Barring any unexpected circumstances, a brand new tariff regime for information and voice companies from telecom operators is predicted to turn into efficient within the subsequent 9 days.
Particularly, on December 13 a brand new tariff regime is predicted to be introduced by the telecoms regulator, the Nigerian Communications Fee (NCC).
Coming underneath the Tariff Simplification, that is anticipated to make sure that cell community operators (MNOs) – MTN, Airtel, Globacom and 9mobile and different gamers within the sector come out straight and clear on what they provide to about 157 million lively subscribers.
The simplification is predicted to cut back the present perceived over-bloated tariff plans from about 369 to simply seven, which will probably be bundled in about 100, together with SMS, information and promos, for higher understanding of the customers and straightforward monitoring by the NCC.
Checks by The Guardian confirmed that MTN, the biggest operator, at the moment has 159 tariffs, 14 for voice and 145 for information. Airtel has 27 for voice and 41 for information companies. Globacom has six for voice and 32 for information, whereas 9mobile has seven voice plans and 97 for information.
On the deliberate simplification, the Govt Vice Chairman/CEO of the NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, stated at a discussion board in Abuja that the Fee engaged stakeholders extensively to assemble their insights and guarantee sturdy contributions earlier than creating the simplification.
He disclosed that Tariff Simplification ought to have been out and operating since October 27, “however resulting from incomplete consultations with and among the many stakeholders within the telecoms business, we needed to shift the date to December 13, 2024.”
Nevertheless, the anxiousness surrounding the brand new deliberate regime has been whether or not it should lead or in some way allow a rise in tariff as clamoured for by telecoms operators.
Hitherto, the Affiliation of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has referred to as for an upward evaluate of the present tariff, stressing that the final hike was 11 years in the past. Sister our bodies together with the Affiliation of Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ATCON) and the Nationwide Affiliation of Telecoms Subscribers of Nigeria (NATCOMs) have equally pressured the necessity for an upward evaluate. NATCOMs even appealed to NCC to permit a marginal ‘10 per cent’ improve, saying this is able to allow operators to cowl their growing capital expenditure.
Talking with The Guardian on Monday, ALTON Chairman, Gbenga Adebayo, stated tariff simplification is a chat that has been occurring for a while as a result of the regulator felt the tariffs are sophisticated for customers to know.
Adebayo stated: “Before now, folks had it that there are a number of layers of tariffs (information and voice). The regulator desires us to make it so simple as potential, our understanding is that it’s the simplification that can take impact from December. We have now not heard from the regulator a couple of potential hike. However the sector can solely be hopeful that quickly, they may look in that route.” An official of one of many telecoms companies, who spoke on situation of anonymity, stated the brand new tariff simplification could improve the price of cell calls, information and SMS as the brand new plan takes impact later this month.
Based on the official, whereas the plan is geared toward simplifying tariff constructions and bettering shopper expertise throughout the business, the curiosity of gamers within the sector must also be thought-about. “Operators are in dire want of a tariff hike to steadiness their prices too. Just about, all of the sectors of the economic system have elevated their tariff, apart from the telecoms sector. One thing must be completed about it positively for the continued sustenance of the sector.”
One other operator within the Web Service Provision area stated a tariff hike is required to maintain the expansion of the sector.
Whereas appreciating the readability the deliberate Tariff Simplification would allow, particularly for shoppers and high quality of service, which aren’t dangerous, based mostly on a regulatory viewpoint, he nonetheless, famous that “diesel value has elevated, whereas the overseas alternate price is on the rise every day, similar with rate of interest, however no person gave the impression to be listening to the operators. When the value of petrol was elevated, there was no searching for public opinion, month-to-month, bankers met on the Financial Coverage Committee degree, they usually elevated the price of borrowing cash, all of those are excessive, and just about every part has elevated. The final tariff of the telecoms sector was reviewed in 2018; the sector must be listened to as nicely.”
Based on him, operators have made a number of shows to the regulator, this new plan is ambiguous, and “we don’t know whether or not they’re releasing that along with the tariff hike we’ve got been speaking about. Some sorts of confusion and anxiousness at the moment pervade the sector. However December is right here, we hope for the very best.”
He added that some folks within the know are additionally of the opinion that within the strategy of simplification, the tariff improve could also be stylishly launched.
