The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) could potentially levy sanctions against MTN, a leading mobile services provider, following allegations of regulatory non-compliance. The infractions include MTN’s dominance in the voice sector and a failure to pause promotional activities until the quality of service (QoS) is adequately improved, as reported in Nigeria’s business hub, Lagos.
Documentation reveals that MTN was summoned by the NCC to their Abuja headquarters to explain their flouting of directives. This includes directives to ensure equal pricing for both on-net and off-net mobile voice services and an order to halt all promotional activities.
Following a 2013 Commission study, MTN Nigeria Communication Limited was identified as the dominant operator in the mobile voice market. As a result, certain obligations were enforced on MTN as of May 2013, such as barring the company from offering dissimilar pricing for its On-net and Off-net voice services and merging its On-net and Off-net tariffs.
Moreover, in February 2014, MTN, alongside Airtel and Globacom, faced penalties for not meeting the set quality of service (QoS) performance indicators. This resulted in a temporary ban on all promotional or bonus offers across their respective networks.
Despite these rulings, recent NCC audits have indicated that MTN has been excessively violating both the decree of dominance and the promotion ban. This led NCC to reiterate the importance of compliance with the established regulations.
In view of MTN’s infractions, the NCC has made further moves, such as ordering MTN to terminate all ongoing promotions by 20th June 2014. The NCC also instructed the company to adjust its voice service tariffs in line with the Commission’s 2013 Dominance determination. It also directed MTN to enhance its network performance quality. The NCC will directly communicate any ensuing decisions regarding the infringements to MTN.
source: Biztechafrica
Updated in 2025 to align with recent developments.
Paul Balo is the founder of TechBooky and a highly skilled wireless communications professional with a strong background in cloud computing, offering extensive experience in designing, implementing, and managing wireless communication systems.
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