Telcos mull review of data, call rates

Operators in Nigeria’s telecommunication industry are considering a price increase to reflect the current inflationary pressures.

The operators including Glo, MTN, Airtel and 9Mobile are seeking the nod of the federal government.

Daily Trust reports that recent data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) indicated a rise in inflation to 33.20 per cent in March, 2024, up from 31.7 per cent in February, 2024.

In the past 10 years, telcos have maintained the same charges for calls and data despite inflation rising from 8.05 per cent in 2014 to 33.20 per cent in 2024.

Stakeholders in the sector are urging the government to either invest in the sector as needed or adopt a cost-reflective tariff to facilitate necessary investments. 

ALTON and its counterpart, the Association of Telecom Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), in a joint statement on Thursday, said the FG was attempting to kill the goose that was laying the country’s golden eggs.

ALTON and ATCON called on the government to take decisive action in addressing the numerous challenges confronting the telecommunications industry. 

In the statement signed by Adebayo of ALTON and the President of ATCON, Tony Izuagbe Emoekpere, the two associations expressed deep concern over the escalating security threat facing telecommunications infrastructure in Nigeria.

They added: “For a fully liberalised and deregulated sector, the current price control mechanism, which is not aligned with economic realities, threatens the industry’s sustainability and can erode investors’ confidence.

“ATCON and ALTON call upon the government to facilitate a constructive dialogue with industry stakeholders to address pricing challenges and establish a framework that balances consumers’ affordability with operators’ financial viability.”