Stakeholders Task FG, MDAs On telecoms Regulations

KEY stakeholders in the nation’s telecommunications industry in Nigeria cautioned the Federal Government and ministries, department and agencies at the federal and state level as well in the local governments not to take regulatory decisions that can kill the sector.

The stakeholders who gave the warning at the Third Quarter Nigeria Technology and Communications Reporters Association, NITRA, with the theme: ‘The Impact of over Regulation of the Telecommunications Industry on Service Quality’, said the warning became necessary since the telecoms sector is now described as the main source of national revenue considering the crisis in the oil sector.

 Delivering a keynote address at the event, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Prof Umar Garba Danbatta revealed that for over a decade, some of the most intractable problems of the industry were the discordant relationship among government agencies, and the relationship between the industry and the various governments and environments where they operate.

According to him, that has lead the NCC to reach out to other agencies and the state governors with the view to convince them to take another look at the industry and create environments that will favour operators and thus be able to contribute more in terms of investment, employment and taxes.

The NCC helmsman who was represented by the Director Public Affairs of the Commission, Mr Toy Ojobo noted that this course of action, “which we will want to describe as quiet diplomacy, is helping to bring some needed stability to the sector”, adding that the Commission has met with some state governors under the Governors Forum.

Danbatta said: “We have told them about the existence of a document put together by the National Economic Council which spells out charges on telco infrastructure rollout. This document stipulates charges of N145 per metre of fibre and another N20 for maintenance. There are some states where they charge as much as N8, 000 per metre length of fibre.”

He explained that certain actions, which could affect the industry, should not be taken and that “stakeholders of the industry are not to begrudge anybody for their actions but to use your knowledge of the industry to explain why certain actions should not be taken.”

On why certain actions in the past should not have been taken, Chairman of the occasion and Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria, ALTON, Engr Gbenga Adebayo questioned some of the regulations that are prevalent in the sector.

Making reference to Over-The-Top, OTT, media, he said that he had at several times wondered if it was the technology in the industry that was been regulated or the content of the technology.

He noted that the current over-regulation of the sector began immediately after the industry was deregulated and liberalisation was implemented adding that what the telecoms operators suffer today at the hands of governments and their agents could affect the quality of services.

He disclosed that the industry must protected as the current sources of the national revenue so that what happened in the textile and rail transport will not repeated in the telecoms industry warning that the present 30 per cent broadband penetration is being challenged by over-regulation.

Similarly, President Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria, ATCON, Mr Olusola Teniola, said that the incessant shut down of telecoms facilities by multiple regulatory have an adverse effect on the quality of services offered by operators in the industry.

Prof Danbatta

He noted that the outages occasioned by these shut downs negatively impact quality of service indices such as reduced call completion rates, increased call drop rates, increased voice quality impairment, and transmission quality impairment.

Teniola who was represented by the First Vice President of ATCON, Engr. Anthony Nwosu said that the overall implication of these is heightened consumer dissatisfaction with the quality of services provided by operators.

But the General Manger of the Lagos State Infrastructure and Maintenance and Regulatory Agency, LASIMRA, Mr. Babajide Odekunle noted that the agency will not deliberately tamper with telecoms infrastructure saying it is aware of its value to the economy.

Odekunle who was represented by his aide, Mr. Adeyinke Adehunle said that LASIMRA is very transparent in its operation and that it often seeks partnership with other concerned stakeholders urging telecoms operators to stick to rules and regulations of deploying telecoms infrastructure.