NCC restates commitment to public education

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has restated commitment to educating the public on issues of health and telecommunication services.The telecom regulatory agency dismissed misconceptions that mobile phones and telecom masts cause cancer or other health related problems.

Enugu Zonal Controller, Mrs. Emilia Nwokoro, who said this at a Consumer Conversation forum, explained that some researches performed over the years to assess whether mobile phones pose a potential health risk proved negative.

“A number of studies have investigated the effects of radiofrequency fields on brain electrical activity, cognitive function, sleep, heart rate and blood pressure in volunteers. To date, no research suggests any consistent evidence of adverse health effects from exposure to radiofrequency fields at levels below those that cause tissue heating,” she said.

She said 2017 was declared NCC Year of the Consumers, with special focus on health issues and complaints relating to unsolicited messages, stressing that the Commission brought out “Do Not Disturb (DND) number 2442, whereby consumers can text STOP to the number to prevent receiving such messages or HELP to the same 2442 to select messages that can come in.

She explained that NCC 622 toll free line enables consumers to lodge unresolved complaints to NCC at no cost, even though consumers are expected to have lodged their complaints to their network operators first.