The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) said it would continue to engage with the mobile network operators to enhance the Quality of Service (QoS) provided telecommunications consumers is within stipulated Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) even as the number of subscribers has reached 154 million.
Executive Vice Chairman, NCC, Professor Umaru Danbatta, said the Year 2017 is dedicated to the Nigerian Telecom Consumer. “Following a management decision that compels NCC to seek to amplify the year’s activities towards ensuring that the consumer enjoys a customer experience that is enhanced and consistent in time and quality, in 2017, and even beyond, the Consumer will be our focus.
“NCC intends to inform and educate the consumer with the sole intent of protecting and empowering them to make the right decisions. As a regulator, NCC has the mandate to ensure all its key stakeholders are protected and their interests balanced in an atmosphere of fairness, transparency and within the framework of the NCA 2003 and other subsidiary legislations.
NCC’s executive commissioner, stakeholder management, Mr Sunday Dare speaking at the Lagos Flag Off of the 2017 Year of Nigerian Telecom Consumer yesterday said the NCC will continue to engage the MNOs and other critical stakeholders to ensure the activation of the 2442 Do-Not-Disturb facility; the 622 toll free line awareness; and educating the consumer about the environmental and health impact of telecoms infrastructure and type of phones approved for use.
He said the NCC as a regulator stands like an impartial umpire, a referee engaging and monitoring to ensure the interests of all parties are respected. From a customer base of slightly over 400,000 in the height of NITEL’s glory, we now have a combined subscriber base of over 150 million across the country, he said.
Dare said this boom and massive jump in mobile telephony have brought with it several challenges especially in terms of reliable service, network upgrade, expansion and maintenance, and increasing demand for capital expenditure (capex) injection into the telecom industry.
Vigil360 learnt that NCC seeks an inclusive approach as stipulated in its Corporate Code of Governance for the Telecommunication Industry. It states inter alia this inclusive approach recognizes that the licensee’s long term interests are best served by an appropriate consideration of the legitimate expectations and interests of key stakeholders. This is why this journey during which NCC will strive to ensure customer satisfaction attains a level never witnessed before is of importance.
“Our goal is to make the consumer experience of the average Nigerian better. The drivers of the NCC 2017 Year of the Nigerian Telecom Consumer are the 2442 Do-Not-Disturb Service Code, the 622 toll free complaints line, Quality of Service, QoS and concerns about the Electromagnetic Field, EMF radiation. These are the areas the information provided in the course of the campaign would focus on.
“On a continuous basis, NCC will seek to engage and explore ways to make consumer experience more satisfying within the Nigerian telecoms industry. We want both the inbound and outbound call experience to get to a higher standard such that wherever you are calling from, be it from Kano to Kotongora, from Ado-Ekiti to Abuja, from Lagos to Lokoja, from Dutse to Damaturu, Enugu to Yenagoa, and from London to Lagos – NCC wants the consumer to experience good quality of service” he said.
