In a movement to improve consumer protection and improve transparency in the telecommunications sector, the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) has issued a new directive that requires service providers to quickly inform consumers of any interruption of the important network.
The directive also requires an early warning for planned interruptions and offers a framework to compensate for users affected by prolonged service interruptions.
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NCC said: “Directive on the report of the main interruptions of the network by mobile network operators (MNO)”, telecommunications operators must use media channels to notify consumers about the cause, location and expected restoration time for any service interruption. For planned interruptions, operators must now provide at least one one -week warning to affected customers.
The directive applies to all mobile network operators (MNO), Internet Services Suppliers (ISP) and other Last Mile Services Suppliers. When an important interruption exceeds 24 hours, operators must provide proportional compensation to affected consumers, including the possible extension of the validity of the service, in line with the Code of Consumer Practices.
The NCC defined the main interruptions in three main categories that include any network problem, such as fiber, vandalism or force majeure cuts, which affects 5% or more of the operator subscribers base or covers at least five areas of the local government (LGA).
Others are an unplanned insulation of 100 or more network sites (or 5% of the total sites) that give more than 30 minutes, or any interruption that affects a complete cluster, and the interruption of the network interruption network in the 10 main traffic states, as the commission periodically determined.
To improve public access to information and enforce responsibility, the NCC also launched an important interruption report portal, accessible through its website (www.ncc.gov.ng). The portal allows consumers to see real time reports, including the identity of the entities responsible for service interruptions.
When commenting on the development, Edoyemi Ogor, director of technical standards and integrity of networks in NCC, said that the portal and the directive had been proof of operators in recent months.
“By providing consumers and interested parties in the telecommunications industry timely and transparent information about network interruptions, we are strengthening a culture of responsibility and transparency.
“This also guarantees that the culprits are responsible for the sabotage of telecommunications infrastructure,” Ogor said.
Ogor also emphasized that the initiative supports the implementation of the executive order of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that recognizes the telecommunications infrastructure as a critical national information infrastructure (CNII), reinforcing its strategic importance for national security and economic resilience.
The directive marks a significant step in the continuous efforts of the NCC to improve the quality of the service and maintain the rights of the consumer in the fast -growing digital panorama of Nigeria.
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