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As the
May 25 deadline for the payment of the penalties on four operators of Global
System for Mobile (GSM) communications in the country, to the tune of
N1,170,000,000 elapse, subscribers across all the affected networks are
clamouring for the benefit to trickle down.
DigitalSENSE
News recalls that on Friday, May 11,
telecom regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) sanctioned
mobile service providers, namely MTN Nigeria, Etisalat, Airtel and Globacom
over poor Quality of Service (QoS) in the preceding two months of March and
April, 2012.
According
to NCC, MTN and Etisalat, would pay N360,000,000 each, while Airtel pays
N270,000,000, just as Globacom pays N180,000,000 of which they are to pay on or
before May 21, 2012 or be liable to payment of additional N2,500,000, per day
for as long as the contravention lasts.
Noteworthy
is that NCC says the current penalties signal a new regime of quality of
service management in the Nigerian telecommunications industry as promised by
the leadership of the Commission under Dr. Eugene Juwah.
This
penalty, NCC ascribed to poor quality of services rendered to the different
subscribers on the aforementioned networks in the months of March and April
2012, as stated by the Head, Media and Public Relations at NCC, Mr. Reuben
Muoka, and the details of the penalties were already communicated to the
different operators.
This
indicated that MTN Nigeria Communications and Etisalat, would pay the sum of
N360,000,000 each while Airtel pays the sum of N270,000,000, even as Globacom
got the least of the penalty in the sum of N180,000,000 of which they were to
pay on or before May 25, 2012 or be liable to payment of additional N2,500,000,
per day for as long as the contravention persists.
The
fines was a result of the contravention of the provisions of the Quality of
Service Regulations by the Nigerian Communications Commission as the operators failed
to meet with the minimum standard of quality of service including the key
performance indicators (KPIs).
The
Commission, he said, has in line with the provisions of the regulation,
monitored the performance of the operators on the different parameters as
provided and the result showed that the service providers are in contravention of the provisions.
He
said, paragraph 13 and Schedule 3 Paragraph 2 of the Quality of Service
Regulation 2012, stipulate that any company which contravenes this provision
will be liable to pay fine as to the tune of N15,000,000.00 for each parameter
for a service contravened in the month of March, 2012.
NCC said
that a further sum of N2, 500,000 is attracted for each parameter for a service
for each day the contravention continued throughout the month of April, 2012.
DigitalSENSE
News confirms that in the letter
communicating the penalties to the different operators, signed by the Director, Legal and Regulatory
Services, Ms. Josephine Amuwa, and the Head of
Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement, Engr. Ubale Maska, the Commission
noted the performances in the months of January and February 2012 as being
below the specified thresholds, “however, for the purpose of enforcement of the
new Quality of Service Regulations, the Commission had taken these periods as
grace period.”
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