The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has directed telecom operators to simplify tariff plans, packages, and promotional activities, and provide subscribers with clear, understandable, and accurate information on the tariffs for voice, short message (SMS), and data services.
NCC Director of Public Affairs, Reuben Muoka, in a statement on Monday, said the directive to operators is contained in the “Guidance on the Simplification of Tariffs in the Nigerian Communications Sector,” released on July 29, 2024.
He said the directive also requires mobile network operators (MNOs) to publish tables outlining the features of tariff plans and package offers.
“The table should contain all necessary information for subscribers to make informed decisions, including details on add-ons, their prices, how consumers can opt-in or out, terms and conditions for renewal, and rollover policies,” the statement said.
NCC said the policy is the result of consultations with industry stakeholders, including mobile network operators and consumer focus groups, as well as extensive data analysis of consumer preferences and expectations.
“The objectives of the simplification guidelines are to reduce the complexity of tariff plans and bundles, ensure transparency and fairness of promotional elements of tariff plans, protect consumers’ interests by providing clear and understandable tariff information so that they make informed decisions, and promote fair competition among licensees by standardizing tariff structures,” the directive said.
Service providers are also required to display all relevant information about their tariffs, such as the name of the plan, price, validity period, price-per-second for on or off-network and international calls, expected data speeds, and fair usage policies.
“Operators can maintain existing bonus-led tariff plans till 31st December 2024, within which period operators are expected to educate and migrate all subscribers to the simplified tariff plans,” the directive said.
The guidelines also asked mobile network operators to communicate tariff plans to subscribers in “clear language and user-friendly format,” and to fully disclose subscribers’ tariff plans via unstructured supplementary service data (USSD).
It further stated, “operators must offer stand-alone data bundles at fair prices to avoid tying consumers with products they do not need; bonuses on promotions must be stated in actual value; access fees and asymmetric fee structures must be eliminated,”
The NCC also stressed that in addition to complying with these guidelines, telecom operators must also meet the key performance indicator (KPI) standards set out in the Quality of Service (QoS) regulations.
