The Nigerian Communications
Commission yesterday bowed to pressure from Nigerians over the new minimum
pricing template for data services by mobile operators in the country. The NCC
announced the suspension yesterday. The new pricing template of 0.90kobo per MB
was to begin December 1, 2016.
The Director, Public
Affairs at the NCC, Tony Ojobo, in a press release stated that the suspension
was to allow for further consultation with industry interest groups. Mr. Ojobo said the
Commission has already asked all operators to maintain the status quo until the
conclusion of study to determine retail prices for broadband and data services
in the country.
The Senate also
weighed in on this, passing a vote asking the Commission to immediately halt
the proposed Internet data tariff hike. The NCC had earlier claimed that the
decision was to promote a level playing field for all operators in the
industry, encourage small operators and new entrants and save the smaller
operators from predatory services likely to suffocate them and push them out of
business into extinction.
It makes us wonder
who protects the Nigerian people? It is quite insensitive for the NCC to raise
the price of data for whatever reason giving the current economic crunch. More so,
the use of the internet is now viewed as a right. Data in most countries is
charged at a minimum and in some countries there is free internet in some public
spaces. Nigeria should be striving to attain this stage and not taking steps to
relegate us to the archives of history. Social media users expressed fears the
government planned to limit citizens’ access to the Internet.
