactly what we are fulfilling.

But a confident Chief Operating Officer of MTN NIgeria, Ayham Moussa commended the team and said: “This visit is an honour. It will even help to strengthen our relationships. As Operators, we cannot claim to be perfect, but we are trying our best to ensure we provide the best of services to our customers”.

The company went ahead to reel out series of innovative services and solutions it introduced to the industry which helped to elevate the country’s economy.

The same routine played out when the team arrived at Airtel Globacom and at Open Access Data Centre, OADC.

After the tour, Dr Maida faced the press and said: “This is not my first facility tour, but it is the first time the public will see this level of engagement. I must say I’m impressed.

We understand that Nigerians are yearning for better services, and improved service requires strong infrastructure. While we are not yet where we want to be, what I’ve seen today reassures me that operators are continuing to invest significantly.

“I appeal to Nigerians to be a little more patient as these investments mature, so we can effectively address infrastructure deficits and improve service delivery

The board Chairman, Olorunnimbe corroborated Maida, saying: “Having toured these facilities, I think I speak for everyone at the NCC when I say that the overwhelming feeling is pride.

“We are proud of what has been achieved. And on behalf of the Commission, we commit our support to ensure that all stakeholders in this industry receive the backing they need to thrive and grow.
“This sector is a critical contributor to our everyday lives.

Commending the NCC team, Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria, ALTON Engr Gbenga Adebayo said: “I’d like to thank the NCC Chairman and Board Members for visiting.
“This tour was an opportunity to showcase the progress we’ve made as an industry.

We are addressing key sustainability challenges in the sector. You’ve seen the scale of investment, the level of human capital development, and the broader societal impact.

You can also see the growth potential of this sector.

“For us, this visit is about saying: come and see what we’ve built. But it’s also a reminder that there’s still much more to be done.

“As the saying goes, the reward for hard work is more work. So we remain committed to continued investment and growth”.

Even with the seemingly convivial way the facility tour ended, one could see that the commission is a different animal when the issue of subscribers’ complaints on poor services hit them. From all indications, whether the Telecom sector will boil or stay calm in the coming weeks may be determined by the type of Easter celebration we have on Sunday. After all, Olorunnimbe had earlier joked : “As a subscriber, myself, I am looking forward to Easter free from dropped calls”

But looking at his face on Wednesday, any operator that takes this statement as a joke, may be doing so at a great risk.

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