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Telecom

NATCOMS Asks NCC to Stop MTN from Acquiring 9Mobile

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 Deolu Ogunbanjo, president, NATCOMS
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National Association of Telecoms Subscribers (NATCOMS) has called on the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to stop MTN from acquiring Emerging Markets Telecommunications Service Limited (9Mobile).

NATCOMS Asks NCC to Stop MTN from Acquiring 9Mobile

This is coming after reports that MTN Nigeria was in talks with 9Mobile for a spectrum acquisition, which could lead to MTN taking over 9Mobile.

Deolu Ogunbanjo, president, NATCOMS, however, stated that since MTN already controls nearly 50 per cent of Nigeria’s telecom market, there is no reason to support the telco’s proposed acquisition of 9mobile.

Interestingly, reports indicate MTN Nigeria’s strategic acquisition of 9Mobile is at an advanced stage.

But why would 9Mobile offer to sell its spectrum? In 2017, following the departure of its primary technical partner and investors, Mubadala of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), 9mobile faced financial difficulties, deciding to sell its spectrum.

For context, 9Mobile reportedly defaulted on a loan repayment scheme of $1.2 billion. It cited an economic downturn and a drop in naira valuation as the reasons for its inability to pay back.

Well, this isn’t the first time MTN attempted to acquire 9Mobile. In 2017, MTN tried doing so.

 

 


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Telecom

Telcos Plan Zero Tariff in Some Regions with Low Opex

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Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) is planning to encourage geo-political regions that grants zero charges for ‘Right of Way’ approvals as well not implementing arbitrary charges on telecommunications base stations in their regions with zero tariff.

Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, chairman, ALTON disclosed this to Nigeria CommunincationsWeek against the backdrop of incessant closure of base stations in some states.

He said that operators believe that the way out of this arbitrary charges and high cost of RoW approvals is regional tariffs.

“Operators are advocating for a regional tariff which means that geographical regions of Nigeria where cost of doing business for telecommunications operators is extremely high will attract high tariff compared to regions where there is low operating cost.

“Our advocacy of regional tariff is not based on a particular state but on regions. As at today there are regions where we have zero cost of “Right of Way” and low cost of doing business. Tariffs should reflect on operating environment. This means that national rate plan should consider high and low cost of doing business.

“If this is implemented, in a long run we could witness some regions having zero tariff because operational cost in such regions are friendly to operators,” he said.

It would be recalled that Kogi State recently shut down some operators’ base stations on account of local levies which raises the call for discriminatory tariff among geographical locations.

 


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Telecom

FCCPC Warns Meta: Quitting Nigeria Won’t Erase Legal Liabilities

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Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has hit back at Meta Platforms Inc, warning the tech giant that its threat to exit Nigeria will not erase its legal responsibilities or liabilities under the Nigerian law.

Meta said earlier today, May 3, that it “may be forced to effectively shut down the Facebook and Instagram services in Nigeria in order to mitigate the risk of enforcement measures.”

Meta’s warning came after it lost a legal bid last week to overturn a ₦220 million fine imposed by the FCCPC for violations of data protection and consumer rights laws.

Reacting to Meta’s threat, FCCPC, in a statement on Saturday, May 3, described Meta’s statement as “a calculated” move aimed at “inducing negative public reaction and potentially pressuring the FCCPC to reconsider its decision.”

FCCPC said that Meta threatening to leave Nigeria does not absolve the company of liabilities for the outcome of a judicial process.

“These infringements included denying Nigerians the right to control their personal data, transferring and sharing Nigerian user data without authorisation, discriminating against Nigerian users compared to users in other jurisdictions and abusing their dominant market position by forcing unfair privacy policies,” FCCPC wrote on X.

“Interestingly, Meta had been fined for similar breaches in Texas ($1.5b) and only recently was asked to pay $1.3 Billion for violating E.U. Data Privacy Rules.

Elsewhere in India, South Korea, France and Australia, Meta had faced varying penalties for similar breaches. But Meta never resorted to the blackmail of threatening to exit those countries. They obeyed.”

 


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Telecom

Fines: Meta Threatens to Shut Down Facebook, Instagram in Nigeria

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Meta may shut down its Facebook and Instagram services in Nigeria in protest against the substantial fines imposed by multiple government agencies.

Fines: Meta Threatens to Shut Down Facebook, Instagram in Nigeria

The tech giant has been ordered to pay nearly $300 million in fines in Africa’s most populous nation, following regulatory demands which Meta described as “unrealistic.”

In July 2024, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), imposed a $220 million fine on Meta for allegedly discriminatory and exploitative practices against Nigerian consumers.

The commission stated that Meta had failed to engage a Data Protection Compliance Organisation and had not submitted a Nigeria Data Protection Regulation audit report for two consecutive years.

Similarly, the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), demanded $37.5 million over unapproved advertising, while the Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC), announced a $32.8 million fine for an alleged data privacy breach.

Meta challenged the decisions at the Federal High Court in Abuja but was unsuccessful, as the court upheld the fines in a ruling delivered last week.

The court directed the company to comply with payment by the end of June, but Meta has indicated it may not do so, according to the BBC.

“The applicant may be forced to effectively shut down the Facebook and Instagram services in Nigeria in order to mitigate the risk of enforcement measures,” the company stated in court documents.

Responding to the NDPC’s assertion that Meta’s data processing could expose Nigerian users to health and financial risks, the company said the agency had failed to “properly interpret the laws guiding data privacy.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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