NCC Tasks Telcos On Service Quality As Operators Unveil Open Network

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has challenged telecommunications operators to match investments in network expansion with measurable improvements in service quality, warning that increased infrastructure deployment would amount to little if subscribers continued to experience poor connectivity.

The executive vice chairman and chief executive officer of the Commission, Dr Aminu Maida, gave the charge in Lagos at the unveiling of Airtel Nigeria’s Open Network platform, where he stressed the need for greater transparency, accountability and accurate information on network performance.

Maida said while telecommunications operators regularly announced the deployment of new base stations, capacity upgrades and other infrastructure investments, subscribers remained concerned about when such investments would translate into improved connectivity in their communities.

He noted that Nigerians deserved reliable telecommunications services to support businesses, education, communication and other economic activities, insisting that operators must demonstrate the impact of their investments through better customer experience.

“Even if complaints go up, transparency is the only way we can improve,” he said, maintaining that greater visibility into network performance would enable regulators and operators to identify service deficiencies and address them rather than conceal the challenges.

The NCC boss explained that the presence of a telecommunications base station within a community did not necessarily guarantee quality connectivity, as network congestion, transmission limitations and other technical challenges could undermine service delivery.

He therefore urged operators to provide clearer information about existing infrastructure, ongoing network upgrades and planned deployments, while ensuring that subscribers received timely responses to complaints and regular updates on efforts to resolve identified problems.

Maida also cautioned against relying on broad network coverage assessments that could conceal connectivity challenges in specific locations, noting that the Commission’s one-by-one-kilometre assessment grid must capture service deficiencies at the community level.

“Even though we see a green in a one-by-one-kilometre grid, we must ensure that there are no localised issues,” he said.

He disclosed that the Commission was strengthening its monitoring framework through independent crowdsourced network measurements and improved public access to telecommunications performance information.

According to him, operators must go beyond meeting minimum regulatory requirements and demonstrate a commitment to delivering better services to subscribers.

The NCC maintained that telecommunications operators must ensure that investments in network infrastructure translate into reliable connectivity, as improved service quality remains critical to meeting the growing communication and digital needs of Nigerians.