Data Price Increase: Expect Poor Data Services – Telecom Operators Tell Consumers

The Association of Licenced Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) on Thursday informed consumers to expect poor data services, without the review of the Data Tariff Floor.

The Chairman of ALTON, Mr Gbenga Adebayo said in a statement in Lagos, that there was the need for an upward review, so as to offer better data services to subscribers.

Adebayo said that the operators fully understood the public sentiments that greeted the announcement of a minimum data tariff being introduced by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

He said that the NCC intervened to set the data tariff floor in view of its statutory responsibility to promote healthy competition, by periodically reviewing voice and data tariffs in the industry.

According to him, the commission’s intervention is to ensure the sustainability of the Nigerian telecommunications industry.

He also said that the regulatory body had extensive consultation with the industry prior to the finalisation of the data tariff floor.

“Further, the commission has since Wednesday suspended the implementation of its determination on the data tariff floor.

“ALTON notes that it is within the statutory remit of the NCC for it to make decisive interventions to address the data price concerns which had led to data prices falling to unreasonably low levels.

“This is with the effect that telecommunications operators were unable to recover the cost of providing data services and reinvest in capacity expansion to accommodate the increased usage arising from lower tariffs.

“The situation has been compounded by the recent economic challenges characterised by the steep depreciation of the naira.

“It is characterised by the need to resort to the parallel market and foreign exchange scarcity, which have considerably increased the capital and operational cost of providing telecommunications services.

“This has made current data tariffs unsustainable.

“This situation, if left unaddressed, could result in a sustained deterioration in the quality of data services across all networks and the attendant poor quality of experience for users.

“In this regard, our members await the conclusion of NCC’s market study, when the commission will be in a position to determine its requisite intervention,’’ Adebayo said.

He said that NCC introduced the minimum price for data services to help ensure cost recovery and drive the continued investment in the telecommunications sector.

The ALTON chairman said that it was necessary for the provision of world-class data services for the overall benefit of the Nigerian subscriber and the Nigerian economy.

“It is our belief that interventions such as these are in keeping with the NCC’s tradition of implementing customer-centric regulatory initiatives such as the Do-Not-Disturb Service and the Mobile Number Portability Scheme.

“These were introduced to enhance customer satisfaction with telecommunications services.

“ALTON also notes that price changes for data services across all networks following any intervention by the NCC are not expected to have a detrimental effect on broadband penetration contrary to some sentiments being expressed in the media.

“ALTON wishes to emphasise that while it is imperative that telecommunications operators continue to explore opportunities to provide their subscribers with more value for their money, it is important that prices be set at realistic levels.

“This will ensure that subscribers are not only able to afford services, but that operators are also in a position to provide first-rate Quality of Service to their subscribers,’’ he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that NCC on Wednesday suspended any further action on the directive to introduce price floor for data segment of the telecommunications sector beginning from December 1, 2016.
The Director, Public Affairs, NCC, Mr Tony Ojobo said in a statement that the decision to suspend the directive was taken after due consultation with industry stakeholders and the general complaints by consumers across the country.

Ojobo said that the commission had weighed all of these and consequently asked all operators to maintain the status quo until the conclusion of study to determine retail prices for broadband and data services in Nigeria.

He said that the regulatory body wrote to the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) on November 1, on the determination of an interim price floor for data services after the stakeholder’s consultative meeting of October 19.

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Why NCC Directed Telecom Companies to Increase Data Tariffs – Official

This is an unofficial explanation about the unprecedented increment in the prices of data services as directed by the Federal Government.


An official of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has given reason behind the directive to the five big telecoms operators in the country to increase their data tariffs from Thursday, December 1, 2016, according to the DailyTrust.

The reason is reportedly in order to allow small operators and new entrants to acquire market share and operate profitably.

The NCC official who spoke on condition of anonymity on Monday said the regulator came up with the new data regime after some new entrants into the market complained that there was no way they could break even if they operated on same data regime with the likes of MTN, Glo, Etisalat and Airtel.

He said NCC yielded to their pressure when last month it notified the operators of the new rate.

Meanwhile, the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, on Tuesday urged the Federal Government not to increase the cost of data to avoid further pressure on mobile telephone users.

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10 Categories Of People That May Not Afford To Browse When Data Rates Increases

Despite the quagmire state of the nation, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has chosen to add to our problems by mandating local service providers to increase their data rates for irrelevant reasons, starting from the 1st of December.

Without deceiving ourselves, this directive from NCC will be unfavorable to subscribers as many may denied frequent internet access. Without wasting time, the following people may no longer have access to the internet when data rates increases.

1. Broke guys

Recession has turned many financially buoyant guys to become broke that they can’t even boast of two square meal let alone subscribe for a full month data plan. Many will agree with me that NCC will only be compounding these people’s problems because they will have to borrow phones from their enemies just to check their Bet9ja tickets.

2. Whatsapp subscribers

The whatsapp subscribers are so economical that they can manage 10MB for a whole year without getting exhausted. By the time 20MB monthly whatsapp plan is reduced to 2MB per month, these people will only switch on their data once in every 23 hours just reply the pending whatsapp messages

3. Facebook subscribers

Once data rates increases, monitoring spirits on facebook will drastically reduce as guy will not be able to ass-lick ladies on social media. In fact, they will only view ladies profile pictures on Facebook and will not be able to comment since they will be managing their weekly data plans which might be reduced to from 25MB to 10MB

4. Stingy/Greedy people

These are the people that have money yet stingy to themselves. Even if they’re being offered 50GB for N1, 000, they will still wail and complain that they deserve more. These people are likely to use their money to gulp beer and devour nkwobi when data rate is Increased as they see it as waste of money.

5. Night crawlers

These are the people that can’t browse during the daytime but will have to wait till 12am so that they can subscribe for N25 night browsing just to dowload from naijauncut and xvideos. I believe it’s cruelty if service providers increase data rates and cease night browsing plans because these people will no longer have any hope of surfing the net even at midnight

6. Cheap phones users

Some people are using cheap phones that can’t even subscribe Airtel 3GB monthly plan. When data rates is increased, they may choose not to subscribe again their monthly data plan can even buy their phones.

7. Those who relay on people for data sharing

Those who rely on people to share data with them will be put to shame because, increase in data rates will make those who share data with them to become stingy. These people will become wailers and will begin to rain curses on Buhari and NCC

8. Ladies who rely on men for subscription

I know that thing will soon go worse that most guys will not be able to subscribe for themselves let one subscribe for ladies. Therefore, ladies will be willing to trade their virginity for data subscription so that they can have access to Facebook and whatsapp. The ones who can’t do this will be stranded as life will become boring to them.

9. Data resell scammers

Those who spam social media with ridiculously cheap data plans may not be able to even subscribe let alone spam websites in a bid to scam people.

10. Thugs/Derailers

I have already predicted that increase in data rates will bring about peace on social media as hooligans, bashers and derailers will not be able to subscribe let alone bash people on social media. This implies that only the rich will be found on social media.

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