NCC, banks move to end failed telecom transactions

…urges Nigerians on smarter data use

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has announced fresh collaborative measures with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and financial institutions to tackle the recurring problem of failed telecom transactions and improve service quality across networks.

Speaking at an interactive session with the media in Abuja on Tuesday, the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, said the Commission had revised its Quality of Service (QoS) guidelines and expanded accountability beyond mobile network operators to include co-location service providers, commonly known as TowerCos.

On failed recharge and top-up complaints, Maida revealed that the NCC had constituted a joint task force with the CBN and the banks to standardize operations around electronic payments for airtime and data purchases.

“When you recharge, you get debited and don’t necessarily get the credit. The director of consumer affairs with our counterparts in the CBN set up a task force, and there’s now a framework that is undergoing review to standardize the operations around top-ups and recharge,” Maida explained.

He said investigations showed that the absence of a standardized framework was at the root of the problem.

“It was literally up to every player in the ecosystem. That was why we had to bring all parties together,” he added.

Beyond transaction failures, the EVC stressed that the Commission had strengthened regulatory oversight on service delivery.

“We have revised our Quality of Service guidelines, so no longer do we just hold the mobile network operators accountable. We have brought TowerCos into scope to hold them accountable for quality of service,” he said.

According to him, operators had already submitted service improvement plans which are being scrutinized through bi-weekly meetings with the regulator.

He revealed that fresh investments were being made in critical infrastructure, while new equipment to boost network quality was already being delivered and installed across the country.