Telecom carriers such as MTN, Airtel, and Globacom have advocated for cost-effective tariffs in light of current economic realities.
The Association of Licenced Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) and the Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) issued a joint statement on Thursday. The statement was co-signed by ALTON Chairman Gbenga Adebayo and ATCON President Tony Emoekpere.
The telcos urged the government to take decisive action in resolving the myriad difficulties facing the telecoms industry.
The telcos stated that telecommunications infrastructure development necessitates significant investments in network expansion, maintenance, and technology upgrades.
“Despite the adverse economic headwinds, the telecommunications industry remains the only industry yet to review its general service pricing framework upward in the last (11) years, primarily due to regulatory constraints.
“For a fully liberalized 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,” the statement partly read.
Regarding the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the telcos also said regulatory neutrality and independence are crucial to ensuring a thriving telecommunications sector.
“Statutory provisions lend credence to this notion, as a lack of an impartial regulator will lead to a failure to maintain public confidence in the objectivity and independence of its decisions,” the statement added.