The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has promised Nigerian telecoms consumer improved telecommunications services while lamenting the deterioration of Quality of Service (QoS) in the first quarter of the year 2017.
“We have seen a deterioration of quality of service across all operators,” NCC Executive Vice Chairman, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, noted at a Special Media Interaction held at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Ikeja Lagos yesterday.
TheNewsGuru recalls the Minister of Communications, Barr. Adebayo Shittu had in January, while inaugurating the board of the NCC, charged the Commission to deliver on QoS. Consequently, the NCC dedicated the year 2017 to the protection of the Nigerian telecom consumer
“I can be able to state here categorically in terms of QoS that I know which operators are doing well, fairly well and those that are not doing well at all,” the EVC NCC said, adding: “But, we are waiting for the analysis of the QoS key performance index (KPI)”.
“The industry average for call drop rate is 1.37 percent while it is supposed to be 1 percent. The call success rate is 90 percent, 8 percentage short of the specified standard,” the EVC further stated.
He said, “We intend to escalate the issue to the next level. When we engage the consultants maybe this month, we intend to showcase that QoS has improved slightly with evidence because we have the figures but the QoS is still below the standard set up by the NCC. If we do not see any improvement, then, we can resolve to sanctions”.
“We may not reach the stipulated standard in a month or two but the compliance streak is to further compel telecoms operators to improve on QoS,” he added.
The NCC, however, noted that challenges of broadband penetration in Nigeria need be surmounted before a total QoS can be guaranteed.
He outlined the major challenges facing broadband penetration in Nigeria to include right of way, vandalization of telecoms infrastructure, power supply and foreign exchange.
He however noted that arrangements are underway to making foreign exchange available for telecoms operators.