NCC keeps tabs on dominant GSM operator

Executive Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Eugene Juwah presenting the Most Innovative Telco and Best Customer Services Operator Award to  Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, Airtel Nigeria, Segun Ogunsanya at the Nigeria's Telecoms Awards in Lagos.

Chuks Udo Okonta

 

The dominant Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) operator in the country, has been placed on a close watch by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to ensure it keeps to the terms of agreement reached which is aimed at encouraging healthy competition, Inspentech has learnt.

Director, Public Affairs NCC, Tony Ojobo, who disclosed this, said the commission has reached an agreement with the dominant operator on some terms and conditions that must be met to ensure a fair play among operators in the industry.

He said: “We believe in smart and responsible regulations, since the Executive Vice-Chairman NCC, Eugene Juwah, came on the saddle, we have had a number of sanctions on the service providers, both for inability to meet the standard and those the flouted our directives.

“We are not shy of sanctioning operators where we observe that there is breach, what we have also done, especially, in regards to dominance, the commission has agreed some terms of compliance with the dominant operator and we have set out all of the perimeters that have to be met. Where we see that there is a breach, the commission will give sanctions.

“We are watching the developments and have continued to draw the attention of the dominant operator to some issues, they have been asked to ensure that they comply with the terms and conditions under dominance and we would ensure that is done, and where we observe any breach, we ensure that sanctions apply.”

MTN Nigeria leads other GSM operators in the country with subscriber base of over 51,274,654 subscribers in the first quarter of 2013.

It is followed by Globacom with 23,833,796 and Airtel Nigeria came third with a subscriber base of over 23,670,986.