The Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC), is using its regulatory functions to ensure telecommunications companies adhere more stringent to the rules of operation and do not exploit consumers.
NCC is not only stepping up monitoring of the companies but is showing a willingness to sanction them for any infractions committed.
The unilateral disconnection of Exchange Telecommunications Limited by Airtel Networks Limited, the Commission found Airtel Networks Ltd to have contravened the provisions of the Quality of Service (QoS) Regulations 2013 and Enforcement Processes Regulations 2005, by disconnecting Exchange Telecommunications Limited without the Commission’s approval.
Airtel was sanctioned on March 28, 2019 to pay the sum of ₦121, 000,000 to the Commission.
Also, for contravention of the direction on Do Not Disturb (DND) by 9Mobile (EMTS) and Airtel, in the course of monitoring compliance with the Do-Not-Disturb (DND) direction, the Commission discovered that EMTS (9Mobile) & Airtel subscribed and billed 13 and 56 MSISDNs respectively on full DND to Value Added Service (VAS).
This contravened the DND Direction.
Accordingly, NCC communicated with the licensees who claimed that contravention was caused by technical and software challenges.
Their pleas were rejected by the Commission and they were consequently sanctioned to pay ₦5, 000,000 each on February 26th and 27th, 2019 respectively for breach of the Direction.