- The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) said it recently took a significant step to address persistent consumer complaints, especially those related to data depletion and inaccurate billing.
- This step involved mandating telecommunication companies to engage independent audit firms to scrutinise their billing systems.
Executive Vice Chairman, Dr. Aminu Maida, explained:
- NCC had received a high volume of consumer complaints.
- Complaints included rapid data depletion and inaccurate billing.
- Subscribers reported their data bundles depleting faster than expected, even with minimal usage.
- Concerns were raised about charges for services not subscribed to, or for calls and data that did not match actual usage.
- Maida stated that these complaints created a public perception of unfair billing practices by Mobile Network Operators (MNOs).
- In response, NCC directed all major MNOs to conduct independent audits of their billing systems.
The objective of these audits was to:
- Ensure accuracy and transparency.
- Restore consumer confidence.
- Demonstrate NCC’s commitment to consumer protection.
The results of the audits were unexpected:
- No major systemic issues of data depletion or widespread billing inaccuracies were found.
NCC’s review suggested that perceived rapid data depletion was due to factors such as:
- High-resolution content consumption (HD streaming, gaming, video calls).
- Background applications and updates using data without users’ awareness.
- Complex tariff plans that make usage and cost tracking difficult for consumers.
- Maida emphasised that increased use of online gaming, HD streaming, and video calls consumes large amounts of data.
- He added that many apps and phone operating systems run updates and location services in the background, consuming significant amounts of data.
The way forward, according to NCC:
- More consumer education on managing data use.
- Simplification of tariff plans to make costs easier to track.
- NCC’s strategy has now evolved from focusing on operator malpractice to a more holistic consumer empowerment approach.
NCC announced public awareness campaigns to educate consumers on:
- High-data-consuming activities.
- How to reduce background data usage.
On tariff simplification:
- NCC is finalising a consultation process.
- This will ensure tariff plans are clearer, more comprehensible, and allow consumers to make informed choices.
- NCC said the audits revealed that telcos were not to blame, shifting the focus instead to consumer awareness and transparency in the telecom ecosystem.
- Beyond data issues, Maida stressed the importance of Fibre-To-The-House (FTTH) to improve broadband penetration.
- NCC is promoting FTTH through its Infrastructure Company (InfraCo) licensing framework, under which licensed firms will deploy wholesale fibre infrastructure nationwide.
NCC views robust digital infrastructure as:
- A critical engine of economic growth.
- A driver of innovation and investment attraction.
- A contributor to Nigeria’s GDP growth.
