Banks complete N160b USSD debt payments to telecoms operators

By Favour Unukaso THE protracted Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) debt imbroglio between the Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) and telecommunications operators appeared to have been totally resolved. This was confirmed by Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola, Thursday, when he featured on AriseTV to speak on the firm’s first quarter 2025 result,... Read More

Banks increase SMS alert charges, blame telcos 50% tariff hike

By Favour Unukaso DEPOSIT Money Banks (DMBs) will from today, May 1, begin to charge N6 instead of N4 for SMS transaction done on customers’ account. Leading the charge, yesterday in a notice to its teeming customers, Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) attributed the adjustment to a recent upward review in telecommunication rates by service... Read More

NCA 2003 for review as telecom operators commit $1b on upgrades

By Favour Unukaso TELECOMMUNICATIONS operators have committed about $1 billion to the procurement of equipment to boost telephony service in Nigeria.     This was revealed by the Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr Aminu Maida in Lagos, Tuesday, at a Colloquium on a Legislative Agenda: The Nigerian Communications Act 2003 with the... Read More

Subscribers to pay USSD charges with airtime as telcos, banks consider new system

By Favour Unukaso TELECOM subscribers will soon be paying for the use of Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) with deductions from their airtime.     Findings showed that talks are currently at advanced stages between the deposit money banks (DMBs) and telecommunications operators to introduce an end-user billing system.   End-user billing refers to a... Read More

Subscribers to lose unused airtime after prolonged inactivity on telephone line

By Favour Unukaso GOING forward, telephone subscribers will be made to lose unused credit on their telephone lines after prolonged inactivity. This is according to a proposed framework, which was subjected to discussions on Tuesday. Subscribers have within 12 months to claim every unused airtime, or they risk losing it. Indeed, at the virtual... Read More

Telcos claim 50% tariff hike not sufficient as lawyer carpets NCC

By Favour Unukaso DESPITE mounting opposition against the Federal Government approved 50 per cent telephony services tariff hike, telecommunications companies have said the percentage approved is not sufficient enough to help in reducing the challenges the sector is facing. The operators under the aegis of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) stressed... Read More

Telecoms tariff hike shouldn’t be more than 30 to 60%, says Minister

  By Favour Unukaso THE Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, Wednesday, hinted that the tariff hike to be approved by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) should be between 30 and 60 per cent threshold.     Tijani said the ministry would not approve a 100 per cent hike, stressing that... Read More

Telecoms operators earn N5.3tr in revenue, adds 14% to GDP in 2023

  By Sola Balogun TELECOMMUNICATIONS operators in Nigeria earned N5.3 trillion in revenue from their service offerings in the country in 2023. The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), which revealed this in the 2023 year-end performance report, titled: ‘2023 Subscriber/Network Performance Report,’ released yesterday, listed the operators to include the GSM players, which earned N4 trillion;... Read More

Telcos get NCC approval to disconnect UBA, Zenith, Wema USSD platforms

By Favour Unukaso Telecommunications operators have been authorised to disconnect the Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) codes assigned to nine financial institutions due to unpaid debts. This directive was given by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on Tuesday in a public notice signed by the Commission’s Director of Public Affairs, Reuben Muoka. NCC said... Read More

Telecoms operators get tariff hike as minister demands service improvement

By Favour Unukaso THE Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, has said that new tariff hike will soon be approved for the sector. After meeting with the telecoms operators on Wednesday in Abuja, said the Nigerian Communications tions Commission (NCC) will soon come up with modalities for tariff adjustment in... Read More