End Automatic Voicemail Services, FG Tells Telecom Firms

• End Automatic Voicemail Services, FG Tells Telecom Firms

The Federal Government through the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy has directed network providers to end automatic voicemail service.

Dr. Isa Patanmi, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, disclosed this in a statement signed by his spokesperson, Mrs. Uwa Suleiman.

The Minister said subscribers are complaining of exploitation with the current automatic voicemail service offer by network providers in the country.

According to him, voice service should be optional and not by default.

“Our attention has been drawn to the latest trend of financial exploitation by mobile network operators in the country, through the automatic activation of the voicemail service on their platforms. Based on recent reports reaching the office, the practice has gained momentum in recent times,” Patanmi said.

“The voicemail service should be accessed at the discretion of the subscriber and not by default.”

Patanmi explained that because voicemail is not a popular service in Nigeria, especially for those in the rural areas, subscribers should be given the option to either subscribe or not.

He noted, “Voicemail is not a popular service among mobile phone users in Nigeria, coupled with the language challenge among rural dwellers, who mostly do not understand the language deployed by these networks.

“It is apparent that the recent clampdown on the exploitative activities of some mobile network operators in the country has beamed the searchlights on the sector properly, and some unpatriotic elements in the system are devising subtle, ingenious methods of defrauding Nigerians.”

He added that the ministry would not accept any practice that would defraud Nigerians regardless of how small it was.

The statement said, “In the light of this, Pantami has issued a broad policy directive to the sector regulator, Nigerian Communications Commission, to immediately ensure that issues regarding automatic voicemails are addressed on all existing phone lines and the subscribers, given the option of accessing the service via an activation code.”