Abuja, Nov. 24, 2024 – Dr. Aminu Maida, the Chief Executive/Executive Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has advised telecom consumers against blaming only mobile network operators for poor quality services..
Maida gave the advice while speaking on “Optimizing Data Experience: Empowering Consumers through Awareness and Transparency in a Consumer-Centric Telecom Industry” at an NCC consumer forum in Abuja.
He said rather, the blame should be shared by all stakeholders across the value chain as it requires the collaboration of all across the value chain to produce services.
The NCC boss said a data analysis conducted by the Commission had shown that quality service delivery is not solely the responsibility of mobile network operators.
“Key stakeholders, such as TowerCos, which provide power and shared infrastructure, as well as those providing essential backhaul services, whether by fibre, microwave or even satellite, connecting base stations to the core networks of MNOs, all play crucial roles in ensuring high-quality telecom services,” he said.
Maida said aside from the operators, there were also environmental factors within the industry such as vandalism and theft of telecom assets which could frustrate operators’ efforts to deliver quality services.
He said the NCC recently addressed a major complaint of fast data depletion where customers erroneously blamed the operators.
The NCC boss said the complaint was that data were depleting faster than the consumers had expected.
He said the Commission swiftly swung into action by directing the mobile network operators and ISPs to conduct audits of their billing systems.
Media said the reports, however, showed “no major issues” which exonerated the operators.
It was found out that the cause of the fast data depletion was the impact of high-resolution devices and improved technologies on data usage.
The NCC boss said with the advent of 4G and 5G, as well as devices with ultra-high-definition screens, data consumption had naturally increased.
“For example, while viewing a photo on Instagram might have required only 100 kilobytes of data five years ago, today, with advanced camera resolutions, a photo can consume between two to four megabytes when opened on Instagram.
“According to Tech Advisor, an online resource that offers tech reviews, spending an hour on Instagram can set you off an average of 600 Megabytes of your data, while streaming platforms like YouTube would set you off by about 3.5 to 5.4 Gigabytes per hour.
“Improved technologies go beyond their purchase cost to our pockets, they also come at a cost to data,” he said.
Maida said high quality media consume more data because of their high screen resolutions.
He said the NCC, realising this unawareness on the part of consumers, had launched a Joint Industry Campaign on Consumer Awareness on Smarter Data Usage.
The NCC boss said the media campaigns, spanning radio, television, newspapers, and SMS, were aimed educating consumers on effective data management.
He promised that in spite of these operational challenges, the Commission would always be committed to meeting the expectations of stakeholders as “our goal is for consumers to be consistently satisfied with telecom services.” (GBN)
