NCC commends Edo government for safeguarding telecommunications infrastructure…

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has commended the Edo government for its approach in safeguarding telecommunications infrastructure during road construction.

The NCC said contractors informed the Commission and mobile network operators (MNOs) before starting road construction works.

The Executive Vice President (EVC), NCC, Dr. Amimu Maida, who gave the praise during a media briefing on Friday in Abuja, also urged other states to emulate Edo in reducing fiber cutting during construction.

“I would like to commend one state in particular, Edo, for its approach to the issue.

“I would like to appreciate the state authorities for the way they handled this collaboration in a very simple but effective way.

“Their contractors, before starting any work, send letters to the commission to inform all the telecom service providers who own the infrastructure to basically give them notice of the work.

“This simple action has led to a significant decrease in the number of accidents occurring due to construction activities. So now it’s a model we’re encouraging other states to adopt.”

On the quality of service Nigerians receive from service providers, Maida said the commission is starting to see positive signs through independent crowdsourcing data.

He, h, said more work needs to be done.

“We are not yet where we want to be, but we are starting to see the right signs.

“The quality of experience is improving rather than worsening services, but at the same time we are seeing an increase in consumption.

“We’re not where we want to be yet, but are we satisfied as regulators? I think the area of ​​satisfaction is that we’re starting to see the right signs.”

The EVC said operators upgraded around 2,800 sites last year across the three major operators, MTN, Airtel and Globacom, covering new sites, technology upgrades from 2G and 3G to 4G and 5G and fiber additions.

It said operators have committed to around 12,000 additional site upgrades and deployments this year.

“These numbers in terms of work done also support that. Last year we saw just under 3,000 sites upgraded and introduced in terms of coverage and capacity.

«But this year they have committed to strengthening and introducing sites, which in total are around 12 thousand.

“This affects the three major operators, Airtel, Globalcom and MTM. And this is a combination of new sites that have been upgraded from slower technologies, 2G, 3G, to 4G and 5G.”

On consumer protection, Maida said the NCC had recently introduced a directive on compensation for subscribers affected by poor service provision.

He said the move aims to ensure consumers benefit directly, rather than the government alone collecting financial penalties from non-compliant operators.

“This is something that will continue for those operators who show no commitment to improving and addressing these issues,” he said.

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It said tower companies were also included in the directive and are required to make further investments in electrical and safety infrastructure to support better service delivery.

In her remarks, Executive Commissioner for Stakeholder Management (ECSM), Rimini Makama, said the quarterly engagement was organized to enable the media to adequately inform the public.

“This quarterly meeting is taking place precisely because we believe that a well-informed press produces a well-informed public.

“A well-informed public is one of the most effective tools we have to drive real progress in the telecommunications industry,” he said.

Earlier, the NCC Director of Public Affairs, Nnena Ukoha, said the commission looked forward to frank and constructive conversations on telecommunications trends.

“I expect we will constructively use this platform for open and frank conversations, sharing insights on emerging trends in the telecommunications industry.” (NAN)

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