By Paul Chimodo
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has ordered major telecommunications operators to compensate subscribers who experience poor network quality, marking a significant shift in regulatory policy aimed at protecting telecom consumers nationwide.
In a statement released over the weekend, the NCC said the directive requires mobile network operators (MNOs) to provide airtime credits to affected users where service delivery falls below prescribed Quality of Service (QoS) standards.
According to the commission, subscribers “should not bear the full burden of service disruptions” when operators fail to meet established performance benchmarks. The compensation will be calculated based on users’ typical spending patterns and the duration and location of poor network experiences within affected Local Government Areas (LGAs).
The NCC’s consumer‑centric move reflects growing frustration among Nigerians over repeated network outages, dropped calls, and slow data speeds — issues that have long dogged the nation’s telecom sector. Under the directive, operators will be held accountable for breaches of key performance indicators and must compensate customers directly for service setbacks.
In addition to the compensation order, the regulator has instructed tower companies to use funds from fines to improve network infrastructure, reinforcing ongoing efforts to boost capacity and resilience across critical telecom networks.
Industry watchers say the policy could reshape service delivery in Nigeria’s telecoms sector by forcing operators to prioritise reliability and customer satisfaction, though details on how compensation thresholds will be enforced are yet to be made public.
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