Nigerian Senate demands refunds for failed calls
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on ThisDay
The Nigerian Senate asks the Nigerian Communications Commission to investigate MTN Nigeria, Globacom, Airtel Nigeria and 9mobile and impose automatic refunds for failed calls. The regulator must report its findings within four weeks and strengthen sanctions against failing operators, according to This Day.
The Nigerian Senate on Wednesday called for automatic refunds of telephone credit deducted for failed, interrupted or dropped calls and ordered an investigation into the billing practices of MTN Nigeria, Globacom, Airtel Nigeria and 9mobile. The resolution aims to protect subscribers from deductions for units without communication services actually being provided, reports ThisDay.
The Senate tasked the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Nigeria’s telecommunications regulator, with determining the extent of deductions linked to failed calls and presenting its findings within four weeks. It also asked the commission to strengthen oversight of quality standards and sanction operators whose persistent shortcomings breach regulatory requirements, according to ThisDay.
The motion behind the resolutions was presented by Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno, representing Borno North, during Tuesday’s plenary session. Senators noted that subscribers often had to call back several times after a failed connection, an abrupt disconnection or a network interruption, resulting in further telephone credit expenditure, reports ThisDay.
The decision follows the Nigerian commission’s call for better telecoms services, published on 31 October.
