AFTER suspending the planned increase in data price, the Nigerian Communications Commission on Wednesday said the decision to rescind its earlier directive to telecom operators to commence charging the new floor price rate for data from December 1, was to allow for further consultation with industry interest groups.








“Following concerns that visited the directive to introduce price floor for data segment of the telecommunications sector beginning from December 1, 2016, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has suspended any further action in that direction,” the director, Public Affairs at the NCC, Tony Ojobo said in a statement.


“The decision to suspend this directive was taken after due consultation with industry stakeholders and the general complaints by consumers across the country.”


Mr. Ojobo said the Commission has already asked all operators to maintain the status quo until the conclusion of study to determine retail prices for broadband and data services in the country.


Prior to the suspension, Nigerians had raised concerns about the impropriety of the decision by government to hike price of data at this time.


Several Nigerians accused the NCC of insensitivity, considering the high cost of living in the face of the current economic recession in the country.


Social media users expressed fears the government planned to limit citizens’ access to the Internet.


In its reaction, the Senate passed a vote asking the Commission to immediately halt the proposed Internet data tariff hike.


The upper chamber of the National Assembly, in a motion under matter of urgent importance by Bala N’ Allah, the Senate Deputy Leader, condemned the planned data tariff hike, and asked the NCC to halt the increase immediately.


On November 1, the Commission, after a consultative meeting on October 19 with all mobile network operators in the country, wrote to them on the need to determine an interim price floor for data services.


In the memo, the telecom sector regulator justified its decision to have a price floor, claiming it was primarily to promote a level playing field for all operators in the industry, encourage small operators and new entrants.


The price floor of N3.11 kobo per megabyte of data in 2014, it recalled, was removed in 2015, pointing out that the price floor that was supposed to flag off on December 1, 2016 was put at 90 kobo per megabyte.


Although the Commission said smaller operators, by virtue of their small market share, were exempted from the now suspended price regime, it said the decision on the floor price was to protect the consumers who are at the receiving end.


The commission said the decision was equally to save the smaller operators from predatory services likely to suffocate them and push them out of business into extinction.


“The price floor is not an increase in price, but a regulatory safeguard put in place by the telecommunications regulator to check anti-competitive practices by dominant operators,” Mr. Ojobo clarified.


He denied the regulator had fixed prices for data services, pointing out that “the NCC does not fix prices, but provides regulatory guidelines to protect the consumers, deepen investments and safeguard the industry from imminent collapse.”


Prior to the now suspended price floor of N0.90k/MB, the industry average for dominant operators, including MTN Nigeria Communications Limited, EMTS Limited (Etisalat) and Airtel Nigeria Limited was N0.53k per megabyte.


Etisalat offered (N0.94k per megabyte), Airtel (N0.52k per megabyte), MTN (N0.45k per megabyte) and Globacom (N0.21k per megabyte).


A comparison of the data prices by the major operators with that initially proposed by NCC shows that but for the reversal, majority of Nigerians would have had to pay  between 90 and 300 per cent increase in data prices.


The smaller operators/new entrants, including Smile Communications, Spectranet and NATCOMS (NTEL) were allowed to charge N0.84k, N0.58k and N0.72k per megabyte respectively.

Source: http://www.socialtimesng.com/2016/11/ncc-why-we-reversed-plans-to-hike-data-price/

Hmm
Mtn and Airtel I want my night plan back or else.......
After walking dead and Salem una fit stop am, nonsense.

Nigeria matta don taya me,oloun

So NCC thought we were in a military regime that they would ask telecoms to increase data prices without consulting users

Any review should be DOWNWARD review of the tariff.

If smaller operators can't compete they should close shop. It is not by force

Foolish ppl, may thunder fire all you that brought the idea initially.
BTW what is the function of this ncc

Dear Nigerian youths, if we succesfully do it with NCC data hike, we can do it with every decision that affects us in the country. Let's work together for our own good and future!

smaller operators from predatory services likely to suffocate them and push them out of business into extinction.

Soo they would rather suffocate all Nigerians for a selected few.. this is a government against the people!

You people are mad

APShit

“The decision to suspend this directive was taken after due consultation with industry stakeholders and the general complaints by consumers across the country.”

Forgive my obsession with little details but I find the use of the word "and" as used in that context nothing but an act of fffuckery and stupidity from the useless body who, rather than protect consumers, have sworn an oath with the devil to torment Nigerians ( as if our suffering isn't enough already).

The wicked plan was simply reversed due to consumer outrage(which I am sure they never expected), not due to some bullshit industry stakeholder meeting which we all know never took place.

Shame on NCC. Anybody who thinks there's an imaginary body - NCC or others- whose job is to protect the interest of average Nigerians like you and me is simply on a long thing. They all belong to same cabal; they are all animals, theives who all laugh at us behind our back.

Implementing policies that will see Nigerians suffer depends on one and one thing only: how we react. If the reaction is toxic, they'll quickly organise an imaginary stakeholders meeting and cancel the policy. If it's not toxic enough - then the policy stands. PIGS

If the new entrants can't compete, let them fold up jor. why shift the burden to the masses for the benefits of the few? NCC mind ya sef o

BUT MTN AND AIRTEL DON REMOVE DIA NIGHT PLAN

Lamentation of the people were not in vain

Jerryojozy:
If the new entrants can't compete, let them fold up jor. why shift the burden to the masses for the benefits of the few? NCC mind ya sef o

What could have been even more painful, was that the huge additional revenue which those currently charging below the now shelved 90k/MB minimum would have made, would have been pocketed (less tax) by the major ISP's concerned o. No kobo of it (less tax) would have been gained by the government!

P34c3
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haaa,mtcheww,usesless people. After using my whole remaining allowance to subscribe in panic buying. the thunder dat will strike una is still doing push up.

Wise decision.

Lalasticlala

Shegiya Media

I for comment but no mb

very Good.... I just sub for the Airtel 25naira nyt plan and it's working

PDP please still come and steal and embezzle our money please we beg una at least Gala was #50 then normal routine. I won't update you of the price go check it yourself

I hate MTN with passion See d way dey rush and remove night plan Dey should fvcking bring back d damn thing

Chimaritoponcho:
I hate MTN with passion
See d way dey rush and remove night plan
Dey should fvcking bring back d damn thing

Provided the NCC does not ram irresponsible policies down the throat of the consumer, nobody will have to appeal to MTN before it returns to the real world; Glo, for one, will show that network called MTN, "pepper."

P34c3
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Smile, spectra net, ntel thought they will remain the only 4g providers and pegged the subscription money so high.GLO came and killed them off with cheap sun. They started crying cos I threw away my ntel Sim and packed up my spectra net. They led the campaign for data increase but it backfired on them and we will punish them more.
Happy new month naija

You guys are mad but you have nobody to tell you.

Mtcgeeew

dia fada

They want us to begin this month in agony

Thank God



Happy new months all N'landers

This my month settlement ooo, after 7yrs of serving

Everybody just dey do the one wey dem like.

dey r sick self centered deluded clueless dumbs