Senate Directs Ncc To Halt Planned Increase In Data Tariff

SAN FRANCISCO, November 30, (THEWILL) – The Upper Chamber of the National Assembly has ordered the Nigeria Communication Commission, NCC, to immediately put a halt to the proposed increase in data tariffs.

The telecoms regulator, had in a letter to the big operators, directed that the floor plan for data should be 0.90k/MB effective December 1, 2016 “pending the finalisation of the study on the determination of cost-based pricing for retail broadband and data services in Nigeria”. However, small operators and new entrants in the data market, such as Spectranet, Ntel and Smile, are still allowed to charge below 0.90k/MB.

But while deliberating on a motion by the Senate Deputy Leader, Bala N'Allah, on Wednesday, the Senate condemned the planned data tariff hike, directing the NCC to halt the policy.

Speaking on the motion, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki chided the NCC for not doing enough consultation before initiating the policy, even as he asked the Senate Committee on Communication to investigate allegations of non-compliance to regulations against mobile operators.

One of the mobile telecom operators, MTN, had shortly after NCC issued the directive, sent a text message to its subscribers stating that there would be an increase in its data tariffs effective from December 1.

“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,” the SMS read.