The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has observed that two media organizations have published speculative reports alluding to plans by the Commission to increase the price of mobile voice calls in Nigeria. The general public and our layers of stakeholders are hereby advised to discountenance the reports. There is no truth to them.
As already reported by many traditional and online media organizations, the Commission, in keeping with its principle and tradition of transparency and constructive engagement with its stakeholders, yesterday organized a consultative forum to present the report of a cost based study for the determination of the mobile voice termination rate. Providers of telecommunication services were in attendance as well as other stakeholders who made very constructively contributions to the discourse after listening to the presentation of the Study report. AT NO TIME WAS REFERENCE MADE TO THE POSSIBILITY OF INCREASING THE PRICE OF VOICE CALLS.
The focus of the discussion was the interconnection rate which is usually subjected to a review every three years. Studies are usually conducted and followed with consultations with stakeholders to arrive at fair, competitive and cost based prices. It is the reason Messrs PriceWaterCooperHouse was commissioned after, a competitive selection process, to undertake the study which report was presented yesterday.
It is therefore curious and unfortunate to read misleading reports about a very simply, transparent and procedural event which was designed to enhance debate among a broad spectrum of stakeholders, in order to enrich the quality of the report for the determination of interconnection rates. Indeed, yesterday’s forum was the first in the scheduled sequence of consultations, the process is ongoing.
The focus of the Board, Management and staff of the Commission is to collaborate with all relevant stakeholders to tackle every challenge undermining efforts at attaining better service quality in the Nigerian telecommunication sector.
