Mobile telecommunications operators, especially
those recently fined by the Nigerian Communications Commission, are
apprehensive that the regulator may impose additional fines on them due to the
persistent poor quality of services they are offering. The apprehension, our correspondent
learnt from sources in the Ministry of Communication Technology and
infrastructure service providers, was heightened by the persistent poor service
conditions of the telecoms networks and the rising complaints by subscribers.
Our correspondent gathered that the NCC
was now religiously monitoring the Key Performance Indicators in the quality of
service regulation and would not relent in dealing with any errant operator
considering that the KPI had already been amended before the last set of fines
were imposed, with some industry constraints put into consideration.
A source at the NCC, who preferred
not to be named, told our correspondent that the commission was carefully
collating statistics from the Network Operating Centres of all the major
networks on a daily basis. This is to help arrive at a tentative monthly report
on the quality of services. Some telecoms operators, it was also
gathered, were exploring the advocacy option through third party players to
justify their plight as far as service quality was concerned. This line of action became necessary
following claims that they were already handicapped by environmental factors.
The NCC had made Airtel and MTN to
pay N185m each, while Globacom paid N277.5m earlier this month.
The operators, according to
investigation, are also under pressure from the Ministry of Communications
Technology to improve on the quality of services they render.
Our correspondent gathered from
government sources that the performance of the ministry was, to a large extent,
hinged on the quality of services of operators.
The Executive Secretary, Association
of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria, Mr. Gbolahan Awonuga, told
our correspondent on the telephone on Wednesday that the government needed to
holistically address the fundamental issues in the industry instead of
resorting to fining the operators.
Awonuga, who also said cases of
sabotage were contributing to the persistent poor service condition, called for
the speedy passage of the bill that recognised telecoms infrastructure as
critical national assets.
Source: Punch
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