NCC reveals why telecommunication companies must reduce wait time for subscribers

• The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has slashed customers’ waiting at telecom offices to 30 minutes
• The NCC also disclosed that subscribers may lose their line if it remains dormant for 30 days.
• It also mandated customers to request line parking if they have a genuine reason not to use their phone numbers for some time

Legit.ng’s Pascal Oparada has reported on tech, energy, stocks, investment and the economy for over a decade.

The Nigerian government, via the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has asked telcos to ensure subscribers are attended to within 30 minutes of arriving at their service centres.

The directive is part of the NCC’s Quality of Service Business Rules, issued in August following the release of a draft version in June last year.

NCC slashes subscribers' waiting time at telecom centres nationwide. Credit: Frederick Bass
Source: Getty Images

NCC approved 30 minute waiting time

The new rule seeks to enhance subscribers’ service quality by setting minimum service standards, associated measurements, and key performance indicators.

The NCC disclosed that less than 30 minutes is the approved wait time for subscribers who visit the telcos' customer centres.

Recall that the offices of some telecommunication companies were vandalised and torched during the service outage caused by disconnection by the companies.

The aggrieved subscribers disclosed that their complaints were neither registered nor attended to in time, leading to many becoming agitated.

Some of the companies subsequently closed their offices for a few days.

NCC asks telcos to block stolen or lost lines within 30 minutes

According to a BusinessDay report, the President of the National Association of Telecom Subscribers, Adeolu Ogunbanjo, disclosed that the development would reduce crowd volumes at the centres.

He commended the NCC over its effort to improve customer experience, saying it suits customer experience.

Additionally, the telecom regulator mandated that requests to block reported or stolen SIM cards must be made within five minutes or less, and further usage should be charged to the consumer from the time of filing the report.

It also mandated that internet outages must not exceed two hours, except in cases of lawful disconnection.

NCC disclosed that subscribers may lose their phone numbers if their line remains unused for any revenue-generating activity within one year.

It said subscribers can request line parking if they have valid reasons for not using their numbers to ensure they do not use them.

Subscribers protest move to hike tariff

The development comes as subscribers rejected calls by the telecom firms to hike tariffs, saying that it would negatively impact subscribers.

Under the auspices of the Association of Telephones, Cable TV, and Internet Subscribers (ATCIS), telecom users have protested against telecom providers' demands to raise service fees. 

To help them deal with the high cost of providing telecom services throughout the nation, telecom operators, writing under the auspices of the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), requested a 40% increase in voice and data rate in a letter to the NCC.

MTN CEO Karl Toriola speaks on tariffs

Legit.ng earlier reported that MTN's chief executive officer, Karl Toriola, has expressed deep concern over the crisis the Nigerian telecommunications industry is facing.

The MTN boss disclosed on Tuesday, August 13, 2024, at the telecom investment forum hosted by Financial Derivatives Company (FDC) in Lagos that despite the sector's growth in the past two decades, it now faces severe threats due to increasing costs and unsustainable pricing.

Toriola stated that a price hike is necessary to tackle the need to rescue the sector from imminent collapse, saying that it is in an intensive unit.

Source: Legit.ng