The Association of Telecommunications Companies
of Nigeria (ATCON) has called for the restructuring of the Universal Service
Provision Fund (USPF).
The Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) was established
by the Federal Government of Nigeria to facilitate the achievement of national
policy goals for universal service and universal access to Information and
Communications Technologies (ICTs) in rural, un-served and under-served areas
in Nigeria as part of the actions in fulfillment of the outcome of the World
Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) 2005.
Catching in on this objective, ATCON, through
its president, Mr. Titi Omo-Ettu said that the restructure of USPF is imminent.
According to him, restructuring of USPF and other
fund sources to promote local investment, research and development (R&D) as
well as total access will boost ICT adaption and development in the country.
This, he said, will also boost anticipation by
stakeholders that by 2015, telecom consumers in the country will begin to enjoy
full mobile number portability and free roaming.
Additionally, he said, the suggestion of
restructuring when taken up as prescribed has the capacity to turn telephony into
an empowerment tool for the populace.
ATCON equally calls for radicalisation of spectrum
availability and allocation by the regulator, in order to adequately protect
consumer interest by promoting informed consent, transparency and
accountability in quality of service, tariff, and usage.
Omo-Ettu noted that transiting substantially to
new Internet Protocol (IPv 6) and encouraging an ecosystem for provision of ‘A
Significantly Large Bouquet of Services on IP Platform’ cannot be over looked.
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| Omo-Ettu, ATCON president |
He further said that recognising the peoples’
‘Right To Broadband’ would be a strong indication to increase rural teledensity
to over 80 in 100 per cent by 2020.
He summed it up by saying that Nigerians want
good service, not reasons why it is non-existent, which must be professional
delivered by NCC in appreciation of the Communications Act, thus having more
bites at faster speed.
As said by him, the damage that poor electricity
has done, he said, deserves that Nigerians mark power reform managers closely.
In order to achieve the aforementioned,
Omo-Ettu’s leadership at ATCON said that Service Level Agreement (SLA) between
service providers and consumer must exist followed by adequate enforcement
based on global best practises.
Individual consumers, he advised, should assert
their rights to seek redress, stressing that attitude of consumers must shift
from nonchalance to seeing to conclusion of what they really want.
He stressed that the damage caused by poor electricity
deserves close marking of power reform managers.
Remmy Nweke
ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D
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