The Nigerian Communications Fee has issued a directive mandating all telecommunications operators within the nation to restrict the variety of obtainable tariff plans to a most of seven.
The NCC has accredited new tariff tips for operators designed to reinforce transparency, enhance client understanding, and foster honest competitors among the many licensees of the Fee.
It has additionally decreased the variety of bundles supplied per operator to 100, stressing that no subscriber could be on a couple of tariff plan at a time.
Based on the NCC, a tariff plan is a structured pricing scheme outlining the fees and circumstances underneath which telecommunications providers are supplied to subscribers.
The NCC disclosed this in a doc posted on its web site and signed by the Government Vice-Chairman of the fee, Aminu Maida, on Saturday.
The doc learn partly, “The variety of tariff plans supplied per operator is restricted to seven, and the variety of bundles supplied per operator is restricted to 100.
“There are not any limitations to the variety of add-ons a subscriber can choose into. Nonetheless, every operator will need to have in place a mechanism that informs subscribers of the variety of add-ons they’ve on the level of buying one other add-on. Subscribers should be capable to test (by way of USSD string, SMS) the variety of add-ons bought.”
Checks by our correspondent confirmed that the 2 main telecommunications corporations presently provide extra tariff plans than the stipulated quantity within the directive.
MTN has eight tariff plans, Etisalat has seven, Airtel has 10 plans, and Glo provides its clients 4 tariff plans.
Within the doc, titled ‘Steering for the Simplification of
Tariffs’, the NCC acknowledged that full disclosure of all tariff elements and circumstances is obligatory, asking telcos to make sure that all advertising and marketing and promotional supplies are clear and understandable.
The NCC added that operators ought to prioritise client schooling and transparency in all communications to make sure subscribers could make knowledgeable selections.
It mentioned, “Develop and submit detailed migration plans to transition subscribers easily to new tariff plans, with out lack of service high quality or advantages.”
“All promotional parts should obtain prior approval from the Fee and must be supplied as standalone merchandise with clear phrases and validity intervals.
“Submit complete periodical reviews detailing all lively tariff plans, bundles, promotions, and High quality of Service (QoS) metrics.
“The steering shall take impact on 29 July and can stay legitimate and binding on licensees till additional reviewed by the fee.”
Based on the fee, all promotional parts are to be faraway from tariff plans and supplied as standalone promotions, “topic to its prior approval, closing dates, QoS/capability necessities, and adherence to full disclosure necessities”.
The NCC mentioned operators can preserve present bonus-led tariff plans till 3 December, inside which interval they’re anticipated to coach and migrate all subscribers to the simplified tariff plans.
It mentioned, “Operators can select to keep up just one bonus-led new subscriber acquisition plan. Nonetheless, a brand new subscriber can solely be retained on such a plan for a restricted interval of six months earlier than being migrated to a normal tariff plan of their alternative.
“The place a subscriber fails emigrate after being prompted in accordance with the relevant enterprise guidelines, the subscriber will likely be reverted to the default tariff plan.
“Tariff parts of promotional actions/new acquisition plans referred to above will solely be allowed underneath the next circumstances: bonuses should adjust to the fee’s value flooring and value cap.
“As well as, precise depletion charges on bonuses should not exceed the value or fall beneath the value flooring for voice providers. The bonus allowances (voice/information/SMS) have to be acknowledged in naira phrases and minutes/seconds for voice, GB/MB
of knowledge and variety of SMS.
“Operators should absolutely disclose the above of their promoting supplies.”
The telecommunications regulator additionally mentioned add-on subscriptions have to be non-obligatory for subscribers.
It reads, “Subscribers must be enabled to buy any add-ons of their alternative whereas remaining on their present tariff plan and/or bundle.
“A free add-on shall be handled as a promotional providing and have to be accredited by the Fee by the rules on promotional commercials, 2023.
“Moreover, in keeping with the Fee’s present regulatory devices, service suppliers will need to have proof of knowledgeable consent from the subscriber to simply accept the add-on.”
The NCC mentioned there are penalties for non-compliance with the steering, including that operators should align their choices inside 90 days from the date of issuance.
It added, “Transition plans for present tariffs have to be submitted on or earlier than 12 August 2024. The Fee will evaluation and reply to submissions inside 10 working days.
“Tariff approval and modification functions should embody complete disclosure varieties detailing all features of the tariff.
“Non-compliance will end in penalties, together with fines, suspension of tariff approvals, or different regulatory actions as set out within the Act, associated regulatory devices and the subsisting Enforcement Course of Regulation.”
NCC additionally directed operators to all the time notify subscribers of any modifications to their tariff plans, together with migration to new plans, at the very least 30 days upfront, including that “notifications have to be clear, with causes and advantages acknowledged”.
In the meantime, operators have debunked claims of a tariff improve approval by the fee.
A textual content despatched to our correspondent by the Chairman, Affiliation of Licensed Telecom Operators in Nigeria, Gbenga Adebayo on Saturday, merely acknowledged, “Telcos haven’t been granted any approval for tariff evaluation.”
Additionally, calls and textual content messages to different strains by our correspondent confirmed that the charges are nonetheless the identical.