The Nation Newspaper

Tag: NCC

  • Much ado about NCC’s frequency management

    Much ado about NCC’s frequency management

    SIR: There has been an unusual media attention, and comments about frequency spectrum sales and allocations by the telecom regulatory body, the Nigerian Communications Commission, (NCC). The allegations of underhand frequency dealings were made topical by one of the national dailies which devoted its front pages to report the matter.

    The allegations were that the commission, in less than one year, and during the regime of Dr. Eugene Juwah as chief executive, sold the spectrum that belonged to the Nigerian Police to a private firm, Openskys Ltd at a price adjudged to be below value in comparative terms. There was also another report that a set of frequency was sold to a private company, Smile Communications, without due process and at a price also argued to be below par.

    Since this development, several commentators have begun to discuss frequency issues in a manner that has reduced the intensity of the technicality of the subject. Even some non-governmental organizations that have no knowledge of the subject joined the fray, which prompts the question: Who is afraid of frequency management by the telecom regulator?

    The main question which the traducers of the NCC have raised is why it did not subject the frequencies in question to a public auction. Their position is that an auction would fetch the nation more income. The commission responded that the law allows it to use whatever method prescribed by law and that suits it in maximizing the allocation of any frequency. It added that it has already used this same process to allocate frequencies to several operating companies in Nigeria, including Multilinks, StarComms, Intercellular, and a host of other companies that have been operating in the country in the past 10 years.

    There is something curious about the allegations on the allocation of frequency that belongs to the Nigerian Police. Since the controversy has raged, the Nigerian Police has never claimed publicly that its frequency is missing. The commission claimed that it has allocated a frequency designed for security operations to the police while relocating them out of a commercial frequency. The Police never disputed the position of the commission; this is what makes those making the accusation to appear as crying more than the bereaved.

    For several years, the NCC has staked its claim to transparency in the manners it has handled the spectrum management for the nation. In 2001, it recorded globally acclaimed success when it successfully managed the auction for digital mobile frequency licenses which led to the mobile revolution in Nigeria. In 2008, its claim on excellent frequency allocation management came under test and from its own backyard, when the then Minister of Information and Communications, Professor Dora Akunyili, accused the commission of not following due process in the sale of the 2.3GHz spectrum frequency. This allegation became a major subject in the media for several months, eliciting all kinds of comments until a Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja declared the allegations by the minister as false, and gave the commission a clean bill of health.

    There are curious similarities in the ignition of bogus allegations about frequency sale at the NCC, between former minister and the erstwhile Executive Commissioner of NCC, Dr. Gwandu as both are insiders who have access to whatever information they needed to substantiate their allegations, but for some strange reasons failed to do so.

    I acknowledge whistle blowing as a safety valve against fraud, but such whistle blowing must be based on facts not on the misplaced fantasy of a self-appointed whistle-blower.

    • Daku Abdullahi,

    Abuja.

     

  • Operators kick as NCC pegs sms at N4

    Operators kick as NCC pegs sms at N4

    Telecommunication firms have been directed to charge N4 for domestic off-net short messages (sms) from February 5.

    Yesterday’s Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) directive attracted mixed reactions in the industry.

    The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ALTON) kicked against the decision, but the National Association of Telecoms subscribers (NATCOMS) welcomed it.

    Off-net sms are text messages sent acrosss the networks, that is sms sent using the network of other operators. An SMS sent from an MTN line to an Airtel line, for instance, is off-net sms. Now off-net sms costs N9 and N10.

    ALTON said traffic sms had been considerably reduced due to the upsurge in instant messaging platforms, such as Blackberry, WhatsApp and others.

    ALTON President Gbenga Adebayo said the policy would not profit telecom firms. He lamented the situation where the NCC indulges in micro-managing commercial ventures. This is not in the best interest of the industry, he said.

    The NCC directive, signed by the Director, Legal and Regulatory Services, Ms. Josephine Amuwa, according to a statement issued by Head, Media & Public Relations, Reuben Muoka, has been communicated to the operators since January 3.

    But she maintained that the Commission will not place a price cap on international sms for now.

    The commission, Ms Amuwa said, arrived at the new price cap after due considerations of the submissions made by the operators at various consultative meetings.

    Having evaluated and analyzed SMS traffic information provided by the operators, she said the commission noted that “there was a general recognition that the cost of SMS is too high, especially in view of the interconnection rate of N1.02 (one naira, two kobo only) for SMS as determined by the commission in 2009”.

    While noting that the operators had proposed a price cap ranging between N5-10 per message for Off-Net SMS, she said the operators also urged the commission not to set a cap for international SMS because interconnect rates for International SMS are outside NCC’s control.

    Ms Amuwa said the commission would monitor compliance and penalise those who fail to comply as provided by Section 111 of the NCA 2003.

    Adebayo said the NCC directive will kill many small and medium businesses as most of them have entered into contractual agreement with service providers before the regulator’s directive.

    “SMS traffic over the last three years or when BB messenger and WhatsApp introduced free internet-based messages, which became popular, has dwindled. So, this last straw that the NCC has thrown is just to kill SMS business for service providers because the revenue there is meagre. A few people use sms and the NCC is placing a N4 price cap on it. It is very bad for our business.

    “Other than the operators, there are other value adding providers who buy bulk sms and resell. This kind of directive will kill this business segement. A lot of them have existing long Contracts with the operators,” the ALTON chief said.

    But NATCOMS said though the gesture was coming a little late, it was nonetheless a welcome development.

    NATCOMS President Deolu Ogunbanjo said with the directive of the NCC, on-net SMS that used to attract N5 shlould now be reduced to N1, preparatory to the eventual removal of payment for all on-net SMS. “We welcome the development. Since on-net SMS attracts 50 per cent of off-net charges, the operators should reduce on-net SMS to N1 per SMS,” he said.

    The President, Nigeria Internet Group (NIG), shares the same sentiment as Ogunbanjo. According to him, there are countries where on-net SMS goes for free, adding that when broadband becomes ubiquitous, the cost of telephony will crash considerably.”It is good. When broadband is available, people will be able to make Skype calls. Text messages will be virtually free because of the wide range of options that will be available to the consumers,” he said.

  • NCC pegs SMS at N4.00

    NCC pegs SMS at N4.00

    The Nigerian Communications Commission on Thursday fixed N4.00 for all domestic Off-Net Short Messaging Service with effect from February 5.

    The directive, which was signed by the Director, Legal and Regulatory Services of NCC, Ms. Josephine Amuwa, according to a statement issued by the commission’s Head of Media and Public Relations , Reuben Muoka, has been communicated to the operators since January 3 this year.

    But she maintained that NCC will not place a price cap on International SMS for now.

    The commission, she said, arrived at the new price cap after due considerations of the submissions made by the operators at various consultative meetings.

    Having evaluated and analyzed SMS traffic information provided by the operators, she said the commission noted that “There was a general recognition that the cost of SMS is too high, especially in view of the interconnection rate of N1.02 for SMS as determined by the commission in 2009.”

    While noting that the operators had proposed a price cap ranging between N5-10 per message for Off-Net SMS, she said the operators also urged NCC not to set a cap for international SMS due to the fact that Interconnect rates for International SMS are outside the commission’s control.

     

  • NCC plans virtual taskforce to prevent child abuse

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) will soon adopt measures to protect children from cyber abuses, its Chief Executive Officer, Dr Eugene Juwah, has said

    Juwah said the government would create the Virtual National Security Taskforce (VNST) to work with the Virtual Global Taskforce (VGT) to guide against terrorist recruitment and online predators.

    He said: “VNST will be created, which will work with ViGT. VGT is a law enforcement body which provides a 24/7 mechanism to receive reports about illegal behaviour or content from persons in the United States of America, Canada, Australia and Italy.

    Nigeria will join this global security platform most especially for counter-measures against terrorist recruitment and online predators,”

    According to him, the regulator will also ensure the adoption of a national policy on Nigerian child online terms and conditions based on common criteria and child acceptable use policies which all service providers must subscribe to, in addition to the industry’s service providers general terms and conditions. He said this is vital to motivate industry responsibility in the role and importance of communicating the Nigerian child in terms of clarity, awareness of shared responsibility.

    He stressed the need for industry and regulators’ partnership and collaboration on the classification and rating system of internet content and services using most appropriate age-based rating system, while benchmarking internet content rating standards in the country against universal system of rating.

    “Nigerian Broadcasting Commission, and the industry they regulate shall work together in this direction in the overall interest of Nigeria Child online,” he added.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • NCC, SON vow to punish violators

    NCC, SON vow to punish violators

    The Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) has said that it will not be business as usual in the new-year for any telecomm operator who violates the rules and regulations of the Commission as it is ready to punish any offender.

    Dr Eugene Juwah, the CEO of the Commission said NCC will not hesitate to sanction any operator that goes against its rules and regulations.

    “I want to assure Nigerians that it will not be business as usual for telecomm operators. NCC will continue to be alive to be responsibility by protecting the interest of Nigerians as we have been doing and 2013 will not be different. We have rules and regulations that guidelines operation of telecommunications and we expect every operator to abide by that. Any operator that fails to follow these rules should be ready to face sanctions.”

    Also the Director General of the Standard Organisation (SON), Dr Joseph Odumodu, has promised that the organisation will be thorough in the discharge of its duties in the new-year, adding that importers of substandard products will be thoroughly dealt with.

    “We will continue to sanitise all the sectors on the need to avoid importing and sales of fake products. We have held seminars and workshops and we hope importers and manufacturers will abide with it. But let me state that any individual or company that fails to abide by the standard of the organisation will be dealt with. We will not fold our hands.  In the new year, we are battle ready to rid Nigeria of substandard products.”

  • NGO fights for consumers

    NGO fights for consumers

    The Consumer Rights Advocacy Network (CRANET), an umbrella body of all credible consumer rights advocacy organisations in Nigeria, in collaboration with Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), has held a one-day capacity enrichment workshop for consumer rights advocacy groups in the country.

    The workshop, endorsed by the Consumer Protection Council (CPC), held at the Excellence Hotel Ogba-Ijaiye, Lagos State. Its theme was “Exploring Strategic Alliance with Advocacy Groups for Effective Delivery of Consumerism in Nigeria.”

    The Executive Vice-Chairman and CEO, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) who was represented by Mr Okechukwu Aninweke, NCC Zonal Controller Lagos delivered the keynote address.

    Other stakeholders in the sector including the media were fully represented. In a communiqué signed by the National President, CRANET and founder of Leadership Watch, Dr. Martins P. Iwuanyanwu; Mr. Emeka Okafor Member, Editor, Research Intelligence Magazine, Lagos; Ms Fidelia Salami, Secretary and author of Tourism in Nigeria and Chika Izuora of Leadership newspaper, the group considered various memoranda, reports and submissions presented by lead speakers, Etisalat Telecommunications and Arik Airline being service providers and other stakeholders.

    The forum observed that the regulatory agencies in Nigeria namely Consumer Protection Council, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Standards Organisation of Nigeria, National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control, (NAFDAC), Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), among others have shown little or no commitment to the issue of consumerism and the interest of Nigerian consumers in general.

    An exceptional case, it said, was the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) which it said had put in place innumerable and impressive programmes that protect, inform and educate the consumers in the telecommunication sector. It also praised the efforts of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in protecting bank customers.

    The forum also expressed its worry over the Federal Government’s lack of the appropriate mechanism to monitor and appraise the performance of CEOs of its agencies, which it said resulted in the seeming waste of budgetary allocation to such agencies.

    It also noted that “lack of infrastructure, double taxation and double regulation are major challenges in providing quality and affordable service to consumers.

    “Of particular reference are issues of power and security. Efforts must be made by the Federal Government to address these issues.”

    Another of the problems the forum noted are militating against the smooth operation of some companies is the outsourcing of some important functions within some operating companies. This it identified as part of the causes of poor services experienced by consumers.

    The forum regretted that the poor and weak framework and regulations on consumerism in Nigeria are largely as a result of the incompetence of the leadership of Consumer Protection Council (CPC) and the sweeping corruption in the system. It recommended that round pegs should be placed in round holes in the stead of round pegs in square holes when it comes to appointments into agencies of government.

    As the consumer regulatory agency, the forum expressed the urgent need for the CPC to carry out consumer education and enlightenment. This is so because most consumers in Nigeria do not know when their rights are trampled upon and taken for granted by service providers, importers and manufacturers.

    The forum advocated the need for genuine collaboration among consumer rights advocacy groups and regulators in addressing the challenges of consumerism in Nigeria in order to adequately protect Nigerian consumers.

    Praising the NCC as the only organisation that has shown serious commitment to consumerism from the inception of GSM in Nigeria, the forum noted that it has helped in transforming the telecommunication sector as well as protecting telecommunication consumers.

    Recognising the role of the media in nation-building, the forum noted that consumer advocacy groups should partner with the media in all of their stakeholders’ engagements to drive home the message of consumerism, even as it advised advocacy groups to sustain the clamour for consumer rights until all grey areas are fixed.

    “Nigerian consumers must continue to agitate for better, quality and affordable services and must not shy away from this course for any reason, particularly as Nigerians are seriously complaining about the arbitrariness with which the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) is billing electricity consumers.

    “The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission should step up action to enforce its directive on the PHCN to issue prepaid meter free to all electricity consumers in Nigeria,” it said.

    The forum also condemned the unbridled manner in which sub-standard, fake and adulterated products especially food, drugs, power generating sets and spare parts flood almost all Nigerian markets. It therefore urged that those who take delight in bringing in these sub-standard goods should be made to face the law.

  • NCC’s ban on telecoms’ promos in order

    NCC’s ban on telecoms’ promos in order

    SIR: The indefinite ban placed by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), on all promos and lotteries in the Telecoms industry is a welcome development. According to the Director, Public Affairs of the NCC Mr. Tony Ojobo, the ban is with immediate effect and shall continue to remain in force until such a time as may be determined by the Commission. It is very valid to assert that prior to the coming of this ban, Nigerians had for months suffered unnecessary hardship imposed on them by GSM providers in the country who under the guise of carrying out promos, which was nothing but unbridled capitalistic war to outwit each other, recklessly rolled out all manner of ridiculous promos, and bogus prizes.

    It is on record that while this long season of anomie reigned, no week would pass by without one new promo or the other being unleashed by a GSM provider, ostensibly to overthrow the other competitors. Thus, the GSM companies simply

    relegated efficient service delivery and subscriber satisfaction to the background, and in a naturally expected bourgeois class-imposed scramble, some Nigerians too, unmindful of the huge fortune being made by these GSM companies via this conduit, also latched on to the so-called promos, seeing them as free-for-all. Most of them spent thousands of naira buying loads of recharge cards in time past with nothing to show for it. Had it stopped at just the problem of terrible over-congestion of the networks and continuous dropped calls perhaps it would have been a lot easier to explain. It got to a stage when the GSM companies were promising subscribers amazing prizes like winning an airplane for recharging up to N3000, or a huge luxurious bus to start a dream transport business or winning one billion naira.

    At this point, the scramble to win the so-called star prize simply skyrocketed. While the GSM provider smiled to the bank, the already

    terrible network congestion tightened, confidence of subscribers in the sector was further imperilled and after so much pressure. Close to six months of this reign of “GSM Calls go-slow” that was mindlessly imposed by the Telecoms companies, Nigerians suffered one unsavoury fate or the other, only by reason of the fact that they could not make calls out when caught in very terrible situations, and as at that time the NCC was nowhere to be found. Where then does one situate all of these losses, if not at the doorstep of the NCC? The NCC like every other Government Agency is not supposed to avail itself of a deep slumber akin to the type the biblical Jonah in that Ship on the way to Tarshish, while companies under their superintendence go on frolics of their own. A chronicle of the plenitude of misdemeanours of these GSM companies will leave one amazed. For instance, many a time, Nigerians have had huge amount of credit vanish from their phones after

    making just a short call

    without a refund from their GSM provider. Countless times too, people are simply cajoled to switch from one package to another, usually offering all manner of goodies, only to do so and see that all of one’s credit is gone. That is not to also leave out the unending flow of very many unnecessary promo SMS asking consumers to get one song or the other that usually adds no significant value to the subscriber. Also, the idea whereby some of the self-acclaimed giants amongst the GSM companies periodically thump their chest claiming to have hit a certain subscriber base usually above 10 million, whereas the necessary infrastructure is totally lacking, is just another way of short-changing subscribers. Much as Nigerians appreciate the NCC ban, it may turn out to be nothing but removing a tiny speck out of a log-filled eyes, if these other menace catalogued about are not addressed. Now is therefore the time for the NCC to indeed regulate these GSM companies

    and checkmate their unconscionable recklessness which transcends the congestion on their networks, but rather streams into their other roaming activities.

     

    • Olusola Adegbite, Esq.

    Block 107A, Mayo-Belma Close,

    PW Estate, Kubwa, Abuja.

     

  • NCC bans promos, lotteries by telecoms operators

    NCC bans promos, lotteries by telecoms operators

    Regulator of the telecoms sector, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), yesterday banned telecoms operators from running promos and lotteries.

    It attributed network congestion to the promos.

    Director, Public Affairs of the commission, Tony Ojobo in a statement, lamented that the commission has, in recent times’ been inundated with complaints from consumers, and others against the various promotions offered by telecommunications operators.

    The statement said: “Consistent with its processes, the commission has carefully evaluated the complaints received especially against the backdrop of sustaining the integrity of the networks, the general interest of the consumers, the socio-economic impact of these promotions on operators and other relevant stakeholders.

    “The commission therefore has banned all promotions by telecommunications network operators as well as lotteries being carried out on such networks. This ban covers all proposed and approved promotions and lotteries on which the commission has given approval further to the memorandum of understanding (MOU) entered into with the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC)”

    The commission said the ban takes immediate effect and shall continue to remain in force until such a time as may be determined by the Commission. Affected operators are Globacom, MTN, Intercellular, Visafone, Etisalat, Airtel and Multilinks.

    The commission assured all telecommunications consumers of its resolve to ensure that the quality of service offered across all networks is such that delivers value to the consumers.

    “ In due regard to the afore-mentioned responsibilities, therefore and having observed that these promotions have increased the number of minutes available to subscribers for use within a limited period of time thereby creating congestion in the networks as subscribers try to use up the available minutes within the stipulated time.

    “That on-net calls were now being offered by operators at tariffs well below the prevailing inter-connect rates thereby introducing anti-competitive practices and behaviour.

    “That termination of calls were becoming increasingly difficult from one network to another and overall consumer experience on the networks has become very poor thereby making it extremely difficult for subscribers to make calls successfully,” NCC noted.

     

  • ‘Piracy killing publishing’

    ONE of the problems of the books industry is piracy, the President, Christian Books Association Nigeria (CBAN), Mrs Modupe Ehirim, has said.

    She spoke at this year’s national convention/fair of the group in Lagos.

    She said because of the problem, there are more pirated books in the market, adding that given their cheap prices and the economic downtourn in the country, some people prefer them to the original ones.

    Praising the National Copyright Commission (NCC) on its battle against piracy, she said more efforts by the law enforcement agency and other sister agencies would help to nip the problem.

    Mrs Ehirim urged the government to prosecute the cases of arrested books’ pirates, adding that arrests and seizures of their books were not enough to deter suspects and others from the illegal trade.

    She called for more enlightenment on the evils of piracy to the economy, saying that more people should be urged to desist from buying pirated books.

    On the fair, she said it was aimed at making available good books and creating awareness for the industry. Assessing its impact in the last 10 years, she said the turnout of people at the fair had been impressive. “Last year’s fair in Port Harcourt was well attended. Beside books, we also feature music and other church materials in our fairs. As Christians, we do not sell what is fake. We only sell good materials,” she said.

    She also called on the government to assist CBAN’s members by repairing roads and providing other social amenities, which she said, were hampering the distribution of books, adding that the wear and tear of the roads was adding to the cost of distribution and making business difficult. “My bookshop is not in Lagos. Because of bad roads, it takes some time to distribute to some customers,” she said.

    On Nigerians reading culture, she said: “It is poor. The environment does not encourage reading. In those, the British Council Library was very conducive for reading for us. Now there are no such public libraries or where they exist, they are not enough. But this is changing. Adults are beginning to appreciate the importance of reading. It is the same thing with the youth. In our bookshop, we had invited youths for an excursion. She commended President Goodluck Jonathan for encouraging reading culture through the Bring Back Book project,” adding that the programme should be sustained.

    She urged Nigerians to read, saying that reading enables people not only to know about themselves but also about others abroad and how they solve their problems.

  • NCC uncovers fake SIM registration centres

    OFFICIALS of the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) over the weekend arrested operators of fake SIM registration centres in Ado-Ekiti, capital of Ekiti State.

    NCC’s Head of Enforcement, Mr. Efosa Edehen told reporters the agency will spare no effort to unmask those behind the sales of pre-registered SIM cards in the country.

    According to him, two machines allegedly involved in illegal registration of SIM cards were traced to the state.

    He said: “Pre-registered SIM cards are those in which the biometric identity of a set of individuals are used to pre-register a number of SIM cards and then sold to another set of people.”

    Edehen noted that part of the outcomes of sales of “unregulated mobile phones have been the increasing rate of sundry crimes including kidnaping, robberies, terrorism and advance fee fraud.”

    He appealed to public spirited individuals to partner the commission to stop these and other types of GSM-aided crimes in the country.