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NCC moves to extend validity periods offered by telecoms operators
Jonah Iboma
The period allowed by telecommunications operators for subscribers to receive or make calls on their networks, based on the last time they recharged their phones could be increased soon, according to plans by the Nigerian Communications Commission.
The Executive Vice Chairman of the regulatory body, Mr. Ernest Ndukwe, said the NCC considers the validity period currently offered by subscribers as being too short in the light of the realities in the sector.
Ndukwe, who spoke in Lagos on Tuesday, during the July Telecommunications Consumers Parliament, revealed that the NCC would look at the issue review for the benefits of all concerned.
He noted that since operators were complaining of congestion of networks due to many calls that were being placed on them, a way to address the problem would be to ensure that validity periods were longer than their current levels for the subscribers.
He added that if such periods were too short, then the implication of such an arrangement was that the subscribers were indirectly being encouraged to make more calls within short periods.
Validity period is a major phenomenon of both GSM and Fixed Wireless Operators, whereby subscribers would be cut from certain services on the operator�s network depending on the period from when a subscribers refilled his call credit balance.
While some operators allow their subscribers to continue to receive calls after their validity periods have expired, others simply block both incoming and outgoing conversations.
Ndukwe noted that validity periods were different for various countries and that in the case of Nigeria it could be improved from the current levels.
In some instances, some fixed wireless operators continue to bill their subscribers �negatively,� a practice whereby the operator deducts a given amount of money from a subscribers when they have as call credit balance.
For telecommunications subscribers who complain that the period allowed by the operators for them when they do not have call credit balances, a hope that the situation might change for the better is near.
This follows plans by the Nigerian communications Commission to discuss the matter with the operators.
According to the Vice Chairman, the NCC views the period currently offered for subscribers to recharge their phones in order to stay on the network as too short.
The PUNCH, Thursday, July 1, 2004.
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