Sanctions: Telecoms Operators Plan N400bn Infrastructure Upgrade

THE four major telecommunications operators in Nigeria- Globacom, MTN, Etisalat and Airtel- have disclosed plans to expend over N400 billion on various telecoms infrastructure upgrades in the country between now and December this year.The GSM operators, which claimed over N1 trillion investment in building and enhancing mobile networks in the country over the last 10 years, said the decision became necessary due to the falling standard of telecoms services in the country, which earned them a N1.17 billion fine by the regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), last week.The operators, who disclosed this yesterday, subsequent to various advertorial they jointly published in various newspapers, added that it was aimed at improving their services to satisfy their subscribers.Besides, they reassured consumers of improved service within the next 12 months and called for the understanding of all on the current harsh environment in which they operate.The NCC, last week sanctioned the four major telecoms operators various sums of money for 'failure to meet Quality of Service standards,' withMTN and Etisalat fined N360m each, Glo N180m and Airtel N270m.But the operators noted that the operating environment, which they described as 'frustrating and volatile' as a major hindrance to achieving the pre-determined benchmark set by the regulator and urged the NCC and the people to encourage, rather than condemn them.The joint press statement said that all the four operators are actively engaged in competing with one another on quality of service to win the loyalty of existing customers and attract new customers.They further said it was unfair to expect the same standards in Nigeria, as obtained in Western countries, when infrastructures, such as power supply, are lagging behind, thereby compelling the operators to make additional investment to fill the yawning gap.The operators also said that maintenance of GSM infrastructure in the country is similar to running a complete economy, complete with power generation, provision of security for staff and equipment, creating access roads in some instances, even as they are subjected to heavy and multiple taxations by all tiers of governments.While appealing for the patience and understanding of the regulator, subscribers and other stakeholders in the industry, the operators stated that they are equally concerned about the failures to meet customer expectations on the quality of service, as such affects their bottom-line.They urged the regulator to allow them to compensate the subscr
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