MTN, Nigeria’s largest telecommunications operator on Tuesday commenced implementation of the Nigerian Communications Commission’s accredited tariff hike by growing its knowledge costs.
A examine by the News Agency of Nigeria utilizing the *312# code on the MTN community confirmed the revised MTN knowledge costs.
For the month-to-month plans, MTN 1.8GB now goes for N1,500, changing the earlier 1.5GB plan priced at N1,000; the 15GB plan now prices N6,500, an increase from N4,500.
The 20GB month-to-month plan has been adjusted to N7,500, up from N5,500, amongst others.
Text messaging on the community has additionally elevated to N6.00 reflecting the 50 per cent hike, whereas hike in voice calls charges are but to be ascertained.
Other cell operators comprising Airtel, Globacom, and 9mobile are but to replace their knowledge costs as on the time of submitting this report.
Some subscribers, who spoke with NAN, mentioned they had been shocked by MTN’s haste in implementing the tariff improve.
An Educationist and MTN Subscriber, Mrs Halima Balogun, lamented MTN’s haste in adjusting its tariff.
Balogun mentioned that different networks had been but to implement the hike.
“We, the subscribers, are but to return to phrases with the announcement of proposed hike, just for the rise to be carried out.
“I used to be about buying my 1.5GB at N1000, solely to find that it has been elevated to N1,500, this left me stranded as a result of I had deliberate on spending solely N1000.
“It would have been ideal if we were given a week’s notification before the new prices were made public to enable one to be prepared,” she mentioned.
A 200-level Student of University of Lagos, Mr Edoziem Olunwa, described the elevated MTN tariff as irritating.
Olunwa mentioned that the rise was coming at a time when issues had been changing into more and more tough, at the same time as college students.
“As a Computer Science scholar, I used to be struggling to assist myself with the 20GB which was N5,500 however the further N2000 is sort of a burden.
“Over the weekend, there was outage on the network, which was addressed but could still be better. These are the things we want the network to address,” he mentioned.
Another Subscriber, Mr Abdulwahab Fatoki, expressed optimism that the rise would herald efficient and environment friendly service.
Fatoki mentioned that from the day the announcement of the proposed tariff hike was made, it was apparent that there was no going again so the perfect guess was to be ready.
All the subscribers, nonetheless, expressed optimism that with the increment there would even be elevated high quality of service.
All efforts to talk with MTN officers earlier than submitting the report failed.
NAN studies that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the business’s regulatory physique had accredited a maximal increment of fifty per cent tariff changes to operators.
The Commission mentioned its approval, although lower than the 100 per cent hike demanded by operators, was in response to prevailing operational prices.
It mentioned that its choice was pursuant to its energy below Section 108 of the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003 (NCA) to manage and approve tariff charges and fees by telecommunications operators.
The NCC mentioned that, whereas recognising the issues of the general public, the choice was made after intensive consultations with key stakeholders throughout the private and non-private sectors.
“The NCC recognises the monetary pressures confronted by Nigerian households and companies and stays deeply empathetic to the impression of tariff changes,’ the NCC mentioned in an announcement.
It famous that these changes would assist the power of operators to proceed investing in infrastructure and innovation, finally benefiting customers by means of improved providers and connectivity.
The NCC added that customers would profit from higher community high quality, enhanced customer support, and higher protection throughout the nation.
NAN