Prof Umar Danbatta, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has said the reason for the poor quality of Telcos service is a result of persistent vandalism of telecoms infrastructure, adding that the destruction of telecom infrastructure is also discouraging investment in network expansion by operators.
Dangatta urged communities to take up the responsibility of protecting telecom facilities in their areas to enjoy quality service while speaking at the second edition of the Village Square Dialogue (VSD), one of the Commission’s consumer outreach programmes held in Kano.
He further explained that the vandalism of telecom infrastructure has a great negative impact on the communities as it reduces coverage area, leading to ‘dead spots’ on the network which result in poor quality of service (QoS) and quality of experience (QoE) by the consumers.
Addressing participants at the meeting, Danatta said: “By protecting telecom infrastructure, you are helping in creating jobs, promoting e-commerce, assisting farmers in the villages to connect with potential buyers in the cities, as well as enhancing connectivity through which citizens in both rural and urban areas are able to harvest their potentials, access information, and engage in social interactions among others.”
“Therefore, as a community, you are expected to report cases of telecom infrastructure vandalism to the nearest law enforcement agents such as the Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and share adequate information received from NCC with your family, friends, neighbours.
“We believe that together with your cooperation as critical stakeholders in the telecoms sector, we can all work with the law enforcement authorities in protecting telecom infrastructure in your community,” he added.
Participants were also reminded of the availability of the NCC’s toll-free number 622 for resolving telecom service-related complaints; the Emergency Number 112 to get succour during emergencies; the 2442 Do –Not-Disturb Short Code for managing cases of unsolicited text messages, among others.
