Be Transparent With Tariff Plans, NCC Orders Telcos
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has instructed telecommunications operators to simplify their tariff plans, bundles, and promotional activities.
Recently, numerous Nigerians have voiced their frustration over how their airtime and data plans, which previously lasted longer, now deplete within days. This comes amid the agitation by telecom companies seeking NCC’s approval to increase tariff rates.
NCC spokesman Reuben Muoka in a statement on Monday disclosed that the regulator has mandated all telcos to release clear, easy-to-understand, and accurate information about the cost of voice, short messaging service (SMS), and data services to all subscribers.
“The guideline is the outcome of consultations with industry stakeholders, including MNOs and Consumer Focus Groups, and extensive data analysis on consumer preferences and expectations,” he said.
Muoka said the regulator communicated the directive to telcos like MTN, Airtel, and others on July 29, 2024.
It mandated Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to publish a comprehensive table showing the features of their tariff plans and bundle offers.
“The table should contain all necessary information for subscribers to make informed decisions, including details on add-ons, their prices, how consumers can opt in or out, terms and conditions for renewal, and rollover policies,” Muoka said.
“The objectives of the simplification guidelines are to reduce the complexity of tariff plans and bundles, ensure transparency and fairness of promotional elements of tariff plans, protect consumers’ interests by providing clear and understandable tariff information so that they make informed decisions, and promote fair competition among licensees by standardizing tariff structures.
“Service providers are also required to display all relevant information about their tariffs, such as the name of the plan, price, validity period, price-per-second for on or off-network and international calls, expected data speeds, and fair usage policies.
“Operators can maintain existing bonus-led tariff plans till 31st December 2024, within which period operators are expected to educate and migrate all subscribers to the simplified tariff plans,” the directive stated.
As of December 2023, Nigeria has over 224 million subscribers, according to official data by the regulator. MTN boasts over 87 million subscribers, representing 38.79% of the total market share, the highest in the country by any licensed Mobile Network Operator (MNO). Globacom and Airtel have 61 million subscribers each while 9mobile has 13.9 million users.
