NCC Orders Telcos to Give 14-day Window to Customers

• NCC Orders Telcos to Give 14-day Window to Customers

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has notified telecom service providers on users’ experiences regarding quality of service, poor reception, automatic data roll over, wrong billings and deductions, among other issues.

According to NCC Executive Vice Chairman, Prof Umar Garba Danbatta, sanctions would be meted out to service providers who continue to fail in delivering improve services to the telecom consumers at the appropriate time.

Prof Danbatta, who made the remarks during the “NCC Day” at the on-going 13th Edition of Abuja International Trade Fair, said the Commission has directed all service providers to give 14-day window to subscribers to enable them roll over their unused data even if they do not renew.

Represented by Head of Public Relations, Mr Reuben Muoka, the NCC Boss also said “statistics continue to show positive movement in the provision of services to the citizenry with Internet penetration standing at over 126 million subscribers in August 2018, while phone subscription stands at over 160 million at the same period.

“With broadband penetration of 21 per cent, Nigeria’s social media space has continued to thrive and our citizens are enjoying access to modern ways of interactions in the cyberspace”.

” On the quality of service issue, including poor reception, wrong billings and deductions, automatic data roll over among other issues, we have put the service providers on special notice about our current monitoring of user experience and will call them to account in due course.

“Where the service provider continues to fail to improve services to the detriment of the consumers, the Commission will apply appropriate regulatory actions and sanctions against such service provider,” Danbatta said.

He continued: “On this issue of data roll over, the Commission has directed all the service providers to give 14-day window to the subscribers to enable them roll over their unused data, even if they do not renew on the expiration data.

“In other words, this will stop the current practice where subscriber lose their entire unused data if they fail to renew on the date of the expiration of the current subscription.

“We are currently addressing the issue of Call Masking and SIM Boxing, where international calls are made to bear local numbers, thereby bringing confusion to bear on the subscribers. We have already issued sanctions to some erring operators.

“Pre-registered SIM card has continued to attract attention as our enforcement unit has intensified efforts aimed at arresting perpetrators of this crime across the country. We call on all consumers of telecom services to be wary of the negative consequences of this phenomenon and report anybody found to be involved in distribution and sales of pre-registered SIM Cards.

“We have continued to use the mass media to create awareness about these consumer centric solutions, and also enlighten consumers that telecommunications mast and towers do not cause any health hazards as a lot of people think.”