Telecom users have protested as MTN Nigeria started implementing a 50% increase in service charges, which was approved by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in January......CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE>>>>>
The NCC gave the approval on January 20, marking the first major price change in over a decade.
The decision came after long discussions between the regulator and telecom companies, who argued that the current prices were no longer sustainable due to rising inflation caused by fuel subsidy removal and Naira devaluation.
The NCC, in a statement about the new tariff, said the decision is based on its authority under Section 108 of the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003.
As a result, MTN Nigeria increased the cost of its internet plans, SMS and data.
The leaders of two telecom subscriber groups have criticized how the new tariff increase was implemented.
Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, President of the National Association of Telecom Subscribers (NATCOMS), and Sina Bilesanmi, President of the Association of Telephone, Cable TV, and Internet Subscribers of Nigeria (ATCIS-Nigeria), expressed their concerns.
Ogunbanjo stated that introducing the price hike at this time goes against an earlier agreement between key stakeholders, including the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), the NCC, and NATCOMS.
He explained that the NLC had called off its planned protest based on the understanding that telecom operators, the NCC, and Labour would first agree on the percentage increase before implementing any changes.
Ogunbanjo told The Nation in a telephone conversation:
“The NCC told MNOs to wait till the end of this month for negotiations to be concluded on the percentage of the increase. That was the agreement with Labour.”
Bilesanmi was more concerned about how the price increase was introduced. He said telecom companies should have informed their customers in advance so they could be prepared.
He said:
“As a mark of respect for their customers, they ought to have sent an SMS to inform their customers. I don’t think it will cost them anything to do that. For instance, when the network of one of them went haywires last week, the operator sent an SMS to its customers apologizing for the glitches.”
He also pointed out that simply posting the announcement on social media was not enough, as such an important change directly impacts people’s finances.
A report states that SWIFT Networks, an internet service provider (ISP), has also raised its internet prices by 50% across all plans.
Meanwhile, Airtel and Globacom have not yet increased their prices. However, a source at Airtel revealed that the company has introduced a flat rate of 25 kobo per second for all voice calls.
Both Airtel, Globacom, and other telecom operators are expected to adjust their tariffs later this month.