Page 136 - SAMENA Trends - October 2019

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has only once – as with other USSD based services
ordered with immediate effect the stop of the planned we provide, which we believe has been adequately
N4 charge for the Unstructured Supplementary Service provisioned for within existing Central Bank of Nigeria
Nigeria Data (USSD), planned by telecoms operators. A (CBN) guidelines,” she stressed. She disclosed that it
is in line with the National Financial Inclusion Strategy
document signed by the Director of Public Affairs, NCC,
Dr. Henry Nkemadu, , which ordered the suspension, put of the Federal Government that MTN resisted the calls
telecoms subscribers on note on its decision following for end-user billing, adding: “We relented only after
Federal Government’s directive. NCC also put financial exhausting avenues of engagement with the banks in
institutions on the note on its decision to suspend the pursuit of a model that enabled a single charge. We
plan. Meanwhile, while complying with the order, MTN believe separate charges by the banks and telecoms
insisted that it got the backing of the banks and the companies are an unnecessary burden on the consumer
Board of Banks Chief Executive Officers (BOBCEOS) especially the target group that the National Financial
for the introduction of the service. According to MTN Inclusion Strategy is aimed at. “With this in mind, it
Company Secretary, Uto Ukpanah, in a statement, the is imperative for all parties to approach the table and
telecoms firm approach every day with one primary engage constructively towards a solution, putting the
objective, which is finding ways to make its customers’ consumer at the fore of all decisions. “The banks have
lives a little easier. “Customers are the reason we been and still are our esteemed customers and valued
made transparency and simplicity central to the recent partners. We look forward to collaborating with them
drawn-out engagements with the banks over USSD and other stakeholders and will be glad to implement
access charges and how they should be applied,” the decisions approved by our Regulators.” Likewise,
Ukpanah stated. Ukpanah explained that following the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators
consultation with industry stakeholders, customer of Nigeria (ALTON), called for a meeting among the
feedback and media reports related to the message stakeholders involved in the matter. According to the
notifying the company’s customers of upcoming Chairman of ALTON, Gbenga Adebayo, “In view of this,
changes in the charging model for access to banking we call on the Nigerian Communications Commission,
services via the USSD channel, “we wish to confirm the Central Bank of Nigeria, financial and telecoms
that the new charging model has not gone into effect.” stakeholders to address this matter urgently for the
According to her, the situation has made it necessary benefit of consumers.” (October 26, 2019) guardian.ng
to restate that MTN Nigeria, in line with our company
policy will always be transparent in its dealings with The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has
customers, the industry and relevant regulatory bodies. notified mobile phone users that it has granted approval
“The SMS notification to our customers is reflective of for the partial disconnection of Globacom (Glo) from
this commitment and was sent after formal requests the network of Airtel Nigeria, due to non-payment of
received from individual banks as well as the Body of interconnection charges. As a result, subscribers on
Bank CEOs to implement end-user billing – a billing the network of Glo will no longer be able to make calls
methodology where the customer is directly charged to Airtel but will be able to continue to receive calls. In
USSD access fees irrespective of the service charges a statement, the NCC said: ‘Globacom was notified of
that the bank may subsequently apply to their bank the application and was given opportunity to comment
account,” she stated. Ukpanah noted that the banks and state its case. The commission, having examined
have up-till now been on a corporate billing plan, the application and circumstances surrounding the
where a corporate client, the provider of the service indebtedness determined that the affected operator
that is accessed through the USSD channel (in this does not have sufficient reason for non-payment of
case the bank), pays the access fees at a wholesale interconnect charges.’ It added that the disconnection
price. “We believe the costs associated with USSD will continue until otherwise determined by the NCC.
banking services should be charged to the consumer (October 22, 2019) telegeography.com

The National Communications Authority (Nkom) has structures in Norway and, if confirmed, the revised
begun consulting on proposed changes which would numbering plan would come into force from 1 January
see the abolition of geographic telephone numbers in 2020, at which date several county and municipal
the country. In a press release regarding the matter, mergers are scheduled to come into force. Meanwhile,
the regulator said it was suggesting that a common the watchdog also noted that since 2007 Norwegian
Norway number series be used for fixed voice lines, noting that fixed line subscribers have been able to take their

existing numbers would not be affected. According landline with them when moving, even if to an entirely
to the Nkom, the proposals are in part a response different region, arguing that this current system has
to upcoming changes to municipal and regional therefore already served to dilute the geographic

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