NCC, ALTON deny disruption of Blackberry services

Adebayo, ALTON chairman

*Airtel too
Apex telecommunications regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) have denied the alleged blocking of Blackberry services in the country.

Making a rebuttal of the rumours making a round that NCC alongside the chief executive officers of the mobile operating companies in the country met recently and decided to block or disrupt the services Blackberry to avoid its usage for the on-going protest against the removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government (FG), the Director, Public Affairs at NCC, Mr. Tony Ojobo said that there was no such meeting in the first instance.

He also said that there was no such decision in whatever many to deny Nigerians the services of Blackberry, purportedly to avoid the spread of protests by some aggrieved Nigerians over the removal of fuel subsidy and increase in petroleum pump price from N65 to N145.

According to him, the attention of NCC has been drawn to an information making rounds that NCC had at a meeting on Tuesday, January 3^rd, 2012 agreed with CEOs of telecommunications networks to shutdown Blackberry services in order to allegedly deny Nigerians the use of that very important social network.

He said the management hereby states categorically that there was never such a meeting held, nor was there ever a resolution to shut down Blackberry services.

“The public is pleased advised to disregard such information,” he declared in a public statement made available to ITRealms Online on Wednesday.

Equally, Ojobo said the NCC enjoined the network operators to continue to provide all telecommunications services, including Blackberry services without fail.

Confirming NCC’s position in a reaction to the issue of service disruption on Blackberry, the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) denied any such plans to shut down Blackberry services in the country.

The administrative secretary, ALTON, Mr. Gbolahan Oshonubi in response to inquiries via Short Messaging Service (SMS), said subscribers in the country should not worry, especially those on Blackberry offering that the service would not be disrupted in any guess.

“ALTON wishes to reassure all subscribers that Blackberry Internet Service (BIS) has not been shut down,” he said.

Mrs. Johnson, ICT Minister

Additionally, he said, ALTON members’ have not received any directive from any quarter to shut down Blackberry services.

Oshonubi noted that as telecoms service providers, serving millions of Nigerian people, ALTON’s priority is to provide stable quality telecommunications services to subscribers.

“This will continue to be our focus for 2012,” he said.

Equally, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director, Airtel Networks Limited, Mr. Deepak Srivastava, has said joint forces with NCC and ALTON to state that it has not shutdown Blackberry services.

“Airtel Networks Limited wishes to inform all its esteemed customers that it has no plan to shut down its Blackberry Services,” he said in a press statement Wednesday evening.

Also, he pointed out that Airtel have not received any instruction from any quarters to shut down the Blackberry Services. Stressing they would continue to offer service to all customers. 

“Indeed, we remain committed to offering innovative services and also empowering more Nigerians to connect with friends, family members and business associates. We encourage you to take advantage of our new Blackberry packages cum offers,” he said, even as he reassured that Airtel is very passionate about realizing its vision of being the most loved brand in the daily lives of Nigerians and will continue to enrich Nigerians with world-class telecommunications services including Blackberry services.

Remmy Nweke

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