On Monday saw that telecommunications companies are required to standardise their pricing by the Nigerian Communications Commission.
Giving consumers accurate, understandable, and transparent information about the cost of phone, SMS, and data services is the aim of this move by the telecom regulator.
Mobile network providers were required by the NCC’s “Guidance on the Simplification of Tariffs in the Nigerian Communications Sector” instruction to release an extensive table outlining the elements of their pricing plans and package offerings.
According to the regulator, the table should provide all the information required for subscribers to make educated selections. This information should include specifics about add-ons, their costs, how customers can opt in or out, renewal terms and conditions, and rollover policies.
The NCC claims that the guideline is the result of considerable data analysis on customer preferences and expectations as well as discussions with industry stakeholders, including as MNOs and consumer focus groups.
It stated: “The objectives of the simplification guidelines are to reduce the complexity of tariff plans and bundles, ensure transparency and fairness of promotional elements of tariff plans, protect consumers’ interests by providing clear and understandable tariff information so that they make informed decisions, and promote fair competition among licensees by standardising tariff structures.”
It is mandatory for service providers to exhibit all pertinent details regarding their tariffs according to Brandspur telecom and IT news, including the plan name, cost, duration of validity, price per second for both on- and off-network and international calls, anticipated data speeds, and fair usage guidelines.
The directives did not leave out that: “Operators can maintain existing bonus-led tariff plans until December 31, 2024, within which period operators are expected to educate and migrate all subscribers to the simplified tariff plans.”
The rules also required MNOs to fully disclose a subscriber’s tariff plan via Unstructured Supplementary Service Data, and to convey pricing to users in “clear language and a user-friendly format.”
Adding that: “Operators must offer stand-alone data bundles at fair prices to avoid tying consumers to products they do not need; bonuses on promotions must be stated in actual value; access fees and asymmetric fee structures must be eliminated.”
Continuing, the NCC highlighted that operators must fulfil the Key Performance Indicator criteria outlined in the Quality of Service Regulations in addition to adhering to those guidelines. Nigerian consumers have expressed worries in recent months regarding the quick depletion of their data.
The NCC had identified a number of potential causes for the problem, including malware, automated upgrades, GPS use, and background app activity.
Despite criticism, telecom companies such as MTN and Airtel were ordered by the NCC to carry out independent audits of their billing processes in order to improve transparency.
The telecom watchdog however, stated that it wanted to see a 50% increase in service quality by the end of 2024 and advised customers to keep an eye on their data usage and, if needed, look into larger data plans.
