Page 114 - SAMENA Trends - August 2019

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has regulatory intervention aimed at resolving the rising
announced it has approved spectrum for the trial of interconnectivity debts among telecoms operators in
5G mobile services in the country. Without providing the country. He said as a consumer-centric regulatory
further details, the regulator’s Executive Vice Chairman agency, the NCC is keen on ensuring that consumers
Nigeria Umar Garba Danbatta revealed the development in continue to enjoy uninterrupted service while efforts
Abuja at the ITU’s ‘First Digital African Week’ event. are ongoing to address the issue of indebtedness in the
He acknowledged the evolving trends in the ICT industry. Danbatta said the issue of interconnection is
ecosystem, giving rise to technologies such as IoT a matter that the Commission is handling delicately
applications and smart cities, adding that the NCC within the purview of the regulatory provisions
was well positioned to embark on the trial of 5G in the to protect consumers by ensuring the quality of
country. experience (QoE) is not compromised. He said while
(August 29, 2019) telegeography.com regulatory approval on permission for disconnection
was granted to creditor networks late last year as a
The Nigerian Communications Commission last resort towards resolving the huge interconnection
(NCC) is set to host the Conference of African debts threatening the health and sustainability of the
Telecommunications Regulators on Consumer Affairs industry, the Commission is ensuring that no telecoms
(CATCO) in Abuja from August 20 to 22. The Executive subscriber is disconnected. “Though the Commission
Vice Chairman of NCC, Umar Danbatta, disclosed this granted approval to MTN’s request to disconnect
in a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja by Mr. debtor networks from its network in line with Section
Henry Nkemadu, the Commission’s Director of Public 100 of the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003,
Affairs. Mr. Danbatta said the 3-day conference with the Guidelines on Procedure for Granting Approval
the theme: “Empowering the Telecom Consumer in to Disconnect Telecoms Operators, 2012 and other
an Era of Technological Evolution’’ is geared towards regulatory instruments, what is happening now is that
pursuing a continuous collaboration between the creditor networks are restricting certain services to
African telecommunications regulatory Agency of their debtor networks in form of one-way disconnection.
individual country and their regional body. He said the “It is one-way disconnection because, as a regulator,
conference would look at how regulatory activities of we prevented total disconnection; not doing that would
the 54-member nations of African Union (AU) could be frustrating for the consumers. So, we have ensured
be integrated for seamless connectivity to boost that subscribers on the affected debtor networks are
customers’ satisfaction. Mr. Danbatta said bodies able to receive calls and text messages from creditor
such as West Africa Telecommunication Regulatory networks. This means they might not be able to make
Association (WATRA), East African Communications seamless calls or send text messages to the creditor’s
Organization (EACO) among others would participate in network at all times because of restriction of access to
the conference.. According to the EVC, the conference debtor networks, pending when satisfactory payment
will provide the platform for Africa to establish unity, plans are reached with respect to the interconnect
solidarity, collective self-reliance in the ICT sector. debts. This is to prevent further accumulation of
(August 14, 2019) premiumtimesng.com interconnect debt by the debtor networks. “You will
recall that in the Pre-Disconnection Notice issued last
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) said year on December 18, 2018, we gave another period
there was no justification for the huge interconnect of between 10-21 days for the debtors (depending
debts threatening the telecom sector. Its Executive on whether they are service networks or exchange
Vice Chairman, Prof. Umar Danbatta, who stated this operators) to pay, so as not to lose their interconnection
in Abuja, argued that with over 90 per cent of pre-paid rights. We had expected that as responsible business
customers on mobile networks which meant that cash entities, the debtor companies will either pay up or agree
must be paid before service is rendered, “operators satisfactory payment plans with their creditors. But
have no reason not to be settling their interconnection it appears no agreeable settlements plans have been
bills as and when due.” He urged the debtor operators reached after the expiration of the deadline, leading to
to settle their debts without further delay to prevent the creditor’s decision to go ahead with the execution
possible revenue drop and customer flight from their of the one-way disconnection, as permitted by the NCA
networks to competitors. Dambatta frowned at the Act 2003, which is what some subscribers are currently
slow pace at reaching settlement over interconnect experiencing.” While assuring subscribers that the
bills among the affected operators. He advised issue will soon be resolved, expressed the commitment
subscribers having difficulties in making calls at this of the Commission to ensure the settlement of the
time to take advantage of the “multi-SIMing nature of issue soon. “As regulator, our central role is to protect
telecoms market.” The EVC also assured the over 174 the consumers and ensure sustainability of the
million telecoms subscribers of their protection from telecom industry through creating a level-playing field
suffering any service disruption as a result of ongoing for all the licensees such that no operator is allowed to

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