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Tag: telcos

  • Telcos: banks liable for stolen cash via mobile networks

    Telcos said they are not liable for any cash stolen by fraudsters riding on their networks.

    Acting under the aegis of Association of Licensed Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ALTON),  they advised bank customers to hold their banks responsible for any money lost to cyber crooks using mobile phones.

    Speaking in Lagos during the last Industry Consumer Advisory Forum (ICAF) organised by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the group’s Executive Secretary, Gbolahan Awonuga, said the lenders should set up a 24/7 customer helpline for customers to lodge complaints, adding that the lenders should also ensure prompt response.

    Awonuga, who represented the Chairman of the group, Gbenga Adebayo, said the group was worried at the increasing spate of frauds being perpetrated through the telecoms network and urged stakeholders to come out with solutions to tackle the menace.

    Reacting to the problem, Deputy Director, Consumer Affairs Bureau at NCC, Philip Eretan, said the use of telecoms infrastructure to defraud bank customers is a big challenge facing the regulator.

    He said fraudsters have turned to the mobile network to swindle people of their hard-earned cash.

    He warned bank and telecoms customers to be extremely careful in sharing their bank details with charlatans, who will pretend as officials of the banks.

    He gave the warning against the backdrop of an increase in the case of Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card swap, which he said has become alarming.

    Eretan, however, assured that the NCC and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) were working together to address the issue, lamenting that crimes move faster than investigation.

    Earlier on, Mr A. Akande of the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) complained about unsolicited adverts on his mobile phones.

    He cited an advert on a certain phone number, which took him to a website which he later found out was in Ghana.

    He said he called the phone number and someone in Enugu, Enugu State, picked his call and complained to him that fraudsters have been using his phone number to perpetrate fraud.

    He wanted to know what the NCC was doing about situation like this, especially when SIM cards are supposed to be registered.

    NCC’s Deputy Director, Consumer Affairs, Ismail Adedigba, who responded, regretted that the elite hardly read local newspapers nor listen to local channels.

    He said if people in the elite class were either watching CNN, or reading a foreign newsmagazine.

    He said the NCC has done so much in sensitising the subscribers across the country through its Consumer Outreach Programmes, monthly Telecoms Consumer Parliament, Town Hall Meetings and others, adding that the Commission has put in place several measures in place to protect the consumers.

     

  • Telcos: banks liable for stolen cash via mobile networks

    Telcos said they are not liable for any cash stolen by fraudsters riding on their networks.

    Acting under the aegis of Association of Licensed Telecoms Companise of Nigeria (ALTON),  they advised bank cutomers to hold their banks responsible for any money lost to cyber crooks using mobile phones.

    Speaking in Lagos during the last Industry Consumer Advisory Forum (ICAF) organised by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the group’s Executive Secretary, Gbolahan Awonuga, said the lenders should set up a 24/7 customer helpline for customers to lodge complaints, adding that the lenders should also ensure prompt response.

    Awonuga, who represented the Chairman of the group, Gbenga Adebayo, said the group was worried at the increasing spate of frauds being perpetrated through the telecoms network and urged stakeholders to come out with solutions to tackle the menace.

    Reacting to the problem, Deputy Director, Consumer Affairs Bureau at NCC, Philip Eretan, said the use of telecoms infrastructure to defraud bank customers is a big challenge facing the regulator.

    He said fraudsters have turned to the mobile network to swindle people of their hard-earned cash.

    He warned bank and telecoms customers to be extremely careful in sharing their bank details with charlatans, who will pretend as officials of the banks.

    He gave the warning against the backdrop of an increase in the case of Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card swap, which he said has become alarming.

    Eretan, however, assured that the NCC and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) were working together to address the issue, lamenting that crimes move faster than investigation.

    Earlier on, Mr A. Akande of the Advertising Practioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) complained about unsolicited adverts on his mobile phones.

    He cited an advert on a certain phone number, which took him to a website which he later found out was in Ghana.

    He said he called the phone number and someone in Enugu, Enugu State, picked his call and compalined to him that fraudstsers have been using his phone number to to perpetrate fraud.

    He wanted to know what the NCC was doing about situation like this, especially when SIM cards are supposed to be registered.

    NCC’s Deputy Director, Consumer Affairs, Ismail Adedigba, who responded, regretted that the elite hardly read local newspapers nor listen to local channels.

    He said if people in the elite class were either watching CNN, or reading a foreign newsmagazine.

    He said the NCC has done so much in sensitising the subscribers across the country through its Consumer Outreach Programmes, monthly Telecoms Consumer Parliament, Town Hall Meetings and others, adding that the Commission has put in place several measures in place to protect the consumers.

  • Telcos: we’re not liable for stolen funds via mobile network

    Telcos have said they are not liable for any cash stolen by fraudsters riding on their networks.

    Acting under the aegis of Association of Licensed Telecoms Companise of Nigeria (ALTON),  they advised bank cutomers to hold their banks responsible for any money lost to cyber crooks using mobile phones.

    Speaking in Lagos during the last Industry Consumer Advisory Forum (ICAF) organised by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the group’s Executive Secretary, Gbolahan Awonuga said the lenders should set up a 24/7 customer help line for customers to lodge complaints, adding that the lenders should also ensure prompt response.

    Awonuga, who represented the Chairman of the group, Gbenga Adebayo, said the group is worried at the increasing spate of frauds being perpetrated through the telecoms network and urged stakeholders in the industry to come out with solutions to tackle the menace.

    Reacting to the problem, Deputy Director, Consumer Affairs Bureau at NCC, Philip Eretan, said the use of telecoms infrastructure to defraud bank customers is a big challenge facing the regulator.

    He said fraudsters have turned to the mobile network to swindle people of their hard-earned cash.

    He warned bank and telecoms customers to be extremely careful in sharing their bank details with charlatans who will pretend as if they were officials of the banks.

    He gave the warning against the backdrop of an increase in the case of Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card swap, which he said has become alarming.

    Eretan, however, assured that the NCC and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) were working together to address the issue, lamenting that crimes move faster than investigation.

    Earlier on, Mr A. Akande of the Advertising Practioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) complained about unsolicited adverts on his mobile phones.

    He cited an advert on a certain phone number, which took him to a website which he later found out was in Ghana.

    He said he called the phone number and someone in Enugu, Enugu State, picked his call and compalined to him that fraudstsers have been using his phone number to to perpetrate fraud.

    He wanted to know what the NCC was doing about situation like this, especially when SIM cards are supposed to be registered.

    NCC’s Deputy Director, Consumer Affairs, Ismail Adedigba, who responded, regretted that the elite hardly read local newspapers nor listen to local channels.

    He said if people in the elite class were not watching CNN, they were reading a foreign newsmagazine.

    He said the NCC has done so much in sensitising the subscribers across the country through its Consumer Outreach Programmes, monthly Telecoms Consumer Parliament, Town Hall Meetings and others, adding that the Commission has put in place several measures in place to protect the consumers.

  • Telcos to refund ‘stolen’ deductions to customers

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said it has uncovered huge volume of forceful subscription to services and illegal deduction for same by telcos.

    It said it will order the telcos involved in the scam to refund all the cash illegally deducted to their customers.

    In a statement, the regulator said: “The NCC has noted with great displeasure the unacceptably high level of consumer complaints in respect of forceful subscriptions to Value-Added Services (VAS), as well as airtime deductions for these subscriptions. The Commission mandated several initiatives to tackle the menace. These include the institution of a comprehensive investigation and resolution process, the Do-not-Disturb (DND) facility, and the imposition of sanctions for breach.

    “Disturbed by the persistent occurrence of the menace despite these measures, the Commission carried out a long and comprehensive investigative audit into VAS subscriptions across all MNO (mobile network operator) and VAS platforms. The investigative audit was led by the Compliance Monitoring & Enforcement Department of the Commission, with participation from its other departments such as the Technical Standards and Network Integrity (TSNI), Consumer Affairs Bureau (CAB), Legal & Regulatory Services (LRS), and Licensing & Authorisation (L&A).

    “The Audit Team analysed subscribers’ Call Detail Records from MNOs and subscription logs from VAS providers over a period of two years, leading to the conclusion that a huge percentage of VAS services were not voluntarily subscribed for. The audit team also found that some providers had implemented disingenuous mechanisms by which large numbers of innocent consumers were “forcefully” subscribed to VAS platforms, leading to regular deduction of their airtime without their consent.”

    The statement noted that the Commission has persistently insisted that actions of this sort are unacceptable as they are in direct breach of the Nigerian Communications Act and NCC’s many regulatory instruments on the matter. Such actions also undermine the very foundations of the customer/service provider relationship, that is, transparency and trust, NCC added.

    “Based on the outcome of the investigative audit, the Commission will shortly be directing the indicted organisations to make refunds to affected consumers as appropriate. The Commission is also considering, and will impose appropriate sanctions as necessary. This outcome justifies the Commission’s commitment to evidence-based interventions.

    “We wish to use this opportunity to inform the general public that the Commission may suspend or outrightly decommission some VAS platforms and services in the overall interests of consumers. We assure consumers that these measures will be implemented with minimal inconvenience to them, and trust that we can count on the understanding of consumers who may be affected by these measures.

    “The Commission assures all stakeholders that we will continue to use all available resources to protect the rights of consumers of telecoms services and to ensure that they get appropriate value for their interactions with service and platform providers,” the statement added.

  • NCC, telcos disagree on SIM swap fraud

    • 88 illegal SIM reg centres identified

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday in Lagos, faulted attempt by the telcos in the country to absolve themselves of complicity in ongoing subscriber identity module (SIM) swap fraud.

    Speaking at the inauguration of the newly elected executives of Industry Consumer Advisory Forum (ICAF),  the Executive Secretary, Association of Licensed Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ALTON), Gbolahan Awonuga, said telcos should not be blamed for losing cash to fraudsters through SIM swap.

    According to him, victims should blame their banks for whatever happened to the money kept in the custody of the banks.

    But responding,  Director, Consumer Affairs Bureau (CAB) at NCC, Mrs. Felicia Onwuegbuchulan, said the regulator has not given the telcos a clean bill of health on the matter, insisting that it is curious how services actually disappear from victim’s phones giving credibility to the directive of the fraudsters for victims to switch off their phones.

    Representing the Executive Commissioner Stakeholders Management, Mr. Sunday Dare, she said the Commission is still looking at the facts.

    Meanwhile, the regulator said it has uncovered 88 illegal centres for SIM card registrations across the country and would soon carry out a clamp down on them.

    Mr Dare who told reporters in Abuja, said the NCC is determined to stop the menace of improperly registered, unregistered and pre-registered SIM cards in the country.

    He said said arrangements are being made to carry out raids on the identified locations. “Eighty-eight locations have been identified nationwide as hubs for dealing in pre-registration of SIM cards and other forms of dirty registration,”he said.

    Mr. Dare said the Commission’s collaboration with the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) to end the dangerous practice led to the raid of Central Market, Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State and the arrest of three persons.

    He said the fight against pre-registration of SIM cards has also received another boost as a meeting held on September 3, 2018 between the Commission, Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) continue to yield results.

    He said MTN has delisted 179 agents who were engaged in SIM card pre-registration, saying the move was  part of the resolution reached at the September meeting and called on other operators to follow the same path.

    “In compliance with the resolutions reached at the meeting between the Commission, MNOs and NSCDC held on September 3, 2018, the Commission is in receipt of an Intelligence Report/Rapid Letter from MTN dated November 2, 2018.

    “MTN reported that 179 registration agents were delisted nationwide for their involvement in pre-registration of SIM cards and dirty registration. In addition to this, devices were retrieved and registrations carried out by such agents were deactivated,” Mr. Dare said.

    While commending MTN for complying with the resolution, NCC called on other MNOs to submit intelligence and monthly raid reports as agreed at the meeting.

    The Commission also urged the network operators to engage in aggressive sensitisation campaign on the danger of dealing in any business that has to do with pre-registration of SIM cards.

  • PENCOM engages telcos, regulators, others on micro-pension

    The National Pension Commission (PenCom) has commenced the sensitisation of network service providers and other relevant regulators for efficient and effective registration of people for micro-pension scheme. The Commission plans to kick-start the scheme next year.

    A statement by the Commission said workers in the informal sector are also being targeted with a view to creating the enabling environment and buy-in.

    According to the Commission, it is evident that a robust technological platform that would support the provision of customer services is necessary to effectively and efficiently register, collect contributions, provide Retirement Savings Account (RSA) support, pay benefits and provide financial advisory services to this class of workers.

    The statement read: “Coincidently, special mobile phone applications had been successfully implemented in some jurisdictions for financial transactions, including provision of pension services to the self-employed and informal sector workers. The success stories of these applications drives the confidence that similar platform can be designed and implemented in Nigeria.

    “Consequently,  the Commission had already commenced the sensitisation of service providers and relevant regulators as well as the targeted workers in the informal sector with a view to creating the enabling environment and buy-in. In addition, a Department has been established in the Commission to drive the implementation of the Micro-Pension plan.”

    The Commission explained that the Pension Reform Act (PRA) 2014 expanded coverage of the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) to the self-employed and persons working in organisations with less than three employees.

    “As this category of workers constitute the larger percentage of the working population in the country, there is no doubt that to achieve the Pension Industry’s strategic objective of covering 30 per cent of the working population in Nigeria under the CPS by the end of 2024, all efforts should be on deck  to extend coverage to this important segment of the Nigerian economy.

    “In addition, due to their widely dispersed nature and generally low and irregular incomes, there is need to provide a pension plan that would meet their special characteristics. In this regard, the Micro-Pension plan initiative has been conceived within the context of an industry wide strategy to bring this class of workers on board.”

     

     

     

  • Telcos eye 90mfringe users

    Nigeria’s global system for mobile communication (GSM) operators, Glo, 9Mobile, Airtel, MTN Nigeria, and Ntel, are planning to leverage their assets to deliver access to financial services to 90 million Nigerians over the next 30 months.

    They plan to achieve this feat through a combined mobile base station, integrated identity systems, and distribution network.

    According to the telcos umbrella body, the Association of Licensed Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ALTON), the move will give fillip to efforts to get more Nigerians into the financial system.

    To achieve this ambitious target, the group has inaugurated the Telecommunications Financial Inclusion Committee and laid out the roadmap for deepening financial inclusion and financial literacy across the country.

    This is coming on the heels of the meeting held earlier where the operators met to articulate their commitment to deepening financial inclusion and providing Nigerians with access to a range of affordable financial services.

    During the inauguration, the committee, which will operate within ALTON, laid out its mandate which include driving an awareness programme that will deepen financial literacy across the country within the next three months, work in collaboration with other stakeholders and engage proactively with the government to ensure that telecommunication sector contributes its quota to the national goal of attaining 80 per cent financial inclusion and 70 per cent formal financial inclusion by 2020.

    In the short-term, the committee aims to deliver financial services to up to 35 million Nigerians and increase financial literacy and awareness within 12 months. The longer term goal of giving access to 90 million people across 773 local government areas by 2020, will be achieved through the conversion of it’s over one million airtime agents to mobile money agents.

    ALTON Chairman, Gbenga Adebayo, said: “The inauguration of this committee is a positive and necessary first step to achieving our goals of improving inclusion and literacy. We are focused on delivering sustainable solutions to achieve long-term results. The potential of our sector’s participation in these efforts is enormous. The telecommunications’ subscribers database is the most comprehensive, our coverage is vast and this speaks to the potential that we have as a group to truly contribute to solving some of the challenges that have been faced so far.”

    The purpose of the inauguration was defined as a formal introduction to the start of the journey, and more importantly, to reaffirm their commitments, and begin the process of defining the next steps in this initiative.

    The committee also spent some time to discuss the recent publication of exposure guidelines for the licensing and regulation of Payment Service Banks in Nigeria, articulating necessary next steps and direction.

    “We commend the Federal Government and the CBN for the recently released exposure guidelines for Payment Services Bank (PSB) License; a welcome development that will play a critical role in accelerating financial inclusion,” Adebayo added.

    Also speaking on the development, the Committee’s Secretary, Johnson Oyewo, said: “Our job is to ensure that our industry contributes effectively to financial inclusion and literacy in Nigeria. This committee is being inaugurated at an opportune time with the recent announcement by the CBN, allowing for an inclusive model that encourages all players to contribute towards driving financial inclusion in the country.”

    The committee will meet fortnightly over the coming months to deliver on its mandate. The members include: Engr. Gbenga Adebayo (ALTON), Oladokun Oye (Airtel), Samuel Akinsola (Ntel), Chinedu Anochirionye (Ntel), Ismaila Suhailu (Ntel), Oluwaseun Omotosho (EMTS/9mobile), Chidozie Arinze (EMTS/9mobile), Johnson Oyewo (MTN Nigeria), Jane Amadi (MTN Nigeria), Esaie Diei (Globacom), Oluwatosin Cole (Globacom), Gbolahan Awonuga (ALTON Secretariat )

  • ‘Why telcos should pay 0.005% cybercrime levy’

    A professional group, Information Technology Security Professionals (ITSSP), a group within the Nigerian Computer Society (NCS), has said telcos must pay the 0.005 per cent levy specified in the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act 2015 because the fund was designed to train the requisite man power to fight the scourge of cyber-criminals in the country.

    Its Executive Secretary, Rogba Adeoye, said the Cybercrime Act was promulgated in 2015. He said the component of it which is the fund is  dependent on the setting up of a board which he said was constituted since last year. “The Act states that there should be a board in place. This board is charged with the responsibility of managing the fund which has probably been opened by the CBN because the account must be opened  before you collect the fund,” he said.

    The Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) had threatened to hike service charges should the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) compel its members to pay the fund. Section 44  provides for the establishment of a National Cyber Security Fund. Section 44.2 (a) provides for a Levy of 0.005 of all electronic transactions by the businesses specified in the second schedule to the Act. Schedule states that GSM service providers and all telecos and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are to pay the charge.

    According to him, the money is meant to develop capacity in the area of cybercrimes, arguing that if that was the case, why would the telcos kick against it since they are not the only organisation that would pay.

    “We view this seriously. As an advocacy group we stromgly beleive that they don’t have the right to stand up against a law that has been passed at the point of being complied with.

    “ATCON should re-examine its position on this and have a rethink.  There is need to develop the infrastructure and human capacity in the area of cyber security. We are of the opinion that the development necessary in cyber security will be to secure their networks too,” he said.

    According to him, cash are daily lost to cyber-crooks using the infrastructure provided by the telecoms services providers. “The telecoms operators should not be seen as organisations not cooperating with the Federal Government in the fight against cybercrimes. Sadly, they are not cooperating because the step they are not taking the step they are expected to take. Where is the funding needed to build capacity to tackle cybercrimes going to come from if they insist they will not pay?

    “Everybody needs protection whether you are a telecoms operator, or a private citizen. Cash sent through electronic services does not discriminate.

    “If the necessary steps are not taken to prevent losses, people will lose their money through the cyberspace,” Adeoye said.

  • ‘Telcos must pay 0.005% cybercrime levy’

    A professional group, Information Technology Security Professionals (ITSSP), a group within the Nigerian Computer Society (NCS), has said telcos must pay the 0.005 per cent levy specified in the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act 2015 because the fund was designed to train the requisite man power to fight the scourge of cyber-criminals in the country.

    Its Executive Secretary, Rogba Adeoye, said the Cybercrime Act was promulgated in 2015 and that component of it which is a fund is actually dependent on the setting up of a board and the board has been constituted since last year. “The Act states that there should be a board in place. This board is charged with the responsibility of managing the fund has probably directed the CBN or they have opened the account which must be in place before you the collection of the fund,” he said.

    The Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) had threatened to hike service charges should the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) compel its members to pay the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act 2015, Section 44 that states in Section 44 an establishment of a National Cyber Security Fund. “In Section 44.2 (a), a Levy of 0.005 of all electronic transactions by the businesses specified in the second schedule to this Act. Schedule five categories including GSM service providers and all telecommunication companies and Internet Service Providers are to apply this charge,” according to the law.

    According to him, the money is meant to develop capacity in the area of cybercrime issues, arguing that if that was the case, why would the telcos kick against it since they are not the only one that would contribute to it for development.

    “We view this seriously and as an advocacy group, they don’t have the right to stand up against a law that was passed and remained only to be complied with.

    “ATCON should reexamine its position on this and have a rethink that there is need to develop the infrastructure and human capacity in the area of cyber security. We are of the opinion that development necessary in cyber security will be to secure their networks too,” he said.

    According to him, cash are daily lost to cyber-crooks using the infrastructure provided by the telecoms services. “The telecoms operators should not be seen as organisations not cooperating with the Federal Government in the fight against cybercrimes. Sadly, they are not cooperating because the step they are not taking the step they are expected to take. Where is the funding needed to build capacity to tackle cybercrimes going to come from if they insist they will not pay?  Everybody needs protection whether you are a telecoms operator, or a private citizen. Cash sent through electronic services does not discriminate. If the necessary steps are not taken to prevent losses, people will lose their money through the cyberspace,” Adeoye said.

     

  • Telcos renew push for OTT regulation

    These are not the best of times for Nigerian carriers. While average revenue per user (ARPU) continues to face steep decline, competition by platforms that neither erected a single base station, pay taxes to government nor are licensed by the regulator to provide services pose daunting challenges to the health ot telcos, LUCAS AJANAKU reports.

    Nigeria telecoms operators have renewed the push to get the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to regualte the activities of Over-The-Top (OTT) players.

    The carriers, including MTN, Globacom, Airtel, 9mobile and others, acting under the aegis of Association of Licensed Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ALTON), said the time has come for the regulator to re-examine its position on issuing technology neutral licences because of emerging issues in the industry.

    Its Chairman, Gbenga Adebayo, in an interview with The Nation, lamented the high moprtality rate of telos. He said the number of operators has dipped by half over the past years because of issues that are not entirely their making.

     What is OTT?

    Online knowledge bank, Wikipedia, explaines that “OTT is where a telecoms service provider delivers one or more services across an IP (internet protocol) network. “The IP networks is predominantly the public internet, although sometimes telco-run cloud services delivered via a corporation’s existing IP-VPN (virtual private network) from another provider, as opposed to the carrier’s own access network. It embraces a variety of telco services including communications (e.g. voice and messaging), content (e.g. TV and music) and cloud-based (e.g. compute and storage) offerings.”

    It said stimulated by the availability of high performance fixed and mobile broadband networks as well as the rapid adoption of smartphones and tablets, telco-OTT is viewed by a selection of industry analysts and media commentators as the mechanism that mobile network operators need to employ in order to compete with the vast and growing range of over-the-top (OTT) services provided by non-telco companies.

    Telco-OTT is a response to the fact that users will have multiple devices (smartphones, laptops or other connected devices such as TVs, games consoles) which almost inevitably will have various different access providers (especially with the growth of public-access Wi-Fi).

    According to Wikipedia, to deliver consistent telco-branded services, at some points at least, they will need to be delivered over third-party access, Wikipedia submitted.

    ALTON’s position

    Adebayo said the regulator has said continuously that it is neutral about technology. This,  in essence, means it licences for services and not for technology.

    He said today, the reality is that technology is driving the market. It is no longer services. There is a need for the regulator to begin to look at issue of regulating technology and not services.

    For example, OTT as it is called, the likes of YouTube, Facebook, WhatsApp, BlackBerry Messenger and others, all of these are OTT and not part of the core services for which operators are licensed.

    “Those kind of services have social implication, economic implication, security implication and if they are not licensed, that means they are not regulated and if they are not regulated, there is no limit or scope to what they can do.  And no control over ther services and content they can provide.

    “We are therefore saying there is a need for the regulator to begin to look away from the neutrality of technology and technology certification and regulattion  than just licensing for service not only because of the social security implication but also because of the economic implication for the operators.

    “Today, more people send WhatsApp messages, they send messages over the social media platforms than they do on the conventional SMS platform.

    “Operators have been licensed to provide voice, SMS and data services for which they are licensed and being charged annual operating levy. OTT don’t have such and there is even loss of revenue to the regulator of the country too because they are not paying for rendering those services.

    “That is why we are  saying that our regulator must begin to look away from technology neutrality but

     Health of telecoms industry

    He said studies and report had shown that in a market such Nigeria’s, bigger operators survive better than smaller opeartors.

    “When I took up this role as the Chairman of ALTON, there were 35 companies in our group. Today we are 16, meaning that we have lost half of our members due to problems not of their own making,” he lamented.

    He said this might be forces of competition, this might be forces of nmarket forces, the challenges of investing, it might be access to fund, it might be anti-competitve prices of on the part of some of the big players.

    “We just think that studies such as the Study of the Level of Competiton in the Telecoms Industry in Nigeria organised by the NCC should dwell into those areas so that we begin to see the issues leading to the death of telecoms campanies.

    “The challenge we have now with one of the big operator attests to the fact that the industry may not be as healthy as we are thinking and therefore studies such as this are very important first as health check, to see where we are and to see where and how we can further adjust and tune things for a more competitive industry and for a more robust market and for the greater interest of the consumers,” Adebayo said.