NCC Fines Mobile Majors N1.2Bn for Poor Quality of Service

Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) has wielded the big stick on the country’s major mobile service providers; MTN Nigeria, Etisalat, Airtel and Globacom for the poor quality of services rendered to their different subscribers in the months of March and April and ordered them to pay a cumulative sum of N1.2 billion as fines.

The details of the penalties already communicated to the different operators indicated that MTN Nigeria Communications and Etisalat, will pay the sum of N360 million each while Airtel is to pay the sum of N270 million and Globacom attracted a penalty in the sum of N180 million.

A statement signed by Reuben Muoka, head, Media & Public Relations of NCC said that all the operators are to pay the penalties on or before May 21, or be liable to payment of additional N2.5 million per day for as long as the contravention persists.

“The penalties are as a result of the contravention of the provisions of the Quality of Service Regulations by the Nigerian Communications Commission as the operators failed to meet with the minimum standard of quality of service including the key performance indicators (KPIs)” Mouka added.

He said that “the Commission has in line with the provisions of the regulation, monitored the performance of the operators on the different parameters as provided and the result showed that the service providers  are in contravention of the provisions.”

According to him, in the letter communicating the penalties to the different operators,  signed by the Ms. Josephine Amuwa, director, Legal and Regulatory Services, , and Engr. Ubale Maska, head of  Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement, the Commission said that “ it had noted the performances in the months of January and February 2012 as being below the specified thresholds, however, for the purpose of enforcement of the new Quality of Service Regulations, the Commission had taken these periods as grace period”.

He added that the current penalties signal a new regime of quality of service management in the Nigerian telecommunications industry as promised by the leadership of the Commission under Dr. Eugene Juwah.