By EMEKA AGINAM

From dropped calls, unsolicited commercial text messages to undelivered text messages, poor data service delivery in the country has remained unabated among service providers despite policies and regulations put in place by the regulator.

NCC boss, Juwah

Just last week during the 76th edition of the Telecom Consumer Parliament held in Lagos with the theme: ‘Data Service Delivery: The Way Forward’., the issue of data was in the front burner.

But for the parliamentarians and the regulatory authorities, except issues affecting improved data service delivery by service providers in the Nigerian information communication technology ecosystem. were resolved urgently, the country’s quest for digital and financial inclusion   may be derailed.

In technical parlance, data service is referred to the distribution of internet service on demand to the user regardless of geographic or organizational separation.

At the TCP, the telecoms regulatory authority had summoned all the operators to present to the parliamentarians details of what they have been doing to improve data service delivery.

Meanwhile, the operators shared with the ‘parliamentarians’ their strategies towards solving the issues raised such as consumer education on data usage, engagement of services of more customer care agents, rolling-out consumer-friendly data plan, among others. But   NCC insisted that they must come up with statistics to back up their claims.

Complaint Management Database

Already, the NCC’s Complaint Management Database (CMD) showed that the prevalent consumer complaints on Data Service Delivery included inability to browse; abnormal depletion of data; unsuccessful data renewal and unauthorized service renewal.

During the period of July to October 2014,   figures recorded on data service delivery complaints show that only Airtel recorded zero customer complaints in the month of July with MTN, Etisalat, and Glo recording 41.47%, 41.67 and 8.33% respectively.

For the month of August, according to the Commission, the telecos recorded the following percentage of complaints; MTN (63%), Etisalat (9.09%), Airtel (9.09%) and Glo (9.09%), while in September they recorded MTN (10%), Etisalat (40%), Airtel (10%) and Glo (30%).

Also in October, the operators recorded complaints as MTN led with (42.86%), Etisalat (14.28%), Airtel (21.43%) and Glo (14.25).

Although service providers at the forum assured parliamentarians on improved quality of service, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Dr. Eugene Juwah   expressed dissatisfaction on the level of data service delivery by the operators.

He said that it has become more worrisome the kind of services most service providers sell to their subscribers, all in the name of 3G.

Pay more attention to data

Urging the operators to promote the use of data by encouraging the use of smart phones, he told the gathering that improved data delivery owing to the auctioning of more spectrum to telecommunications’ companies would soon result to shrinking of many bank branches across the nation.

3G devices for financial inclusion

While harping on the use 3G enabled devices for financial inclusion, Juwah disclosed that there would be more financial inclusion if more Nigerians embrace smart phones .

According to NCC EVC, with the improvement in data services from the telecoms service providers as well as the effort of the NCC in enhancing broadband penetration, university students will soon be taking lectures from their mobile phones rather than from the traditional classroom.

He also said that the mechanic on the road would be able to make transaction through a smart phone without having to go the banking hall if data service was improved among service providers. Mrs. Maryam Bayi, Director, Consumer Affairs Bureau of the NCC, while urging the operators to improve on data delivery said that, “Data Services are able to eliminate redundancy and streamline costs. This is because critical data is housed in one location, enabling data to be accessed and/or updated by multiple users. while ensuring a single point of reference for updates.

“Sourcing from our Complaint Management Database, we have compiled the most prevalent consumer complaints on Data Service Delivery. These include:- Inability to Browse, Abnormal Depletion of Data, Unsuccessful Data Renewal and Unauthorized Service renewal,”.

Operators speak

Meanwhile, service providers at the forum including MTN Airtel, Globacom, Etisalat and Visaphone   assured that they were working actively to improve on consumers complaints. The Consumer Manager, Airtel, Mr Ibe Nwandu while speaking before the parliamentarians on their effort to improve quality of service said that their network had established an anti-spam network with which customers could activate the do-not-disturb option and consequently receive no message.

For Mr Wale Goodluck, MTN’s Corporate Service Executive,   MTN had introduced a data fair where customers were educated on switching off data that they did not subscribe to, thereby saving their credit.

On unsolicited text messages, he said that MTN has been able to tackle the issue of customers receiving messages at ungodly hours. “MTN has put in place measures to tackle unsolicited messages at an ungodly hour,” he said.