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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.
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| 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.
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