Federal Government Orders Telecom Providers to Inform Customers About Significant Network Failures
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has introduced a fresh policy requiring all telecom providers nationwide to promptly notify customers about significant network disruptions.According to a statement from Mrs. Nnenna Ukoha, Acting Head of Public Affairs at NCC, service providers must detail the reasons for outages, specify affected locations, and provide an estimated timeline for restoring service. Additionally, they are mandated to inform users at least one week ahead of any scheduled maintenance or planned outages.
This regulation, titled “Guidelines on Communication During Major Network Failures,” seeks to enhance user experience, increase industry accountability, and facilitate quicker resolution of network issues.
The NCC also insists that operators—such as Mobile Network Operators, Internet Service Providers, and other last-mile connectivity firms—offer fair compensation, like extended data validity or bonus airtime, if outages exceed 24 hours. These provisions align with existing Consumer Protection Regulations.
The directive categorizes major network problems into three groups:
1. Wide-Ranging Disruptions — Incidents affecting five percent or more of the subscriber base or spanning at least five Local Government Areas (LGAs), often caused by incidents like fibre cuts, theft, vandalism, or unforeseen events.
2. Site Outages — Unexpected shutdowns impacting 100 or more network sites or five percent of total sites (whichever is less), sustained for at least 30 minutes.
3. Service Degradation — Reduced service quality predominantly in the top ten states by traffic volume, as periodically identified by the NCC.
To bolster transparency, the NCC has launched an online **Major Outage Reporting Portal** accessible via its official website (www.ncc.gov.ng). This portal provides real-time outage updates and tracks responsible parties.
Engr. Edoyemi Ogor, NCC’s Director of Technical Standards and Network Integrity, commented: “We have tested this reporting system with operators over recent months. Now, with this directive, consumers and stakeholders will have timely, clear information on network health. Transparency fosters accountability, ensuring those responsible for infrastructure sabotage are identified and addressed.”
He added, “This initiative also supports our commitment under the President’s Executive Order designating telecommunications infrastructure as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII). Protecting these assets is vital for national security, economic stability, and daily life in Nigeria.”