Poor services: Telecoms operators panic over fresh fines

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.