…says operators must work out payment with banks

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has stopped telecommunications operators in the country from implementing the proposed end-user billings for the use of Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD).

This came as the telecoms regulator revised its policy on price determination for the service with a clause prohibiting the telcos from charging their customers.

NCC said the amendment was necessitated by the protracted dispute between Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and financial institutions on the applicable charges for USSD services and the method of billing.

USSD, sometimes referred to as “Quick Codes”, is a communications protocol used by GSM cellular telephones to communicate with the mobile network operator’s computers.

Recall that the telcos had, late last year, announced the implementation of end-user billing, which means that banks’ customers who use the USSD for transactions would be paying charges to their banks and the telecom operators as well.

The outrage from Nigerians over the announcement had sparked mudslinging between the telcos and the banks, but the implementation was later suspended.

In the amended ‘Determination of USSD Pricing’, which took effect from August 1, 2020, NCC stated: “MNOs must not charge the consumers directly for the use of USSD channel for financial services in the form of end-user-billing. The transaction should be between the MNOs and the entity to which the service is provided.

“All billings by MNOs for financial service using USSD code assigned to Financial Service Providers must, thereby, be implemented via the Corporate Billing model.”

NCC said the amendment also came on the heels of a recent directive by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Pantami, regarding a review of the USSD pricing by all parties involved, following a presentation made by the commission on the billing structure, determination of USSD pricing, current status and the way forward.

Speaking during the presentation, the minister had stated that he took the decision to suspend the commencement of end-user billing (where the consumers are charged directly from their airtime balance for use of USSD channels as opposed to corporate billing where the banks paid the MNOs for the use of USSD service) because he was “genuinely besieged with a barrage of complaints at the attempted commencement of end-user billing by service providers.”

The minister also clarified that “USSD is a service to banks and not to the telecom consumers, and as such, banks should see themselves as corporate customers of telecom operators with a duty to pay for using the telecom network and infrastructure, including USSD channels extended to them for service delivery to their customers.”

According to him, “MNOs have no direct relationship to bank customers, and cannot, therefore, charge directly for the usage of USSD channel.”

The USSD channel has evolved over time from a telco-exclusive channel used for only telco services such as balance inquiry and recharges to a channel for the deployment of a broad spectrum of services, including financial, insurance, agricultural, government services and more.

The use of the USSD channel has become a critical resource in the economy even more so in this era of the COVID-19 pandemic that has witnessed a rise in reliance on digital services.

The Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, noted that the commission had, in the interest of the consumers and other stakeholders, revised the determination previously issued by removing the Price Floor and the Cap to allow the MNOs and the banks negotiate rates that will be mutually beneficial to all parties concerned.

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They want to kill USSD again

Nawa

Ok

Sterling bank right now!

Reasons for this:

1. None
2. None
3. None
4. None
5. None.


It's very silly for the FG to order banks to charge such services from customers' bank accounts. Many of us are organized people.

It's neat to charge 10 naira or 50 naira from airtime balance. Charging 10 or 20 naira from bank accounts will leave People's bank accounts like this:

99,999,990 naira

instead of

100,000,000 naira.

Damnnnnn niggarrr
isoright
All these people ehnnn.. ..
What is the difference....nor be say una scrap the payment completely oo
Una nor want make mobile network operators dey charge us from our airtime directly

Una want make those mobile network operators go settle and discuss with financial institutions (banks) on how the payment go be for using unstructured supplementary service data(USSD)....
Which means after the discussion between them
..then the banks go decide make we users still pay probably by deducting it through our bank account...
This is not fair na..

It because its affectin them thats why they did sumtin abt it.


Indeed,there was a country

Great nation good people

Patronize our services


Install a car tracking device today and let your car feel safe

Good riddance...
I remember then 5naira per menu of ussd....
banks wants to suck us dry...

This is a welcome development,the bank and telecom provider should know how to settle themselves.

Were they charging?

Story
Yawn
Tales by moonlight
Super story

Verduct

And they should return everything they've charged on me with immediate effect

...

USSD has been saving me from ATM embarassment since 2018

They don't charge. They should stop banks from charging us make banks dash us that one Haba! The kind money first bank dey remove from my account every month if na osusu I use am do E for don reach me buy land . They don't even notify me, only when I receive alerts and check the balance I'll notice some changes then go through my statement of account and see how they debited my me.

No vote APC, no vote APC, no vote APC, no vote APC we no hear word. Very soon increase in fuel prices. That should add to the increased food price. Una see am Continue voting until they complete their destructive mission.

i was think is ussr , i don know is our nigeria scam govt again, shout out to all our olosho doing us proud with dere pussy more grace to ur PUSSY

Thanks God this did not add to the exploitative policies Nigerians are experiencing.

I personally pay over 1k everyday for stamp duty.I know so many people are paying more...no accountability on the part of government, no protection of lives and properties, no basic amenities. Just nothing in return.

We hope this will not be revisited when envelop exchange hands.

jericco1:
Were they charging?

They proposed to charge from your airtime.

Slawormir:
Damnnnnn niggarrr
isoright

Bros u buy land for nairaland

brightdestiny96:


They proposed to charge from your airtime.

They are very so mad

Don't die in silence




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Lwkmd

Funny beings....bar ni bottle ko

Asif dem dey serious