NCC Directs Telecom Operators to Compensate Subscribers for Poor Network Service, Lists How Compensation Can Be Effected

<h4>NCC Directs Telecom Operators to Compensate Subscribers for Poor Network Service<&sol;h4>&NewLine;<p><strong><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;openlife&period;ng&sol;">OpenLife<&sol;a><&sol;strong> Nigeria reports that the Nigerian Communications Commission &lpar;NCC&rpar; has directed Mobile Network Operators &lpar;MNOs&rpar; to provide compensation to subscribers whose network quality of service experience is below specified targets within specific locations&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>In a statement signed by Nnenna UkohaH ead&comma; Public Affairs Department and made available to OpenLife&comma; the  Commission’s position is that subscribers should not be made to bear the full burden of service disruptions where operators fail to meet prescribed standards of service delivery&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Under this directive&comma; erring operators will compensate affected users directly for breaches of Quality of Service &lpar;QoS&rpar; Key Performance Indicators &lpar;KPIs&rpar;&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Mobile Network Operators &lpar;MNOs&rpar; shall be required to pay these compensations for instances of poor quality of service recorded within specified time frames&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The compensation will be provided in the form of airtime credits&comma; calculated based on subscribers’ average spending patterns and their presence within Local Government Areas where service failures occur&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The directive is rooted in the Commission’s broader regulatory philosophy that places the consumer at the centre of Nigeria’s telecommunications ecosystem&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Telecommunications services today underpins economic activity&comma; social interaction&comma; and access to digital opportunities&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>When service quality is poor&comma; the consequences affect productivity&comma; commercial activities&comma; and even public confidence in our communications system&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>While regulatory fines have traditionally served as a deterrent against poor service delivery&comma; the Commission is adopting a more consumer-focused approach that strengthens accountability within the industry&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The Commission has designed this measure to complement existing and ongoing efforts to strengthen service quality monitoring and enforce performance standards&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Further to this directive by the Commission to MNOs on compensation to consumers&comma; the Commission is also mandating Tower Companies who own the critical infrastructure for Quality of Service delivery&comma; such as masts&comma; to invest in infrastructure with measurable outcomes using sums that it has fined these companies&comma; in addition to other financial fines the Commission will deem appropriate&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The Commission will continue to reinforce the obligation of operators to invest consistently in network resilience&comma; capacity expansion&comma; and infrastructure upgrades to meet the growing demand for telecommunications services&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>At the same time&comma; it will deploy regulatory tools that promote fairness&comma; transparency&comma; and accountability across the sector&comma; ensuring that every subscriber receives the quality of service they deserve while sustaining a telecommunications industry capable of powering Nigeria’s digital future&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;