…. Summons Minister, NCC boss, others UPDATED
The Senate has asked the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) to immediately stop the hike in data tariff, scheduled to commence December 1.
The upper chamber also summoned the Minister of Communications Adebayo Shittu, NCC Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive, Umar Danbatta, service providers and other relevant stakeholders in the telecommunications sector over the matter.
It also resolved to commence comprehensive investigations into allegations of failure of the service providers.
Consequently, its Committee on Communications has been directed to report back within one week.
This followed a Motion of Urgent National Importance moved by Deputy Senate Leader, Bala Na’Allah (APC, Kebbi South).
He condemned the planned data tariff hike, saying it would cause serious hardship on ordinary Nigerians.
To the Vice Chairman of the Committee, Solomon Adeola (APC, Lagos West), the policy is not only ‘unholy’ but also ‘unfriendly’.
“We are up to the task. And I can assure the Senate that we will swing into action immediately. We will invite all the necessary agencies that are involved in this policy that is unholy and unfriendly and get back to the Senate unfailingly on Tuesday“.
Speaking on the motion, Senate President Bukola Saraki criticised the Commission for not doing enough consultation before initiating the policy.
He also asked the committee to investigate allegations of non-compliance to regulations against mobile operators.
Recall that the regulator had directed mobile operators to initiate a new data tariff regime from December 1, 2016.
In a letter to mobile operators dated November 1, the regulator 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.
“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,” it said.
“For the avoidance of doubt a small operator is one that has less than 7.5 percent market share and a new entrant is an operator that has operated less than three years in the market.
“All operators are to ensure that subscribers are not automatically migrated to pay-as-you-go platform.
“Also, note that effective date for the interim price floor is December 1, 2016.”
On Monday, one of the service providers, MTN, sent text messages to its customers, stating that there would be an increase in its data tariffs on December 1.
The message read: “Dear customer, please be informed that from December 1, some MTN data tariffs will be increased to reflect the new rates set by the NCC to operators.”
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