NATCOM warns NCC against upward review of interconnection rates

The National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers (NATCOMS) has appealed to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) not to review the interconnection rates for voice services upward.

NATCOM’s President, Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, said yesterday, that the review of the interconnection rates was not necessary, with the present economic situation of the country.

Interconnection or termination rates are the charges which one telecommunications operator charges the other, for terminating calls on its network.

The 2013 rates, which took effect from April 1, 2013, has major operators terminating calls on new entrants/smaller operators’ networks at N6.40, while the smaller operators do same on major operators’ networks at N4.90.

“’I don’t think this is the right time to do any upward review. Government and its agencies should be sensitive to the plight of the people.

“’Government should understand that we are in recession and it is affecting every pocket; so, it is not a right time of increasing telecommunications tariffs,’’ Ogunbajo said.

He said that instead of reviewing the rates upward, the regulatory body should consider a downward review.

“NCC is not in the habit of reviewing downward; however, downward review will be a welcome development in view of the present economic situation,” he said.