As part of efforts to strengthen subscribers’ protection against poor services delivery, Mobile Network Operators have been directed to compensate subscribers in areas where network quality falls below approved standards.
This directive was handed down on Monday by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) through a statement issued by the Commission’s Head of Public Affairs, Nnenna Ukoha.
The NCC disclosed that with the step, subscribers would not be left to bear the impact of poor service delivery, noting that affected subscribers will receive compensation in the form of airtime credits.
According to the statement, “the NCC has directed Mobile Network Operators to compensate subscribers whose quality of service experience falls below specified targets in certain locations”, adding, “erring operators will compensate users directly for breaches of Quality of Service (QoS) Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
“Compensation will be calculated based on subscribers’ average spending patterns and their presence in affected Local Government Areas. The tower companies have also been directed to reinvest fines imposed on them into infrastructure improvements, particularly in areas affecting service quality such as telecom masts”, it stated further.
NCC explained that the directive is part of a broader strategy to place consumers at the centre of Nigeria’s telecommunications ecosystem, emphasizing that telecom services are critical to economic activities, social interaction and access to digital opportunities.
The regulator warned that poor service quality negatively impacts productivity, business operations and public confidence, asserting that “we will continue to enforce compliance by ensuring operators invest in network resilience, expand capacity and upgrade infrastructure to meet growing demand”.
NCC recalled that Nigeria’s telecom sector “has faced persistent complaints over poor network quality, including dropped calls and slow data speeds and it was in response that the Commission introduced new Quality of Service regulations in 2024, setting strict performance benchmarks for operators, including call drop rates, call setup success rates, and network congestion levels.
“Under these rules, operators face penalties starting from about ₦5 million per infraction, with additional daily fines for continued breaches. Earlier this year, the Commission revealed that telecom operators could face penalties of about ₦12.4 billion for multiple violations, marking one of the most aggressive enforcement drives in recent years”, the regulator added.
