NCC to expand grace period for subscribers to roll over unused data

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is set to issue a directive to telecommunications operators to give 14 days’ window to subscribers to enable them roll over their unused data.

Prof. Umar Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, said this in a statement in Lagos.

Danbatta spoke at the NCC Special Day at the just concluded 2017 Lagos International Trade Fair. The executive vice chairman said that subscribers would be given the 14 days grace, even if they do not renew on the date of expiration of their data. He said that this would stop the present practice where subscribers would lose the entire unused data if they failed to renew on the date of the expiration of the present subscription.

According to him, NCC recognises that telecommunications services are very important to the nation’s development. “NCC also recognises more importantly, that the consumers of telecommunications services deserve to get value for their money.

“NCC also recognises that consumer should be treated as a very important stakeholder in the scheme of things as far as service delivery is concerned.

“Let me recall that in the 8-Points Agenda of my administration, the issue of empowerment and protection of the consumer occupied the sixth position.

“The vision in this agenda is to protect consumers from unfair practices through availability of information and education to make informed choices in the use of ICT services.

“The strategy which we have adopted in achieving these agenda is to strengthen initiatives to educate and inform consumers in the use of communications,’’ he said.

Danbatta said that the commission had adopted the strategy to act swiftly and consistently whenever necessary in the use of enforcement to protect consumers’ rights and privileges. He said that the regulatory body had put the service providers on special notice about NCC’s present monitoring of users experience and would call them to account in due course.

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According to him, where the service providers continue to fail to improve services at the detriment of the consumers, the commission will apply appropriate regulatory actions and sanctions against such service providers.

“We have continued to use the mass media to create awareness about these consumer centric solutions and enlighten consumers that telecommunications masts and towers do not cause health hazards as a lot of people think.

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“The commission still maintains that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has affirmed that no result of any such Hazard has been established against base stations.

“Therefore, any individual or community adducing such reasons to deny Right of Way (RoW) to the telecommunications companies, and prevent them from expanding services are invariably contributing to the poor quality of service in the network,’’ he said.