NCC boss reiterates more commitment for telecom services

THE Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC), Professor Umar Garba Danbatta, has reiterated the Commission’s commitment to protect the interest of telecommunications consumers, saying the telecommunication services are very critical to the nation’s economy.

Professor Danbatta who was represented by the Company’s Head of Public Relations, Reuben Muoka at the NCC Special Day held at the on-going 28th Enugu International Trade Fair on Friday, said that the regulatory body had identified key areas of immediate concern to the consumers, and have deployed appropriate communications that would provide them with appropriate information that would empower them, consistent with the declaration.

The NCC boss said for now, NCC had identified the issue of unsolicited text messages, poor data services and billing issues, poor management of complaints resolution, challenges of quality of service, and misinformation about location of base stations.

According to him, those are some of the key areas that require immediate consumer education.

On the issue of unsolicited text messages, the communication outfit have evolved a solution called Do-Not-Disturb, DND, in which consumers are being advised to send ‘STOP’ to a code ‘2442’ to stop all unsolicited text messages.

“There are also options that will enable you to stop particular types of messages when you send ‘HELP to 2442” as we have continued to advertise on radios, television, and all type of printed materials in all parts of the country at the moment. We are again urging you to take advantage of this code”.

In addition, he said, the NCC had continued to drum to the ears of consumers about the availability of the toll free telephone number 622 with which consumers can lodge complaints to the Commission if their service providers refuse, or are unable to resolve such complaints when it is reported to them.

“On the quality of service issue, we have put the service providers on special notice about our current monitoring of user experience and will call them to account in due course. Where the service provider continues to fail to improve services to the detriment of the consumers, the Commission will apply appropriate regulatory actions and sanctions against such service provider.”

“There are still challenges of right of way to deploying services through bottlenecks created by local authorities, which negate the rights of way for service delivery. Issues of vandalizing telecommunications equipment still abound.”

The NCC Boss, therefore, called on the appropriate authorities to note that it amounts to denial of citizens’ rights to communications when they deliberately or inadvertently obstruct deployment of services in the localities.

“Let us all be vigilant to protect telecommunications infrastructure which enables us to remain in communications with one another, and beyond our immediate environments. There are some individuals who still believe that telecom masts and towers constitute health hazards to humans. The Commission still maintains that the World Health Organization. WHO, has affirmed that no result of any such hazard has been established against base stations.”

“Therefore, any individual, or community adducing such reasons to deny right of way to the telecom companies, and prevent them from expanding services are invariably contributing to the poor quality of service in the network,” he noted.