Senate Moves Against Telecom Operators Over Poor Network, Unfair Airtime Charges
The Nigerian Senate has summoned the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and major telecommunications companies over persistent network disruptions and alleged unjustified deductions from subscribers’ airtime.
The affected operators, including MTN, Airtel, Globacom and T2, have been asked to appear before the Senate Committee on Communications to explain repeated complaints of dropped calls, failed connections and interrupted conversations that reportedly leave customers losing airtime.
The committee, chaired by Senator Ikra Bilbis (APC, Zamfara Central), will investigate the financial losses suffered by subscribers and submit its findings, alongside recommendations for regulatory and legislative action, within four weeks.
The resolution followed deliberations on a motion titled, “Need to Curb Unjustified Deductions from Subscribers’ Airtime Resulting from Substandard Telecommunications Services Through Robust Consumer Protection.”
The motion was sponsored by Senate Chief Whip Tahir Monguno (APC, Borno North) and presented by Deputy Majority Leader Lola Ashiru (APC, Kwara South).
Presenting the motion, Ashiru criticised the practice of subscribers losing airtime on calls that fail to connect or terminate prematurely because of network problems.
The Senate expressed concern that Nigerians were paying for telecommunications services they often fail to receive.
It also observed that poor network quality forces customers to repeatedly dial numbers, resulting in multiple airtime deductions even when previous calls are unsuccessful.
The investigation is expected to establish the extent of consumer losses and identify measures to improve service quality and protect telecommunications subscribers.
