Poor services: Telcos urge Reps to tackle infrastructure challenges

The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has urged the House of Representatives to address infrastructure and policy challenges affecting the telecommunications sector, rather than summoning chief executives of telecom companies over poor network services. In a statement, ALTON's chairman, Gbenga Adebayo, emphasized that sustained investment, effective regulation, and a conducive operating environment are key to meaningful improvement in service quality.

Adebayo criticized the House Ad Hoc Committee on Telecommunications Service Quality for threatening to issue arrest warrants against operators who fail to attend a hearing to explain persistent service failures. He stated that the challenges affecting network quality include fibre-optic cable vandalism, inconsistent Right-of-Way charges, multiple taxation, unreliable electricity supply, and insecurity around telecommunications infrastructure.

Adebayo also noted that the National Communications Commission (NCC) is responsible for monitoring service quality, establishing standards, and sanctioning operators that fail to meet regulatory requirements. He urged lawmakers to complement the regulator's work by addressing policy and infrastructure constraints instead of creating parallel mechanisms of accountability.