Pozzy: I pay far less here in UK including Sky TV and telephone line.. Why is communication services still expensive in Nigeria?

Yeah, still trash.

adewasco2k: why people are enjoying free 2GB data on eti

bros , yu sef grab....i get 8gb.......

Pozzy: I pay far less here in UK including Sky TV and telephone line.. Why is communication services still expensive in Nigeria?

you must be a jorker for comparing naija with UK. don't u knw wat are leaders are gud at ie corruption. Dats y u must come home 2015. To clean up aso rock from this evil doers. Til then enjoy the fresh AIR

lillaowow:

bros , yu sef grab....i get 8gb.......

How una take do am?

That's not cool...

Decryptor: What do u mean? I pay N4,800 for 5GB monthly for airtel and it's so damn fast

no, N5,000 for 4.6gb. "Airtel plus” the speed ok.

2500 i get airtel 4.6gig with addition 75mb so etisalat isnt serious when they this is a promo.

At all, at all na witch. At least etibaba better pass y'ello bobo.

adewasco2k: why people are enjoying free 2GB data on eti

Guy, how far. Send me the code na.

27naira:

Mr man go and sit down! Does Sky TV buy gas to run their substations?

Why are we celebrating mediocrity in dis country? You are the one who needs to sit up! Do you knw d profit after tax of these shylock telcos? They all see Nigeria as their cash cow, and keep milking us dry under d excuse of 'hostile operating environment' whateva extra cost they bear due to power cuts is offset by their net turn over. What hap'nd 2 main1, Sat3 etc dat was supposed 2 crash bandwidth charges? BTW the heading of this afvert is misleading.

etchel: 2500 i get airtel 4.6gig with addition 75mb so etisalat isnt serious when they this is a promo.

u sure its N2500 for that plan? Cos i pay N5000 for same 4.6gb. Pls whats the plan name or code.

crackhouse: maybe u don't understand English well. I wonder where they said u should pay 20k monthly.

Lol

Pozzy: I pay far less here in UK including Sky TV and telephone line.. Why is communication services still expensive in Nigeria?

Your question is a very valid one Pozzy. I will attempt to address your question as an insider.
Firstly, 27naira has addressed part of it, albeit in a rude tone. Truly, the lack of electricity is one of the problems faced by telecommunications service providers. We've even had situations where thieves bring massive cranes to steal 100KVA generators. But let me be clear, this is just a small one of the numerous problems.
Basically, the dearth of cheap data services is mostly as a result of infrastructural deficits. In UK, you have cheap services mostly because BT, the telecoms company funded partly by the public already has existing national infrastructure that other telecoms companies such as SKY, T-mobile, vodaphone and Virgin networks to mention a few, depend on for backhaul (long distance connectivity between cities and indeed, countries) services. These networks can therefore afford to rent bandwidth from BT at very cheap rates, through BT's fibre infrastructure, while only having to provide last-mile services to their subscribers. Hence data services can go as cheap as £5 (NGN 1,500) for broadband connectivity with unlimited downloads.

In Nigeria, Nitel could have played the same role as BT, providing all the small networks with national coverage using fibre infrastructure. However, due to lack of foresightedness, government bureaucracy and fiscal mismanagement, NITEL fibre infrastructure is either virtually non-existent or dilapidated. Hence, networks have to build their own infrastructure from the scratch. This is an extremely expensive exercise, especially when using fibre, which really, is the only thing that can guarantee true broadband with virtually unlimited download limit.

Furthermore, due to the absence of a national carrier, some private operators, who already have a healthy amount of National fibre coverage do rent out bandwidth to other networks, but at premium rates (obviously to stall competition). Also, as you may know, Nigeria now has numerous submarine fibre connections to Europe (ie Glo1, MainOne, WASC Etc) with amazing bandwidths. While these will in the long run, help to significantly reduce the cost of internet in Nigeria, there is still need for inland fibre connections to complement the services, but because of terrain challenges and the fact that these things are not regulated in Nigeria, Telcos can be discouraged to make massive investments like that. As a Network, I can build fibre from Lagos (where most submarines land at) to Abuja for example, and tomorrow, one man can just wake up and say I want to build a school or a filling station there, and without informing me, starts digging. This results in fibre cuts which ultimately affects network performance. Obviously, such things make networks reluctant to embark on those expensive projects, only to have their infrastructure damaged by lack of government regulation and planning. That said, many networks are braving the odds and building these things, not because these problems aren't there but because in the long term, they will benefit immensely from the growing economy of the country and subsequent dependence on real-time information sharing in businesses( they say time is money).

These are just few of the numerous challenges the these telecoms companies face. So when NCC says the only company making real profit is MTN, know that it is not a lie. These companies remain in Nigeria more because of the potential the country holds, than because of elusive high profits or anything of such. All the huge amounts they make are usually reinvested in fixing vandalised properties, refueling their generators which are practically the primary sources of power of the base stations, fixing fibre cuts, maintaining their staff, when necessary, paying areaboys who would not allow them work on their sites, building new fibre routes and other operational expenses.

Before anyone condemns the Telcos in Nigeria, one must really understand the mountain loads of challenges they face. That HoA is a place filled with politicians, not technocrats, hence they lack this basic understanding which is why they can make ill-informed declarations such as "Improve services or leave the country". Fact is, with the exception of MTN, Nigeria has more to lose if these people leave the country than they will lose. For one, they already have very profitable investments elsewhere, but imagine Nigeria without Mobile telephony? Somethings are better left imagined!

brightmon:
no, N5,000 for 4.6gb. "Airtel plus” the speed ok.

Listen, u are throwing money away! Airtel 5GB is N5,000 but when i buy the recharge cards from a bulk vendor, i am given a discount of N200 so in totality, it's N4,800. you can call 111 for further details

Pozzy: I pay far less here in UK including Sky TV and telephone line.. Why is communication services still expensive in Nigeria?

I wonder o!

They advertised for 5,500 but sell for 6,500.

Mtchew! Hw is it free wen ul hv 2 pay up 5k nd den 1k 4 d subsequent mnts afta d 1st mnt of d subrictn,usless pple

digitite:

Guy, how far. Send me the code na.

as no be my papa get etisalat i go give you
send me a mail to dumpshouse@yahoo.com (spammers: that email is for u guys to )

Mtchew! Hw is it free wen ul hv 2 pay up 5k nd den 1k 4 d subsequent mnts afta d 1st mnt of d subrictn,usless pple! Topic is misleadin

Castos: If GEJ does not setup commitee on this robbery promo, then his hands are in it.

GUY WETIN CONCERN GEJ WIF ETISALAT PROMO NAAAAA> >>>> TAKE AM EASY AbEG

Decryptor: Listen, u are throwing money away! Airtel 5GB is N5,000 but when i buy the recharge cards from a bulk vendor, i am given a discount of N200 so in totality, it's N4,800. you can call 111 for further details

you will save more of you recharge online ATM, mobile banking etc. Huge discount.
E.g: I reacharge online lately and got more than 100% back. Got abt 180mb, sms and same value of what i reacharged to only on net calls.
So explain what u mean to me.

brightmon: i pay 5k for abt 4.6gb on airtell. Etisalat wakeup.

Bros pls show ♍e τ̲̣̣̥н̣̣̣̝̇̇̇ε̲̣̣̣̥ way and only way

brightmon:
pls explain, i honestly dont understand.

It's simple math nah. You said you get 4.6gb for 5k but i get 5gb for 4.8k so which means, i save N200 get an extra 400mb for what you are paying 5k for (minus 400mb)

Thanks for the brilliant analysis below. You must really be an insider to understand and raise all the points in your post.

Most of the people that comment on Telecom posts on nairaland are kids looking for freebies, so they don't really care.



quote author=OlaAjia]

Your question is a very valid one Pozzy. I will attempt to address your question as an insider.
Firstly, 27naira has addressed part of it, albeit in a rude tone. Truly, the lack of electricity is one of the problems faced by telecommunications service providers. We've even had situations where thieves bring massive cranes to steal 100KVA generators. But let me be clear, this is just a small one of the numerous problems.
Basically, the dearth of cheap data services is mostly as a result of infrastructural deficits. In UK, you have cheap services mostly because BT, the telecoms company funded partly by the public already has existing national infrastructure that other telecoms companies such as SKY, T-mobile, vodaphone and Virgin networks to mention a few, depend on for backhaul (long distance connectivity between cities and indeed, countries) services. These networks can therefore afford to rent bandwidth from BT at very cheap rates, through BT's fibre infrastructure, while only having to provide last-mile services to their subscribers. Hence data services can go as cheap as £5 (NGN 1,500) for broadband connectivity with unlimited downloads.

In Nigeria, Nitel could have played the same role as BT, providing all the small networks with national coverage using fibre infrastructure. However, due to lack of foresightedness, government bureaucracy and fiscal mismanagement, NITEL fibre infrastructure is either virtually non-existent or dilapidated. Hence, networks have to build their own infrastructure from the scratch. This is an extremely expensive exercise, especially when using fibre, which really, is the only thing that can guarantee true broadband with virtually unlimited download limit.

Furthermore, due to the absence of a national carrier, some private operators, who already have a healthy amount of National fibre coverage do rent out bandwidth to other networks, but at premium rates (obviously to stall competition). Also, as you may know, Nigeria now has numerous submarine fibre connections to Europe (ie Glo1, MainOne, WASC Etc) with amazing bandwidths. While these will in the long run, help to significantly reduce the cost of internet in Nigeria, there is still need for inland fibre connections to complement the services, but because of terrain challenges and the fact that these things are not regulated in Nigeria, Telcos can be discouraged to make massive investments like that. As a Network, I can build fibre from Lagos (where most submarines land at) to Abuja for example, and tomorrow, one man can just wake up and say I want to build a school or a filling station there, and without informing me, starts digging. This results in fibre cuts which ultimately affects network performance. Obviously, such things make networks reluctant to embark on those expensive projects, only to have their infrastructure damaged by lack of government regulation and planning. That said, many networks are braving the odds and building these things, not because these problems aren't there but because in the long term, they will benefit immensely from the growing economy of the country and subsequent dependence on real-time information sharing in businesses( they say time is money).

These are just few of the numerous challenges the these telecoms companies face. So when NCC says the only company making real profit is MTN, know that it is not a lie. These companies remain in Nigeria more because of the potential the country holds, than because of elusive high profits or anything of such. All the huge amounts they make are usually reinvested in fixing vandalised properties, refueling their generators which are practically the primary sources of power of the base stations, fixing fibre cuts, maintaining their staff, when necessary, paying areaboys who would not allow them work on their sites, building new fibre routes and other operational expenses.

Before anyone condemns the Telcos in Nigeria, one must really understand the mountain loads of challenges they face. That HoA is a place filled with politicians, not technocrats, hence they lack this basic understanding which is why they can make ill-informed declarations such as "Improve services or leave the country". Fact is, with the exception of MTN, Nigeria has more to lose if these people leave the country than they will lose. For one, they already have very profitable investments elsewhere, but imagine Nigeria without Mobile telephony? Somethings are better left imagined![/quote]

brightmon:
pls explain, i honestly dont understand.

what he said is 5GB goes for N5,000
buying in bulk from wholesalers will get him a N200 discount
so he is paying N4,800 for 5GB

adewasco2k:
what he said is 5GB goes for N5,000
buying in bulk from wholesalers will get him a N200 discount
so he is paying N4,800 for 5GB

Simply and well stated

wandeay: I once hacked etisalat over N1 million airtime sometimes around October 2009, and had transformed my life up till date, so i cant say anything bad about them, Etisalat all the way, Thumbs Up!

sobeacous of that shiken change they gave u that u will not call a spade a spade let no body say that it is free any longer they are criminal by diceving people likw that

Very funny commentators on this forum. Please understand a post b4 u mk comments. It was not stated anywhere that u pay 5K5 or 20K to enjoy the bonus. The 5k5 is for a modem and it comes wit a bonus of 200MB. Subsequently u need to be on a plan where u spend not less than 1K monthly to enjoy the 200MB bonus data. If the 1K data is 200MB, u will get additional 200MB bonus.

Decryptor: It's simple math nah. You said you get 4.6gb for 5k but i get 5gb for 4.8k so which means, i save N200 get an extra 400mb for what you are paying 5k for (minus 400mb)

you will save more of you recharge online ATM, mobile banking etc. Huge discount.
E.g: I reacharge online lately and got more than 100% back. Got abt 180mb, sms and same value of what i reacharged in my acc 2 but to call only on net calls.

@OlaiJA, you are right. The networks in the UK and the rest of Europe make use of what is called Fibre Optics cables which is attached to ordinary phone lines and the speed is ultra fast and very cheap to maintain. NITEL is the only service provider which can provide such service in Nigeria. Revive NITEL and the cost of Data Services would reduce abruptly. But unfortunately, these service providers MTN, Glo, Etisalat the rest of them won't allow this cos it would be bad for their business.

brightmon:
you will save more of you recharge online ATM, mobile banking etc. Huge discount.
E.g: I reacharge online lately and got more than 100% back. Got abt 180mb, sms and same value of what i reacharged in my acc 2 but to call only on net calls.

It still doesnt make sense to me. If i want to recharge my modem and i go to an ATM, what abt other bank charges and secondly,for the "on-net" calls, the ppl usin airtel on my phonebook are not up to 5 in numbr. all for a miserble 180mb?

27naira:

Mr man go and sit down! Does Sky TV buy gas to run their substations?

Is sky using free electricity in UK?