More than a decade after the telecoms’ revolution, the quality of data services provided by the operators has remained a nightmare to subscribers. Data consumers say the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) should do more to protect them from exploitation, reports LUCAS AJANAKU.
From the way he behaved at the event, it was clear he had long waited for an opportunity to express his displeasure on the quality of services (QoS) he got from his service providers. So, when the regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), provided telecoms consumers an opportunity to interact with its officials at the last Lagos International Trade Fair, organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), at the Cricket Oval, Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos, Mr. Taju Onitiju used the opportunity to decry the poor quality of services and the depletion of his ‘credit’ through continous delivery of text messages, which he had sent. According to him, at the last count, sent messages were more than 500.
As a manifestation of his frustration, he ‘ignorantly’ accused the NCC, which had sanctioned the operators, of complicity in the cleverly orchestrated fraud being perpetrated by the telecoms operators against their customers in the country.
Director, Public Affairs, NCC, Mr. Tony Ojobo and Deputy Director, Consumer Affairs Bureau (CAB), NCC, Dr Atoyebi, took time to assure the audience, including Mr. Onitiju, that the regulator takes the issue of consumer protection seriously because it is one of its core mandates.
Data users also suffer QoS challenge. While there is key performance indicators (KPIs) set down by the NCC with the consent of the telcos for voice calls, it is not clear if there is any such parameter in the data segment of the industry.
The CAB, however, said it has been inundated with an avalanche of bitter complaints by data subscribers through its the Telecoms Consumer Parliament (TCP), Consumer Outreach Programmes (COPs) and Consumer Town Hall Meetings (CTMs). Thus, it was not a coincidence that the last TCP convened in Lagos by the NCC had Data Service Delivery: The Way Forward as its focus.
Director, CAB, NCC, Mrs Maryam Bayi, defined data service as the distribution of internet service on demand to the user regardless of geographic or organisational separation, adding that it is also the ability of network operators to provide data services to consumers on demand.
Benefits
The importance of data services to global technological revolution and contribution to national economic and social development cannot be overemphasised. Data services, through broadband would facilitate services such as e-government, e-commerce, e-agriculture, telemedicine, e-education and a host of other benefits. A frequently cited World Bank study found that low-income and middle-income countries experienced “about a 1.38 per cent point increase in GDP (gross domestic product) for each 10 per cent increase in (broadband) penetration” between 2000 and 2006.
The World Bank further found that the development impact of broadband on emerging economies is greater than for high-income countries, which “enjoyed a 1.21 percentage point increase in per capita GDP growth” per 10 per cent increase in broadband penetration.
Mrs Bayi said data services are able to eliminate redundancy and streamline costs. This is because critical data is housed in one location, enabling data to be accessed and/or updated by multiple users while ensuring a single point of reference for updates.
Data service challenges
Although data services have many advantages, it have some potential drawbacks. These include server downtime from data service provider, data loss in the event of a disaster, and inadequate security of the data, both in its stored location and in transmission among users.
She said the CAB has, through its Complaint Management Database, identified four major complaints by the subscribers.
Consumers’ headaches
She said: “Sourcing from our Complaint Management Database, we have compiled the most prevalent consumer complaints on Data Service Delivery. These include inability to browse; abnormal depletion of data; unsuccessful data renewal; and unauthorised service renewal.”
Inability to browse happens when internet service browsing is not active and a user is unable to connect to the internet. “Subscribers complained most often that they have Enhanced Data for Global Evolution (EDGE) on their phone, but they cannot connect to the browser and yet their data bundle expires at the end of the month because there is no allowance for data roll over,” Mrs. Bayi said.
Abnormal depletion of data is another nightmare of the subscribers. This occurs when there is minimal or no internet activity while the resulting data usage does not correspond with actual usage.
Another issue is unsuccessful data renewal, which happens when the data bundle purchased had expired. Consumers so often purchase data, transaction confirmed as monies have been debited, but data renewal fails and there is no active data bundle.
The issue of unauthorised service renewal is another sore point of the subscribers. For mobile subscription, it happens when consumers’ voice credit gets depleted on expiration of data bundle plan without consumers’ authorisation, thus resulting in drop in air time balance.
Speed is another challenge. Some of the operators promise the speed they lack the technology to provide just as they lie about the technology deployed to roll out services to the consumers. The Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, NCC, Dr. Eugene Juwah lamented that the service quality being provided by the operators have become worrisome, lamenting that some of the operators providing services on 2G claimed they are doing 3G and even long-term evolution (LTE) or 4G.
Operators react
Reacting to the complaints, representatives of the telcos and internet service providers (ISPs) said most of the complaints arose from the consumers’ ignorance about the working of their mobile phones while others are as a result of the operating environment challenged by a myriad of circumstances.
Customers Service Executive at MTN, Akinwale Goodluck, blamed the quality of mobile sets used for some of the data hiccups, adding that grey markets continue to flourish because of the issue of affordability. According to him, the amount of data consumed is also important, stressing that the firm has embarked on education and enlightenment for the subscribers. He said the auto-renew of data service for customers was in their interest because if it was not done, data charges immediately go into their voice account, adding that MTN compensates the customer any time it discovered it has indeed, erred.
An official of Airtel, Ibe Nwandu, said data connectivity is solely dependent on network availability and coverage. Since it is not easy to give what one does not have, coverage continues to be a challenge. To him, the customer is king, so the telco has threshold of notifying customers on their data services. He said the telco has provided options for customers to opt in and out, adding that the organisation would continue to work hard to improve customers’ experience.
Head, Network Operations, Globacom, Mr. Aremu Olajide, said the firm has invested massively in equipment swap nationwide. According to him, more 3G cites are being built while fibre optic cables are also being laid to complement microwave.
Olajide did not rule out occasional service disruptions, which may occur when there is fibre cut and transitioning to microwave that may take a little time to achieve. He said there is need for customers to know what they use their mobile phones to do, adding that the telco refunds after genuine complaints are established. He added that text messages are usually sent to customers in respect of auto-renewal.
Like his counterpart in Airtel, Etisalat’s Director, Customer Care, Plato Syrimis, said coverage remains a challenge. Though the last operator to join the fray, he said, the telco is not giving excuses, but working hard to build more 3G cites. He also said the firm is taking the issue of consumer education seriously as it would help them to save their credits from being depleted unnecessarily.
Director at Spectranet, Chief Ezekeil Fatoye, said the firm operates on the 2.3 gigahertz (GHz) spectrum and began offering services on WiMax, migrating to LTE, which limited its coverage, as customers of WiMax could not migrate to LTE. He said customers affected by the technology upgrade were compensated, adding that the network has since been optimised and back, and running.
Gbolahan Thomas of Smile Communications, said his firm was not guilty of any of the ‘charges’ arguing that the organisation has empowered the customers to do a lot of things on their own. He said the Smile Block is a technology that the firm has put in place to block sites such as YouTube that are heavy data depleting. He said there is also 24/7 customer care support lines, adding that its data renewals are effected through its army of agents present in every nook and crannies of the country.
Lynda Amaechi of Visafone and Chukwuka Igoro of Cobranet said customer education is central to the issues around data usage and depletion. Lynda said customers could opt out of any of the telco’s services at will, adding that self service on IVR has also been strengthened to help customers.
