The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has directed telecommunications operators to simplify their tariff plans, bundles, and promotional activities to ensure transparency and ease of understanding for subscribers. This directive, titled “Guidance on the Simplification of Tariffs in the Nigerian Communications Sector,” was issued on July 29, 2024, and is part of the NCC’s ongoing efforts to protect consumer interests and promote fair competition within the telecommunications sector.
The NCC’s directive mandates that Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) publish comprehensive and user-friendly tables that outline the features of their various tariff plans and bundle offers. These tables must include all necessary details, such as add-on features, prices, opt-in and opt-out procedures, terms and conditions for renewal, and rollover policies. The goal is to provide subscribers with clear, accurate, and easy-to-understand information to help them make informed decisions about their voice, SMS, and data service options.
This move follows extensive consultations with industry stakeholders, including MNOs and Consumer Focus Groups, as well as thorough data analysis on consumer preferences and expectations. The NCC’s guidelines aim to reduce the complexity of tariff plans and bundles, ensure transparency in promotional offers, and standardize tariff structures to foster fair competition among service providers.
Under the new guidelines, service providers are required to display all relevant information about their tariffs in a clear and accessible manner. This includes the name of the plan, pricing details, validity periods, price-per-second rates for on-network, off-network, and international calls, expected data speeds, and fair usage policies. Additionally, MNOs must communicate these tariffs to subscribers using clear language and a user-friendly format, with full disclosure of their tariff plans via Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD).
The guidelines also stipulate that operators must offer stand-alone data bundles at fair prices, avoiding the practice of tying consumers to unwanted products. Promotional bonuses must be stated in actual value, and access fees and asymmetric fee structures must be eliminated. Moreover, operators are allowed to maintain existing bonus-led tariff plans until December 31, 2024, during which time they are expected to educate and migrate all subscribers to the simplified tariff plans.
The NCC emphasized that while operators comply with these new guidelines, they must also continue to meet the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) standards set out in the Quality of Service (QoS) Regulations, ensuring that service quality is not compromised.
The NCC’s directive marks a significant step towards enhancing consumer protection in Nigeria’s telecommunications sector by promoting transparency, fairness, and competition.