Mobile Network Operators in Nigeria are now taking bold moves to address the perennial complaints of telecom subscribers over data depletion by coming up with transparency tools.
According to sources from the industry, one of the tools being considered by operators is called “data calculator” that can show subscribers how their data is consumed daily.
Already, the telecom operators now provide subscribers a daily report of data used the previous day, as part of the directives of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to drive transparency.
What they are saying
An official of one of the telecom operators, who would not want to be named because he was not authorized to speak, said the issue of subscriber complaints over data depletion has now become a major concern in the industry as it bothers on trust.
- “An average subscriber believes their service provider steals their data once their data is exhausted before time or depletes faster than they expected, which is not true.
- “Over the years, we have tried to enlighten the subscribers on factors that could lead to their data being depleted fast, which include smartphone functionality, among others.
- “And now, we are looking at tools that could show the subscribers not just what they have used, but also how they have used it to further promote transparency,” the source said.
He said the operators are also intensifying their sensitization campaign to let the subscribers understand why their data could finish fast.
Get up to speed
In December 2024, the NCC said it carried out an audit across the mobile networks and found out that there was “no major” issue of data depletion contrary to claims and complaints by subscribers.
According to the Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, Dr. Aminu Maida, the audit, which was concluded in Q3 2024, showed that there were minor issues on the networks, which the regulator was addressing.
- “We had a hypothesis that it isn’t true that there is a data depletion issue in the industry. It could be perception.
- “So the first thing we did was that we immediately conducted a billing audit on the systems of the major MNOs, using reputable auditors. That exercise was completed in Q3 of this year (2024) and surprisingly, we didn’t find any major issues,” he said.
What you should know
Amid increasing complaints from subscribers, the NCC’s Consumer Affairs Bureau had also issued a sensitization notice, where it pointed out some of the reasons subscriber may be experience data depletion.
According to the Commission, some apps continue to consume data even when the users are not actively using them.
- It added that automatic updates for apps, operating systems, and other software can also use up a significant amount of data.
- To reduce incidences of data depletion, the Commission advised subscribers to always monitor their data usage, turn off background data usage for specific apps, and switch off automatic updates.
- The Commission also advised mobile users to disable location services for some specific apps, as such services consume a lot of data. For unsolicited advertisements, the telecom regulator advised subscribers to install ad-blockers.
The regulator also suggests connecting to Wi-Fi whenever possible for mobile subscribers to avoid using their cellular data.
