NCC, Maida deny giving permission for MTN, Glo, others to increase rates

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has denied giving permission to telecommunications companies in the country such as MTN, Glo and others to increase tariffs.

Dr. Aminu Maida, the NCC Deputy Executive Chairman/CEO, stated this on his verified X account on Saturday in response to false information circulating in the telecommunications sector.

Reports have emerged in some sections of the media that the telecom industry regulator has granted network providers’ request to increase tariffs.

The report revealed that the NCC has approved tariff increases for MTN, Airtel, Glo and other telecommunications companies, affecting voice, SMS, data and other services, adding that the development has resulted in higher costs for Nigerians.

Ripples Nigeria reports that the confusion may have stemmed from a document titled, “Guidelines on Tariff Simplification in the Nigerian Communications Sector,” which was recently posted on the NCC website.

The Commission in the document highlights that full disclosure of all tariff components and conditions is mandatory and asks telecommunications companies to ensure that all marketing and promotional materials are clear and easy to understand.

In guidelines that come into effect on July 29, 2024, the NCC said all operators must provide full details of their tariffs.

“Each Operator is required to include on its website (on a special tab for tariff information) a table showing the characteristics of each tariff package and the packages offered.

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“The table should display all the necessary information so that customers can compare the offered tariff plan with other tariff plans, and thus make the right choice,” he said.

NCC added that whenever a customer asks for their account balance via *310#, the response must include information such as Package Name and Validity Period (if any); rate per second (and rate per minute) on/off network; rate per megabyte/kilobyte/gigabyte; and rate per SMS on/off network.

Responding to the confusion that emerged following the announcement, Maida described the reports as “fake news” and stressed that there was no new tariff hike for Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) or improvement in telecommunications services for consumers.

He wrote, “Like others, this is FAKE NEWS! The Commission has not approved any Telecom Tariff plan or increase as claimed in this report”.

In line with this, the NCC in its rebuttal statement denied the reports of the increase.

“NCC has not approved any new Telecom Tariff Plan or increase as reported online. The public is advised to disregard it.

NCC issued a directive to all operators to simplify their current tariff plans in a manner that is transparent & fair to consumers,” he explained.

By: Babajide Okeowo

NCC, Maida refuse to give MTN, Glo, others permission to hike rates first appeared on Latest Nigeria News | Headlines from Ripples Nigeria.