Social media wins as NCC backs down on mobile data price hike

Following the directives of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to raise data tariff in the telecommunications sector, many Nigerians took to social media platforms, particularly Twitter, to express vehement objection to the decision.

Within 24 hours, and on the back of the outcry by subscribers, the NCC suspended plans to introduce the data price hike.

The NCC took the decision after the Senate asked that the hike in data tariff plans should be stopped immediately. This followed a ‘Motion of Urgent National Importance’ moved by Deputy Senate Leader, Bala Na’Allah (APC, Kebbi South).

Na’Allah condemned the planned data tariff hike, saying it would cause serious hardship on ordinary Nigerians.
The social media outbursts were strongly worded.

“NCC, how do you begin to explain the imposition on a liberated sector? Your duty: ensure fair pricing of Nigerians, not this,” @LawNigeria tweeted.

“Did the companies say they were not making profit? Why ask them to raise prices? What is the goal of this policy?” @Gadzeelah asked in a tweet.

No quite long comments started rushing in, three harsh tags #DataHike #NoToDataHike and #notodatahikeincrease, became instant hits.

Tweeting from the #notodatahikeincrease @Omaabah rallied Nigerians to resist the hike “I call on Nigerians to join me in asking PMB to dissolve the board of NCC and sack its chairman. #notodataincrease.” Popular social media activist, Japheth Omojuwa, called the plan an infringement on citizens rights, “The NCC data hike is an infringement on the freedom of speech of the poor because data is an enabler of free speech via the internet.” Other angry Nigerians started distributing the phone numbers of the Minister of Information Adebayo Shittu, urging people to call him and express their anger.

Tony Ojobo, Director of Public Affairs, NCC, in a statement made available to BusinessDay, said that the Commission has suspended plans to introduce price floor for data segment of the telecommunications sector.
“The decision to suspend this directive was taken after due consultation with industry stakeholders and the general complaints by consumers across the country,” Ojobo said.

He added :”The Commission has weighed all of this and consequently asked all operators to maintain the status quo until the conclusion of study to determine retail prices for broadband and data services in Nigeria.”

It will be recalled that the regulator, in a letter to mobile operators dated November 1 2016, stated that the interim floor price for data services was 0.90k/MB for big operators, and that “this rate will subsist, pending the finalisation of the study on the determination of cost-based pricing for retail broadband and data services in Nigeria.”

The Commission said this was “in order to provide a level playing field for all operators in the industry, small operators and new entrants to acquire market share and operate profitably, small operators and new entrants are hereby exempted for the price floor for data services.”

Before the new suspended price floor of N0.90k/MB, the industry average for dominant operators including MTN Nigeria Communications Limited, EMTS Limited (Etisalat) and Airtel Nigeria Limited was N0.53k/MB.
Etisalat offered (N0.94k/MB), Airtel (N0.52k/MB), MTN (N0.45k/MB) and Globacom (N0.21k/MB).
The smaller operators/ new entrants charge the following: Smile Communications N0.84k/MB, Spectranet N0.58k/MB and NATCOMS (NTEL) N0.72k/MB.

The Ministry of Communications also said it never approved the planned increase of mobile data tariff by service providers.

Adebayo Shittu, Minister of Communications, said his ministry knew nothing about the price hike by telecoms companies.

“I want to say that I was not privy to it, I was not party to it, government never gave any such instruction and the government, as the representative of the people would never have done that – that the voice of Nigerians must be muscled,” he said.

Moni Udoh, Director, ICT, Federal Ministry of Communications, confirmed the surprise of the Ministry to the news of data price hike to BusinessDay in a telephone interview.

“We haven’t received any information or document for data increase from the NCC in this ministry, nothing has come to my table and as the Minister said this morning, we don’t know anything about it and so it has not been approved by the Ministry of Communications,” Udoh said.

Also speaking on the issue,Funke Opeke, CEO, MainOne said; “We definitely do not need any policies that will hinder the success of broadband penetration in Nigeria, especially now that we are trying to get more people online, as the internet is essential in achieving economic growth. “Our GDP is falling, we are in a recession and we have noticed that ICT sector has the potentials to take the country’s economy back to recovery.”

On the same matter, Senate President, Bukola Saraki criticised the Commission for not doing enough consultation before initiating the policy.

Saraki also asked the committee to investigate allegations of non-compliance to regulations against mobile operators.

Nigeria’s telecommunication, internet and payTV subscribers were before this new development, dreading the return of high cost of voice calls, SMS, MMS and data charges, especially as last year, the National Assembly was considering the passing of a new bill to impose an additional 9 percent tax on operators for their services which would be passed to the subscribers at the tail end of the value chain.

Omobola Johnson former minister of communication applauded Nigerians for their collective movement to stop data increment on her Twitter handle, saying “Kudos to Nigerian consumers for pushing back and to NCC for listening.”

 

JUMOKE AKIYODE, FRANK ELEANYA & OWEDE AGBAJILEKE