Compensation for poor service quality is non-negotiable —NCC – Tribune Online

THE Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said that compensation of subscribers for poor service quality, such as persistent network outages or failed calls, is automatic.

According to the NCC, operators are required and mandated to identify affected subscribers and provide compensation directly.

In a framework for compensation of consumers published on its website, NCC said that it has directed Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to compensate subscribers affected by prolonged or repeated poor quality of service experience within specific Local Government Areas where operators fail to meet regulatory Quality of Service Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

The NCC also stated that the directive does not replace existing consumer protection mechanisms.

The NCC said the directive adds a direct compensation mechanism for affected subscribers and aligns with measures set in existing legislations such as the Consumer Code of Practice Regulations 2024 and the Quality of Service Regulations 2024.

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This directive applies to only Mobile Network Operators licensed and operating in Nigeria that have failed to meet their Key Performance Indicators on Quality of Service. For Internet Service Providers (ISPs) operating in Nigeria, a compensation framework is already in place.

To be eligible to receive compensation, operators are required and mandated by existing regulations to monitor their network performance across locations and service disruptions against Quality of Service KPIs.

This enables them to identify affected subscribers without the need for individual complaints.

Only service failures that fall below the defined thresholds set by the Quality of Service Regulation issued by the NCC will qualify for compensation.

Short, isolated interruptions and immediately remedied interruptions may not qualify

Compensation will be provided in the form of airtime credits.

This airtime credit will not have utilisation restrictions, and subscribers will be able to use it for voice calls, USSD sessions, data subscriptions, etc., on the operators’ network.