The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has issued new laws to strengthen and improve service performance while protecting consumers’ rights.
The Quality of Service (QoS) Regulations 2024, which replace the previous set of rules issued in 2013, seek to raise the bar for effective service quality across several network segments, including 2G, 3G, and 4G.
The commission issued a document on Tuesday with this information.
According to the agreement, telecom carriers must fulfill key performance measures, such as drop call rates, call setup success rates, and traffic congestion levels.
Noncompliance with the new guidelines will result in hefty penalties.
Telecom businesses that fail to satisfy the established quality criteria will face fines of N5 million per reporting region, with an additional N500,000 for each day the infringement persists.
According to the paper, severe breaches, such as submitting false information or impeding investigations, could result in fines of up to N15 million per incident.
The QoS Regulations 2024 have established precise mechanisms for evaluating and investigating telecom operators to ensure compliance.
The NCC has been granted the jurisdiction to audit service data and investigate licensees’ measurement, reporting, and record-keeping processes.
“The regulation seeks to ensure the protection and promotion of consumers’ interests against unfair practices, including matters relating to tariffs and charges,” said Dr. Aminu Maida, the NCC’s Executive Vice Chairman and CEO.
He also mentioned the availability and quality of communications services, equipment, and facilities, as well as the minimum quality and service standards, associated measurements, reporting, and record keeping.
The new regulation corresponds with Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy,’s ambitious goal of improving telecommunications service quality by 50% by the end of 2024.
