The rate at which the services of the nation’s major telecommunications operators have degenerated in recent times is not only embarrassing but unacceptable. With dropped calls and non-completion of calls now standard practices by the telecom providers, the euphoria and relief that greeted the advent of the general system for mobile communications (GSM) more than two decades ago seem to be on the wane as subscribers face the agony of poor services. In their usual penchant to escape a public problem for which they have little or no control, many Nigerians now carry no fewer than three phone handsets for different networks. Despite that expensive habit, there is indeed no end to the litany of woes which the Nigerian subscriber goes through as there are periods when none of the networks would work.

Meanwhile, the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ALTCN) Chairman, Gbenga Adebayor, has warned that the ongoing decline in telecom service quality may signal further industry crisis. “What we are seeing is the beginning of a bigger problem. I will not say telcos do have a shortage of capacity to contend with the issue. We have been saying that people are not investing,” Adebayor said why explaining that many telecom systems were ageing and going out of scope, with operators struggling to renew their obligations to suppliers. “It has been a challenge even for infrastructure companies to maintain optimal services due to difficulties in attracting new investments. It may be easier to blame the operators, but the reality is that investment is needed.”

We are aware telecom operators face challenges of their own. They have practically had to source their own electricity aside a series of other natural and man-made mishaps which have dealt serious blows to their infrastructure and equipment. Multiple taxation, growing inflation, volatility of the Naira, acts of vandalism, decaying infrastructure and poor returns on investment based on the economic situation in the country are also some of the reasons being touted by operators in the sector. But perhaps the worst calamity to befall the industry is the incessant attacks on their facilities and equipment by insurgents and other criminal cartels that seem to have deliberately targeted their locations in parts of the north.

However, there is abundant evidence that Nigeria remains a major growing market for telecom operators as the nation’s teledensity has continued to grow despite poor services. In fact, the higher the teledensity, the worse off the subscribers become. Due to the declining quality of service by the telecom providers, the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) once imposed some hefty penalties on all the major operators and a further ban on all manner of promotions. At the peak of these promotional campaigns, there was no trick that was not employed by the operators to win over subscribers or to compel them to spend more money on services in return for very ludicrous prizes. At a point, telecommunication operations turned into one big network of gambling business while quality of service took a nosedive.

Unfortunately, it now seems the sanctions have failed to yield any positive result. If anything, the services of virtually all the network operators are still below standard and practically all of them have resorted to those same promotions again. Therefore, notwithstanding the challenges in the sector, the fact remains that subscribers and consumers of telecommunication services are not getting value for their money. Making calls or using data has become very difficult for subscribers on any of the networks operating in the country today. Whatever it will take to redress the situation must be done to ensure that subscribers are spared the agony of poor service delivery from the networks. (THISDAY Editorial)

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