Respite seems finally appears to be on the way for telecoms subscribers that have suffered a series of poor quality services in the hands of mobile network operators (MNOs), as the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has released a reviewed QUALITY OF SERVICE REGULATIONS, 2013.
In the reviewed regulation, the NCC said it would fine any MNO that does not meet each Parameter and Key Performance Indicator for a service, for each Reporting Area, for each identified network segment or node, and for each Reporting Period.
According to the document, which was sighted by TechnologyMirror, failure by a Licensee to meet and maintain a Parameter and the Service will attract a fine of N15,000,000, and for each day that the contravention persists, the offender will pay N2,500,000.
The reviewed regulation now mandates the MNOs to compensate consumers in addition to paying any fines that may be imposed by the Commission in a situation where it fails to resolve a consumer complaint in accordance with sub-regulation (1) of the Regulation.
The MNOs will also be fined by the NCC for the publication of false or misleading information about the quality of service by the Licensee up to the amount of N15,000,000 for each act of the contravention and N2,500,000 for each day that the contravention persists.
The MNOs are soon going to be slammed with a fine of N15,000,000 for failure by a Licensee to submit, during a time period specified by the Commission, information requested by the Commission pursuant to Regulation 7 (c) or Regulation 12 guiding the NCC, and N2,500,000 for each day that the contravention continues to occur.
The NCC is also going to slam a fine of N15,000,000 on MNOs that obstruct or prevent an investigation by the Commission in respect of the quality of service measurement, reporting, data collection, and record-keeping procedures by a Licensee, its officers, agents, servants, and/or privies.
The Commission disclosed that the reviewed regulation is in the interest of consumers, adding that it is to ensure the protection and promotion of the interests of consumers against unfair practices, including matters relating to tariffs and charges, the availability and quality of communications services, equipment, and facilities.
The regulation, which stipulates a minimum quality and standard of service, associated measurements, reporting, and record-keeping tasks, is also intended to improve service quality by identifying service deficiencies and by
encouraging, enforcing, effecting, or requiring appropriate changes and solutions.