Why the NCC approve new tariffs for MTN, Airtel, Glo and others

• The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has reportedly approved a new tariff plan for telecommunication companies
• The new tariff plan affects voice calls, data, and SMS across the telecom industry in Nigeria
• The development comes after a prolonged agitation by telecom operators for tariff review in line with currency economic realities

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

Amid the slow network reported by Nigerians, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has reportedly approved tariff increases for telecom and internet companies.

The development comes after a long period of agitations by telecom operators in Nigeria.

NCC allows MTN, Airtel, Glo, and others to increase tariffs on calls, data, and SMS Credit: Picture Alliance
Source: Getty Images

New pricing regime takes effect

Findings show that new pricing rules also followed the approval by the NCC.

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According to reports, a document titled Guidance on the Simplification of Tariffs in the Nigerian Communications Sector, signed by the NCC Executive Chairman, Aminu Maida, said the commission the new tariff took effect on July 29, 2024, and will remain valid and binding on licensees until revealed by the regulator.

The document reportedly aims to simplify the pricing of several services across the country’s telecoms landscape.

According to the report, the rules dictate what service providers can charge subscribers for a bundle or unit of a product/service across the industry.

The number of phone lines, internet subscribers

As of the first quarter of 2024, the Nigerian telecoms market had 219,304,281 phone lines, 164,368,292 internet subscriptions, and 94,751 broadband connections.

The rule also provides stricter rules for tariff plans, add-ons, bundles, bonuses, promotions, top-ups, and other services that give subscribers access to voice, data, SMS, and other services delivered by telcos in Nigeria.

The rule stipulates a tariff plan as a structured pricing scheme that shows the charges and conditions for which telecom services are provided to subscribers.

The report said that NCC orders that “every subscriber must be on a tariff plan, and no subscriber can be on more than one tariff plan at a time.”

Internet outage hits states amid hunger protests

Legit.ng previously reported that amid the nationwide hunger protest, Nigerians have been hit with massive internet outages spanning major networks.

Subscribers of many telecommunication firms lament their inability to access many websites, especially social networks such as X and Facebook.

Many Nigerians suspect the authorities may have deliberately slowed down the Internet to stop the organizers from mobilizing via social networks.

Source: Legit.ng