Amidst the economic hardship, Nigerian subscribers will have to pay more for telecoms services as the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has finally approved new tariff plans for the telecom operators starting from July 29, 2024.
The service providers had been agitating for the increase to meet up with their cost of production while the subscribers have been rejecting all the moves by the telcos to get the approval
Meanwhile, the NCC has finally dances to the tune of the telecoms operators especially as they record losses in their business.
For instance, MTN Nigeria said it recorded a loss after tax of N519 billion for the first half of 2024.
The giant telecom company had earlier recorded N85 billion in the first half of 2023.
It was discovered that the approval by the regulator was also followed by new pricing rules, according to a document, “Guidance On The Simplification of Tariffs In The Nigerian
Communications Sector” signed by NCC Executive Vice Chairman, Dr Aminu Maida.
According to the Commission, “the Guidance shall take effect on July 29, 2024, and will remain valid and binding on licensees until further reviewed by the Commission.”
The document aims to simplify the pricing of a wide range of services across the Nigerian telecoms industry.
The rules guide what service providers can charge to their subscribers for either a bundle or unit of a product/service across the Nigerian telecoms market that accounts for 219,304,281 phone lines; 164,368,292 internet subscriptions and 94,364,751 broadband connections as at Q1 2024.
