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Tag: NCC

  • Dominant operator: NCC gives MTN four months to comply

    Dominant operator: NCC gives MTN four months to comply

    MTN Nigeria yesterday said it had reached an understanding with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) over the mode of complying with the regulator’s directive compelling it to raise its tariff.

    MTN Nigeria – the dominant mobile telecos operator in the country had lowered its tariff, compelling more subscribers to move to its network – a move the regulator frowned at. Consequently, NCC about five weeks ago directed the telco to take steps at leveling the playing field in the telecoms industry.

    But Corporate Services Executive at MTN, Akinwale Goodluck, at the telco’s Corporate Headquarters in Lagos yesterday said the telco had sought ‘clarifications’ from the regulator over the issue. He said that as a result of the consultation with the regulator, it has arrived at what he described as “graduated glide path” in implementation of the directives.

    “The NCC, in its recent industry review, noted that phone calls between MTN customers cost three times lower than calls to other networks, adding: “This is indicative of the likely establishment of a calling club for MTN subscribers.”

    It therefore directed “Collapse of On net and Off net Retail Tariffs: The differential between the on–net and off net retail tariffs will be immediately collapsed. The tariff for on net and offnet will be the same, and subject to periodic review.”

    Others include:

    However, Goodluck said MTN had been in talks with the regulator over the modus operandi and modus vivendi of the directive, adding that it wants to implement it in such a way that it will not hurt the interest of the subscribers.

    ”What we have agreed (upon) is a graduated glide path. This means that it is not going to happen immediately but over the next three or four months,” he said.

  • Operators reject NCC’s June 30 deadline for sim registration

    Telecoms operators have kicked against the plan of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to stop the registration of subscriber identification module (Sim) cards on June 30.

    They claimed that the deadline amounts to putting the cart before the horse.

    The Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) said it would not end the exercise.

    The group’s Chairman, Gbenga Adebayo, said: “Given the reality of what we face today, you know we have had significant disruption in our activities in some parts of the country, which has also affected the movement of persons and business activities. So, circumstances in the last three or four months haven’t really helped situation as it were. Therefore, readiness, as we have today, I can say to you is not 100 per cent.”

    According to him, disconnecting subscribers on the network is improper, adding that the regulator should show leadership and direction by first coming clean with information about the integrity of the data it gathered too in the course of the exercise.

    “I think what the NCC itself should do is to provide a direction of the data base it has registered. Recall that we did some part and NCC also did some part. So, if NCC is putting the deadline of 30th of June, I think also situation demand that NCC should give a declaration of the readiness or integrity of the data it has recorded over the period before putting a blanket disconnection order on service providers.

    ‘’So, for me, I think before we go out to say subscribers that are unregistered should be disconnected, I think we should embark on data clean up where there will be integration of data registered by the operators and those registered by the regulator and after the outcome of that, we can take a decision either to disconnect or not. But as it is today, it will appear that NCC is sitting on its own data, no one knows the integrity of the data it has collated. We haven’t done harmonisation of the data collected by them and by us and (the NCC) is coming to give June deadline, I think there is need to review the decision again,” he said.

    On what the operators have invested in the exercise, he said it was premature to begin to speak on the exercise that gave a whopping National Assembly budgetary approval of N6.1 billion to the NCC.

    “May be when we come to the end of the exercise will be the time to talk about how much we have spent. Don’t forget that works are still ongoing,” he said.

    But the NCC has said total number of registered subscribers will only be available when the exercise ends this month end. Director, Public Affairs, NCC, Tony Ojobo, told The Nation that all the operators are expected to forward their data to the NCC. “NCC ha stopped SIM reg but the operators are still doing it.

    They are still compiling data which they will send to the NCC at the end of the exercise,” he said.

    South Africa, the home of MTN, spent $119 million on SIM reg that ended June 30, 2011. While the MTN Group spent 250 million rand (about $37.10 million) on marketing and news staff, Vodacom and Cell C spent between 300 and 400 rands.

  • NCC floats emergency intervention centre

    NCC floats emergency intervention centre

    As part of the measures to ensure prompt response to distress calls especially in accident cases by Kano residents, the Nigeria communication commission NCC has established an emergency intervention center in Kano .

    The center – a multi-million Naira project,according to NCC, will respond to rising cases of accidents and other unpleasant developments leading to loss of lives and properties largely due to lack of adequate and functional emergency center project.

    The Kano NCC Emergency Center located in the Nassarawa GRA and well equipped with modern communication equipment linking the head quarters of the various security agencies operating in the state including the fire service, the Federal Road Safety, Civil Defense Corps among others.

    Speaking while inspecting the project yesterday in Kano, Engr. Emeshili O. Joseph, Technical Assistant to permanent Secretary who represented the minister of Ministry of Communication Technology, said the Project will soon be commissioned. He pointing out that it will go a long way in saving lives and properties as the relevant agencies would respond promptly to distress calls which will be channeled to their various head quarters simulteanously through the emergency center.

    In addition the complex which has well equipped offices for the security personnel that would form part of the team in the center, it also has state-of-the-art communication equipment that will facilitate communication between officers at the emergency center and their respective offices.

    Already, the MTN network has interconnected the center while other communication companies are expected to join before the official commissioning of the project.

     

  • ‘We’ll continue to fight piracy’

    The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has restated its commitment to stamping out the crime of piracy in the country.

    This is coming on the heels of some major successes it recorded in its anti-piracy efforts.

    The commission, which launched two separate raids on some markets in Abuja, arrested about 10 suspects and seized pirated items worth over N7 million.

    In the first operation tagged: “Kubwa Cleansing” led by the Acting Director, Enforcement, Augustine Amodu and the commission raided Kubwa and Zuba markets where pirated optical discs and other items were recovered.

    Amodu said seven suspects were arrested during the raid, while 28,000 pirated copies of optical discs, including movies and musical works were retrieved from both markets.

    In the second raid at the Durumi 1 Market, three people were arrested in connection with their alleged involvement in the illegal distribution of DSTV signal.

    They include Godwin Onyuka, Samuel Nwabueze and Onyuka’s neighbour identified as Chima.

    DSTV’s Manager, Piracy, Gozie Onumonu, who led NCC officials and armed policemen on the raid, said the main suspect, Onyuka’s offence was that he was allegedly rebroadcasting DSTV channels to over 500 households in Durumi Community and in the market and allegedly collects N1,000 per shop monthly.

    Onumonu claimed that Onyuka also collects N500 from each household that he is not giving football channels.

    “And he only pays to DSTV about N13, 000 monthly. DSTV does not give commercial package to people who do cable piracy.

    “DSTV Collective package is meant for viewing centres and hotels. It costs N13, 000 monthly and it is called commercial bouquet.

    “DSTV does not and has never given anybody any licence to rebroadcast its channels via cables. Whoever claimed to have been so authorised should produce the licence issued to him or her by the company,” the DSTV official said.

    Onyuka denied the allegation, claiming that what he does in Durumi eating place is not illegal.

    “DSTV officials came to Durumi eating place and inspected the market sometime last year. The company gave me the right to do what I am doing. An official of DSTV known as Omafo knows about this. Omafo, who is the Assistant Manager, Piracy, came with some other officials of the company; they came in DSTV’s official vehicle to inspect every shop in the market.

    “I have all the documents relating to the transaction. I will provide them at the appropriate time. The transaction, in relation to my business, was carried out at the DSTV main office at Wuse Zone 2, Abuja.

    “My decoders are registered. That was why I could link up others that were registered. DSTV is fully aware of what I am doing. I pay DSTV over N30, 000 monthly subscriptions for this commercial service. I have linked over 40 people.

    “My contract with DSTV is called DSTV Collective. Under it, the company registers some decoders with which you are allowed to connect others for commercial purposes.

    “If they do their investigation and find out that my decoders are not registered for commercial, I should be indicted,” Onyuka said.

    Nwabueze, the chairman, Durumi 1 Market Traders’ Association, confirmed that the suspect distributes DSTV services to his association’s members.

    He said over 40 members are linked by the suspect, who charges N3, 000 for connection and N1, 000 monthly subscription from those he linked. Nwabueze denied knowledge that the suspect’s operation was illegal. He said his only involvement was to assist in the collection of the monthly subscription fee from his members to the suspect to avoid disputation.

    Also speaking, Amodu expressed delight that his commission’s efforts were yielding results with the arrest and confiscation of Onyuka’s operational tools.

    “We have warned severally that the NCC will not tolerate piracy in whatever form. We have said that piracy is a cankerworm that is biting deep into the fabric of the economy of this nation.

    “We have decided to either stamp out or reduce it drastically. The NCC wishes to warn all those engaged in this form of illegal business to stop.

    “If they refuse to stop, we will surely get them, no matter where they may be in this country. Onyuka, who was arrested in Durumi, will be taken to court soon. We are committed to zero-tolerance of piracy in the country,” Amodu said.

     

  • NCC impounds N5.2m equipment

    The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) in Akwa Ibom State yesterday said it has seized broadcast equipment and optical discs worth N5.2 million from suspected pirates.

    Addressing reporters in Uyo, the state capital, NCC’s Liaison Officer Charles Amudipe said the seizures were made during a raid on illegal broadcast transmitting stations in Ikot Ekpene.

    Amudipe said the stations were owned by Ubong Obot, who operates a company called Botex Integrated Services.

    He said the suspect transmitted broadcast signals of Multichoice Nigeria, operators of DSTV, to over 500 houses at Ikot Ekpene at N5,000 for installation and N1,000 monthly subscription fee.

    His words: “Illegal transmission decoders, transmission boosters, rolls of installation wires and other accessories worth N2 million were impounded during the raid at two locations.

    “The locations are: No. 89 Atan Road; 32 Umuahia Road, Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State.”

    The commission also impounded large consignment of foreign and local VCD/DVD movies as well as musical works of both foreign and local artistes, leading to the arrest of four suspected pirates.

    According to the commission, the consignment was worth N3.2 million.

    The NCC said the anti-piracy raid was carried out on four outlets – 2, Abak Road; 29, Abak Road; 30, Oron Road; and 37, Oron Road, Uyo.

     

  • How to ensure quality service delivery, by NCC chief

    How to ensure quality service delivery, by NCC chief

    Expansion of capacity and compelling mobile phoneservice providers to improve are some of the ways to check the incessant problems of service quality in the country.

    Vice President of the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI), Dr Okechukwu Ugweje, told The Nation in Lagos, that the operators should address the problem.

    DBI is the manpower training institution of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

    Ugweje lamented that poor vservice quality is real, arguing that anybody who thinks it is not an issue is truthful.

    He identified network congestion as one major cause of poor service quality, adding that unless massive investment is carried out to strengthen the network, the issue will remain with the industry.

    “Quality of service is a problem and anybody that tells you it is not a problem is being economical with the truth. One of the problems that cause quality of service issue is network congestion and the only way you can solve it is to expand the network. There are other issues in quality of service. Most of the telcos are aware that they do not have good quality service,” he said.

    He said the recent sealing of mega billion deals with both local and international finance houses is one of the efforts being made by the operators to correct the obvious disequilibrium between infrastructure and subscribers.

    According to him, the NCC is also not resting on its oars as it recently sanctioned operators that failed to live up to the key performance indicators (KPIs) entered into with the NCC.

    “I know quite honestly that some of the telcos are doing something by expanding their network. I cannot point exactly at what they are doing, but I have friends among the telcos and they have told me the type of expansion they are doing. Recently, some of them signed loan deals with banks to raise huge amount of money to expand their networks. I think that is one of their efforts to address quality of service. On the other hand, NCC is also doing something, trying to regulate properly and trying to make these telcos provide good quality of service and as you know, the NCC have had occasions to slam fines on the operators to make them do the right thing. So everybody is working hard but in my own opinion, it is not something that can be overcome in a hurry. I were the chief executive officer of one these companies, I will try to address the issue from the bottom top. Anything that relates to quality of service has to be addressed. The government can actually do more to force them to do something on quality pf service but I am optimistic that quality of service problem will become a thing of the past,” Ugweje said.

     

  • Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and other matters

    Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and other matters

    African Independent Television’s live coverage of the Mid-Term Report of Transformation Agenda was quite impressive. On parade were the President and his team members, armed with wonderful presentation and presence, focused on telling Nigerians and the world how much progress has been achieved, developing Nigeria. Good job, Ladies and Gentlemen. It was nice.

    Of particular interest was the presentation of the Minister of Finance/Coordinating Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. Our own globally renowned economistwas in her element, as she reeled out figures to demonstrate how far we have gone as a nation. Of her entire presentation, those on job creation (through YouWIN) and penetration of telephone and internet access were particularly worrisome, unfortunately. But we shall focus on that of telephone, in which she said 93% of Nigerians now have access to telephones through the GSM service. Secondly, she presented that about 38% of Nigerians enjoy internet access.

    Sadly, Madam, those figures may not be true and accurate representation of the fact, as the general public knows it. With especially the GSM-gains, perhaps we need to question the source of that information. Incidentally, we at MC&A DIGESThave had to concern ourselves with the depth of Nigerian Communication Commission’s engagement in the discharge of its roles and functions and its benefits to Nigerian public, with special focus on the quality of telephone service provision by the GSM operators, their business practice and adherence to set rules and regulations, based on the growing disaffection of subscribers. In line with this commitment, we are looking closely at the NCC, on behalf of subscribers in Nigeria.

    On the whole, the Commission has exactly 24 functions as contained on the list of functions. Of the lot, we shall concern ourselves with the 4 listed below, for now (focusing on GSM operators):

    “The protection and promotion of the interests of consumers against unfair practices including but not limited to matters relating to tariffs and charges for and the availability and quality of communications services, equipment and facilities”. We like to know how this is being done In the face of prevalent poorservice quality, doubtful promotional offers, questionable billing system, exorbitant call and data transfer rate and general disaffection of the average GSM subscriber.

    “The promotion of fair competition in the communications industry and protection of communications services and facilities providers from misuse of market power or anti-competitive and unfair practices by other service or facilities providers or equipment suppliers”. What was the reason for the shabby execution of the commission’s function as stated above, when it went to town with its operators’ market dominance report, posting MTN (of all the operators) the dominant player in the voice data category? We need to know the criteria for such report. This unfortunate incidence has the potentials of tilting the market playing field and competitive environment in favor of MTN, when, indeed, MTN’s image in the mind of majority of respondents in our consumer rating survey on GSM operators and their service quality assessment, is not exactly what NCC’s report portrays.

    We advise and trust MTN not to celebrate the NCC “mistake” because it amounts to nothing as far as the subscriber-public is concerned. Therefore, even the commission that thinks it has carried out one of its functions has only wasted its time. The subscriber-public thinks that was an avoidable mistake – by all concerned.

    “The development and monitoring of performance standards and indices relating to the quality of telephone and other communications services and facilities supplied to consumers in Nigeria having regard to the best international performance indicators.”If NCC carried out this function professionally and properly, it would have avoided the mistake it made with its operators’ market statuspronouncement. Is it that the NCC still do not know that in some neighboring African Countries, text messages are free, or that for same service, subscribers in Nigeria are still being charged, as though they are paying for a voice data? If the commission knows that and we are still where we are with the service providers, how does that show that the commission is monitoring the performance standards and indices, performance standard…in line with international standard, in real value terms?

    Continuing, how come NCC still cannot do anything about growing call-drop rate, poor voice quality (between GSM service providers and MultiChoice/DSTV, we do not know who gets affected more when it rains), abrupt termination of calls and unfair billing, if it is monitoring standard and quality of service by service providers?

    “The formulation and management of Nigeria’s inputs into the setting of international technical standards for communications services and equipment.” While we are not in a position to rate the Commission on the extent of involvement in the development of input into Nigeria’s contribution towards the determination of the international technical standard for communications service and equipment, we do worry that, based on the quality of its service at home/locally, its competency and efficiency at carrying out its function as stated above needs to be verified.

    If NCC’s Head of Corporate Affairs, Mr. Tony Ojobo was available when I made to see him during my stay in Abuja last month, May. Sadly, he was too busy to see me, and the attitude he did put up during the brief telephone conversation we had, when I was trying to get appointment for a meeting with him, was slightly inappropriate with the status of the office. Mr. Ojobo should know he owes it a duty to meet people and speak for and on behalf of the commission, when enquirers come-calling. Questions such as, “…yes!? What is it, what do you want? I do not know what you want to know about the Commission that do not already know…because we have put a lot of information in the public…bla, bla,bla do not leave the appropriate impression of that office and the commission.

    However, we can tell our readers, GSM subscribers in Nigeria, Mr. Ojobo and the Nigerian Communication Commission this much, MC&A Digest will commit to its own monitoring, assessment and rating of the GSM operators in our local market, executing its own self-appointed function of providing the general public a report on the GSM operators that they can more likely depend on in their decision-making process. We shall help them in their relationship with their network providers for their own good, since the NCC does not come across as willing to properly inform us in the same direction.

    Perhaps, just perhaps, the Coordinating Minister’s mid-term report on telecommunications service and Nigeria, would have, at least been more accurate to resonate with the Nigerian public on that jolly democracy Day on Wednesday, May 29, 2013, if the Nigerian Communication Commission did some more work. Let us remind the NCC, though, that there is one Aba based telecoms Lawyer, ChibuzorOgii Esq., who has challenged the NCC to assert its authority, if it is serious about balancing the market (Business News i-Resource, May 22, 2013). In the report, Ogii is quoted as saying “NCC should be serious when it makes pronouncement. It is one thing to appear as to the public as if it is working and another to prove that it is genuinely protecting the interest of the market. For instance, the dominant operator in the voice segment is yet to comply with the NCC directive”.

    The NCC, according to the report, had among other things, directed that the dominant player (according to them) in the mobile voice market should collapse on-net and off-net retail tariffs with immediate effectsince 2012. Apparently, Ogii’s worry is that that directive and some others were yet to be carried out by concerned market operators as at the time he was making his comments in May 2013.

    By the way, the invited guest to the Transformation Agenda’s Mid-Term report did say “…put your hands together…like you really mean it” when he called for applause for our President, during his speech. Now, did he have to say that, ahn! Who told him the honorable Ladies and Gentlemen that obliged his request didn’t mean it? Such should not be accepted next time O.

  • Can NCC halt MTN’s dominance?

    Can NCC halt MTN’s dominance?

    About one month ago, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) directed telecom gaint MTN, which it described as the dominant operator, to take steps to ensure a level-playing field in the industry. It threatened to impose price caps on wholesale leased lines and transmission. While MTN is yet to comply, analysts doubt if NCC will walk the talk, writes LUCAS AJANAKU.

     

    Then the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) declared two mobile operators as the dominant players in the telecommunications market and promised to take steps to protect subscribers and other operators, the public welcomed the move.

    Those who praised the NCC’s action recalled the days of the former state-run, Nigerian Telecommunication Limited (NITEL) and its mobile subsidiary, MTEL, which monopoly was to the detriment of the industry.

    Whereas there were only about 5,000 lines in the days of NITEL, today there are more than 113 million lines. NCC said there is need to ensure fair play. So, in June last year, in exercise of its power to “ensure fair competition in all sectors of the communications industry” vide section 1 (e) of its Act, it embarked on a Study of the Assessment of the Level of Competition in the Industry.

    KPMG Professional Services was in the same month engaged to carry out a Study on Assessment of the Current Level of Competition in the industry, having undertaken a similar study for the Commission in 2005. For the study, the market was segmented into mobile voice market, fixed voice market, mobile data market and upstream market.

    “The mobile voice market is not effectively competitive and is still highly concentrated with an HHI of 3063. MTN has a 44 per cent market share of subscribers within this market. There is also a wide differential (of about 300 per cent) between on net and off net calls and this is indicative of the likely establishment of a calling club for MTN subscribers,” the report said.

    In the fixed voice market, it said though Starcomms (with about 33 per cent market share of subscribers) has the highest market share within the fixed voice market, it is not considered to have significant market power in this market as it has consistently lost market share over the past three years. The fixed voice market has been on the decline since 2008 and has lost 70 per cent of its market over that period while in the mobile data market, the report noted that it accounts for 99 per cent data market.

    “The GSM operators lead this market segment. The major competition concern is that the wholesale providers of bulk bandwidth also play in the retail mobile data market and potentially stifle competition in this market. The study, however, concluded that no operator is dominant within the mobile data market,” it added.

    In the upstream market, MTN and Glo control about 62 per cent of the public terrestrial transmission infrastructure, which is a bottleneck resource in the provision of voice and data services. There are concerns that operators playing in the wholesale and retail sub segments of these markets have the leverage to “squeeze” the margins of their competitors who are also their customers.

    In view of these, the NCC resolved that the Dominant Operator in the mobile voice market shall be required to certain obligations, which incude accounting separation, collapse of on net and off net retail tariffs and submission of required details.of operations from time to time as the need arises. “The Commission shall make a determination of pricing principle to address the rate charges for on-net and off-net calls for all other operators,” NCC added.

    In the wholesale leased lines and transmission capacity market, which are dominated by Glo and MTN, NCC said they shall be required to adhere to the obligations of price cap/price floor, accounting separation, and submission of required details.

    NCC said all these would take effect from “May 1, 2013 and remain valid and binding on licencees for the services specified in relevant market segment of this sector until further reviewed by the commission.”

    Analysts have faulted the attempt of the NCC to cap the price in the wholesale and transmission sector. “How do you regulate what you do not own? This is the major problem with the deregulation of the downstream oil sector. The government said it deregulated and issued licences to people to build refineries and insisted in capping the price of the finished products. That is why no private enterpreneur is jumping at the offer,” a sector analyst said on condition of anonymity.

    “MTN should, among others, collapse on-net and off-net retail tariffs immediately. MTN booster weekly prepaid charge, for instance, offers MTN-to-MTN calls at 10 kobo per second; while subscribers are charged 150 per cent more – 25 kobo per second – for calls to other networks. At 30 kobo per second for calls from the second minute till the rest of the day, “MTN Super Saver off-net call rates are exploitative. There is a huge difference of 200 per cent as it charged 10 kobo per second for on-net calls,” a subscriber lamented.

    But the General Manager, Public Affairs, MTN, Funmi Omogbenigun, concedes the power to regulate tariffs to NCC. She, however, added that the telco was in talks with the regulator on the market dominance.

    “By law, NCC must approve tariffs; as such, we are in discussion with the NCC. We are also discussing the implementation with the NCC, to ensure that their directive is implemented in a manner that causes the least possible negative impact on our customers, if any,” she said.

    Glo’s Talk-Free pre-paid package, on-net calls cost 15 kobo per second and 18 kobo per second for off-net calls. On Glo Hi-Flier and G-BAM Hi 5ive, subscribers enjoy the same 18 kobo per second charge to any network within Nigeria. But subscribers say it charges 10 kobo per second for on-line calls on Glo Gista, but 30 kobo per second for off-net calls, while Glo 1derful rates for voice calls are 15 kobo per second for on-net calls and 25 kobo off-net. These, they argue, is also exploittative.

    Airtel has 2good Classic and Airtel Club 10, among other packages. For the former, voice calls have a flat rate of 18 kobo per second for calls to all national destinations, irrespective of the network. Airtel Club 10 requires subscribers to register 10 Airtel lines of family, friends or associates which would then enable calls to be made at 8.34 kobo per second. Calls to other Airtel numbers on this package cost 20 kobo per second on-net and 30 kobo per second off-net.

    Etisalat has Easy starter, among its several bouquets. Calls to networks cost 50 kobo per second, while Homezone calls are charged at 40 kobo per second whether on-net or off-net. On Easycliq, calls within the network at peak period cost 40 kobo per second and a minimal increase to 50 kobo per second for off-net calls.

    Omogbenigun argued that the difference between MTN’s on-/off-net tariff is competitive. “With respect to the other comments in your enquiry on MTN tariffs, our response is that the differential between our on-/off- net tariff is extremely competitive compared with other operators. Indeed, the differential between on-/off-net tariffs for one network is as much as 1000 per cent,” she said.

  • Dominant operator: Why MTN has not complied

    Dominant operator: Why MTN has not complied

    Nigeria’s dominant operator in the voice segment of the telecoms sector, MTN Nigeria, says it has not implemented the directive issued to it by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) because it does not want to hurt its subscribers. It said it wants to execute the regulators’ directive in a manner that will not negatively affect its customers. The implementation of the directive, according to the NCC, ought to have taken effect May 1st.

    The NCC, in its recent industry review, noted that phone calls between MTN customers cost three times lower than calls to other networks, stressing that, “This is indicative of the likely establishment of a calling club for MTN subscribers.”

    Based on the report and desirous of providing a level playing field for all the operators, the NCC directed the dominant operator to, among others, “Collapse of On net and Off net Retail Tariffs: The differential between the on–net and off net retail tariffs will be immediately collapsed. The tariff for on net and off net will be the same, and subject to periodic review.”

    Investigation by The Nation shows that the contrary has been the case as the telco has largely failed to comply with the regulator’s directives.

    Justifying the failure of the telco to obey the directive of the NCC, General Manager, Public Affairs, MTN, Funmi Omogbenigun says, it is the duty of the NCC to approve tariff structure, arguing that the telco was still in talks with the regulator with a view to arriving at a mutually acceptable modus operandi and modus vivendi  to implement the directive,

    “By law, NCC must approve tariffs; as such we are currently in discussion with the NCC. We are also discussing the issue of implementation with the NCC, to ensure that their direction is implemented in a manner that causes the least possible negative impact on our customers, if any,” she explained in a electronic mail or email to The Nation.

    According to her, the tariff charged by the telco on its on/off net tariffs remains extremely competitive when compared with what other operators charge in the market.

    “With respect to the other comments in your enquiry regarding MTN tariffs our response is that the differential between our on/off net tariff is extremely competitive compared with other operators. Indeed the differential between on/off net tariffs for one network is as much as 1000%,” the general manager added.

    The NCC’s industry review had shown that phone calls between MTN customers cost three times lower than calls to other networks. MTN, which has about 44 per cent of the market share, must cut the difference in price by collapsing on/off net calls and face further scrutiny to ensure the telecoms landscape is made competitive for all the other operators, the NCC insisted.

    “The Commission has resolved that the Dominant Operator (MTN) in the mobile voice market shall be required to adhere to the following obligations:

    “Accounting Separation: The Commission will immediately enforce and implement Accounting Separation on the dominant operator

    ”Submission of Required Details: The Commission may require the dominant operator to submit details on specific aspects of its operations from time to time as the need arises.”

    The NCC added that it shall make a determination of pricing principle to address the rate charges for on-net and off-net calls for all other operators

    On the Dominat operatorship in the ‘Wholesale Leased Lines and Transmission’ which Globacom shared with  MTN, NCC said it will impose price cap/price floor for wholesale services and price floor for retail services which shall be subject to periodic review, adding it will also “immediately enforce and implement accounting separation on the joint dominant operator.”

    Nigeria is Africa’s fastest growing telecoms market with a population of 167 million people. She has a subscriber base that is slightly above 113 million at the end of 2012, according to the NCC. MTN Nigeria is the market leader with about 50 million lines while Globacom had 24 million subscribers. Airtel has about 23 million customers while Etisalat has 15 million, according to data on the NCC’s website.

  • NCC queries GSM firms for poor service

    NCC queries GSM firms for poor service

    ALL trunks are busy; please try again later.” “Your call cannot be completed now; please try again later.” “The number you have dialled is incorrect; please check the number and dial again.”

    Mobile telephone service quality has hit an all-time low. Not only subscribers are worried; the regulators are also disturbed.

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NNC) has written to all the network operators to explain why service quality has suddenly crashed.

    NCC spokesman Tony Ojobo told The Nation yesterday that the commission had been inundated with complaints over the sudden decline in service quality.

    The operators are expected to explain why the situation has gone so bad. The regulator will deploy its engineers to test the facilities of the operators to see if they meet the key performance indicators (KPIs) they signed.

    “We have observed that the service quality has gone down again. We have received complaints from subscribers who said they have tried to do one thing or the other on the networks, which was futile. Based on these complaints, NCC has asked the operators to explain why the situation is so. We are not stopping at that; we are also deploying our engineers to test their (operators’) facilities,” Ojobo said.

    The NCC recently lifted its ban on all promos and lotteries that ride on the network. Sector analysts say the decline in the quality of service may not be unconnected with the lifting of the promos and lotteries.

    National Association of Telecoms Subscribers (NATCOMS) President, Deolu Ogunbanjo, said the NCC ought not to have lifted the ban because doing so has unwittingly led to congestion on the networks.

    “Our members have complained bitterly about the anguish they go through in the hands of their service providers. They spend their hard-earned money to buy airtime for which they hardly get the full value. We have written to the NCC. We feel strongly that lifting the ban on promos and lotteries is responsible for the congestion on the network,” he said in a telephone interview.

    Ogunbanjo said the body had petitioned the NCC, asking for compensation for the subscribers and warning that should the regulator fail to do this by the end of this month, the group would have no choice but to go to court. “We have appealed to the NCC to compensate our members. If it fails to do so by the end of this month, we will be forced to seek legal solution to the problem of our members. We are going to write another letter to them (NCC),” he said.

    Ojobo said the NCC is also looking at the network to see if it is the decision to lift the ban that has caused disruption in services. We lifted the ban on promos and we have being looking at it to establish whether it has any impact on the network. We are studying all that,” he said.

    Many subscribers have been complaining about poor service quality. It is either they can’t get to load their airtime or make calls.