Between the NCC & GSM Subscribers – Who Should Get ‘Paid’ for Poor Quality of Service?

Poor Quality of Service is something usually experienced by GSM subscribers on virtually every network. Either in the form of poor network reception, irregular billing, poor internet services, inability to make or receive calls – subscribers have been frustrated more than a few times by their mobile service providers.

To avoid the hassles of being unable to use one’s mobile phone at crucial times, people have resorted to subscribing to two or more networks so that they don’t get ‘stuck’ on one bad network at any point in time.

However , my question is this: who should be compensated for this poor service – the subscribers or the regulatory body that governs them, the NCC?

The Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) has fined four Global System for Mobile Communications operators – MTN, Etisalat, Airtel and Globacom for delivering poor Quality of Services in the months of March and April.

In a statement made available to newsmen on Saturday in Lagos, the NCC said the four GSM operators are to pay a cumulative sum of N1.17bn.

The regulatory body said MTN and Etisalat were to pay N360m each, Airtel would pay N270m, while Globacom attracted a penalty of N180m.

“All the operators are to pay the penalties on or before May 21, 2012 or be liable to payment of additional N2.5 million per day for as long as the contravention persists.”

“The penalties are as a result of the contravention of the provisions of the Quality of Service Regulation by the NCC.”

“The operators failed to meet with the minimum standard of quality of service, including the key performance indicators,” the statement read.

The commission said details of the penalties had been communicated to the different operators through letters signed by the Director, Legal and Regulatory Services, Ms. Josephine Amuwa, and the Head of Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement, Ubale Maska.

The commission said it has been monitoring the performance of the operators on the different parameters as provided and noted that the service providers contravened the provisions.

“Paragraph 13 & Schedule 3, Paragraph 2 of the Quality of Service Regulation 2012, provides that any company which contravenes this provision will be liable to pay fine.”

“The company is liable to pay the sum of N15m for each parameter for a service contravened in the month of March, 2012.”

“A further sum of N2.5m for each parameter for a service for each day the contravention continued throughout the month of April, 2012 will be paid by the operators,” the statement said.

NCC noted that the performances in January and February were below the specified thresholds but decided to “take these periods as grace period.”

While the fine might eventually serve in encouraging improved service delivery from the mobile operators, what about the subscribers who have lost so much time, money, business deals, relevant information… from the poor service they sometimes face. How do they get compensated?

Have you been experiencing poor quality of service from any of these mobile operators? Do you think the penalty is good enough or too stiff?

Is the NCC right in collecting fines from the mobile operators considering that it was the subscribers who had to bear the poor quality of service? What is the best way the mobile operators can compensate subscribers for their loss?

Please share your thoughts.

News Source: Punch