Poor services: Much ado about Comm. Minister’s threats

Telecoms operators in Nigeria have, in the last three months, received serious warnings from the Federal Government over the quality of their services. STANLEY OPARA looks at the threats and the possibility of having the desired change in the system Telecommunications companies in the country, especially the Global Service for Mobile Communication operators – Airtel, Etisalat, Globacom and MTN – have not had it easy with the Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, in rent times. The minister had in two major occasions threatened to sanction them for poor QoS. The most recent was the threat that operators would be barred from selling fresh Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards because of the high level of dissatisfaction from subscribers already on their networks as far as service quality is concerned. The first of these threats was issued in the last quarter of last year, while the other was issued just last week. But to a large extent, subscribers, who have continued to bear the brunt, are expectant that the anomalies be resolved so that they can get value for money spent on calls. Some are, however, of the opinion that the operators should be made to compensate them for the many years of poor QoS, which has left them (subscribers) at the mercy of the telcos. But amid these threats, Nigerians have yet to see any action on the part of the honourable minister. Johnson had said that despite the fact that her ministry had been working hard to provide an enabling environment for the deployment of Information and Communications Technology infrastructure like base stations and fibre optic cables, the poor quality of service had persisted. According to the minister, subscribers are daily faced with poor network service delivery that makes it impossible for them to receive calls, while also experiencing drop calls and lack of sustainability of calls, unsolicited text messages at odd hours, unsolicited telemarketing calls, deceptive broadband speed adverts by some service providers and failure of service delivery without compensation to consumers. Others are insufficient customer care lines, unrelenting sales promotion despite the poor network service delivery, non-compensation to consumers for loss of airtime and poor service delivery, network insecurities characterised by uncontrollable interruptions in networks by unidentifiable third parties. But the operators have in the last few years listed the challenges confronting and limiting their ability to deliver effective quality services as multiple regulation and taxation; illegal access denials and site shut-outs; inadequate power supply; lack of incentives to drive service penetration to remote and rural areas; rent seeking charges for permits and approvals necessary for deployment; and insecurity, among others. The minister had maintained then that, “We are concerned that the poor quality issues still abound. I am inundated with complaints about quality of service and the seemingly uncaring attitude of our telecoms operators to resolve these issues on a regular basis. We will continue, through the industry regulator, to apply sanctions when operators fail to meet the required standards in terms of service quality breaches. “However, consumers cannot continue to bear the burden of poor service delivery. Though we are mindful that the operators are facing issues in deploying or maintaining infrastructure, we believe that the operators can do better in delivering acceptable quality of service, which they are clearly not doing now.” Telecoms subscribers in the country, however, are not relenting as they have called on the Ministry of Communication Technology, Consumer Protection Council and the Nigerian Communications Commission to punish telecoms operators for rendering poor quality services in line with their decision last month. Some subscribers, who spoke to our correspondent, maintained that the poor quality of service had persisted despite the threat, and that operators found wanting in that regard should be made to face necessary sanctions. The President, National Association of Telecoms Subscribers, Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, said over time, sanctions imposed on telecoms operators had only boosted the coffers of the government, with subscribers, who are the real sufferers of the poor services, not benefiting. Ogunbanjo also called for soft fines that would be beneficial to the subscriber population. He commended the decision of the regulator to discontinue the sale of new SIM cards by operators with poor quality services. But the NCC had said telecoms subscribers could confront network operators if they felt aggrieved about the quality of service or other contract breaches. The commission also advised subscribers to leverage on the provision of the Consumer Code of Practice, which is well spelt out on its website. The Head, Media and Public Relations, NCC, Mr. Reuben Muoka, told our correspondent on the telephone that subscribers have been empowered by the necessary codes, hence, they should not wait until the NCC comes hard on errant network operators. He said, “If subscribers feel surcharged or cheated by the operators, they can approach the operator. If the operator refuses to act on the complaints, then the NCC can be reached. “People should learn to go to the operators and complain. They are empowered by the code to demand their entitlements.” On the proposed penalties for errant operators, Muoka said the NCC was still undergoing Key Performance Indicators measurement for all the operators. This, he said, started after the December 31, 2013 deadline given to the telcos to improve on their services. He said, “When we say anything at the NCC, we mean it. The Executive Vice-Chairman of the commission has said services of operators will be measured based on the laid down KPIs. The operators are aware of what the indicators are. “When the measurement result comes out, the NCC will take appropriate actions on the errant operators.” He said the commission was not, in any way, rushing the measurement process, as its intentions were very objective as far as the subscribers, operators and the industry as a whole are concerned. He said the regulator was strictly adhering to international best practices for the measurement process, and as such, had no business rushing the process. Muoka, therefore, urged Nigerians to give the commission the opportunity to carry out its functions in the best way possible. Following the latest threat by the minister to stop the sale of new SIM cards, telecoms operators in the country have insisted that government’s negligence is part of the problems of the sector. The minister had said in Lagos last week that the telcos may be temporarily banned from selling new SIM cards in order to force greater investment in network quality and put the brakes on soaring customer numbers. The operator, however, insisted that there were environmental problems militating against their businesses, which only the government can put an end to. They also maintained that they were giving their best as far as service to the customers is concerned, and cannot be pushed to do the impossible, given the challenging peculiarities of the Nigerian market. The President, Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria, Mr. Lanre Ajayi, told our correspondent on the telephone that the operators should be left to decide on when to sell SIM cards or when not to. This, he said, was important because they (operators) know the capacity of their networks at any point in time. Ajayi stressed, “It is better left for the operators. If they overload their networks, consumers are not stupid; they will definitely move to a better network. “I don’t think it is the responsibility of the government to decide who sells SIM cards or who does not.” The minister had said, “We are not satisfied at all with telecommunications services. Fines are just a slap on the wrist. We need to change behaviour.” Responding to an enquiry from our correspondent, the General Manager, Corporate Affairs (Corporate Services Division), MTN Nigeria, Mrs. Funmilayo Onajide, said no operator was set out to deliver inconsistent quality of service. This, she added, was the reason an incredible amount of effort and resources were being deployed to improve quality so that customers receive the service that they deserve. She, however, stressed, “The environmental factors that impede consistent quality remain and they impact the telecommunications industry and indeed other businesses operating in Nigeria. These issues need to be addressed by the government for an environment conducive for operation.” An official response from Etisalat Nigeria by the company’s Communications Manager, Miss. Chineze Amanfo, stated, “At Etisalat Nigeria, we take customer experience very seriously and have worked assiduously over the last 18 months to ensure we not only meet but surpass set QoS measures. “We realise there are challenges that make this difficult in certain parts of the country where access or damage to telecoms facilities remain a challenge, but we are constantly investing in the network to improve overall experience for customers.” The NCC had repeatedly fined telcos in the country for failing to meet quality standards and improve connections in the country. A ban on signing on new customers may force the companies to focus on improving infrastructure and quality of service for existing phone users, the minister had stressed. Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. 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