Quality of Telecom Services

The NCC is seeking assistance from the Office of the National Security Adviser to address deteriorating telecom services, writes Sonny Aragb‑Akpo.

In 2025 alone, 27,000 fibre‑optic cables were cut across Nigeria, prompting the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to express concern over service quality and to request help from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and other security agencies to curb the frequent vandalism of fibre‑optic lines. The NCC warns that without coordinated support, efforts to reduce vandalism may prove futile and service quality will continue to decline.

In 2024, the NCC issued guidelines on Quality of Service (QoS) thresholds, including sanctions for operators who fail to meet the standards. However, the commission notes that poor QoS is not solely the responsibility of Mobile Network Operators (MNOs). Recently, it signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) outlining how MNOs should compensate subscribers for failed or incomplete calls. The NCC aims to enforce stricter standards to improve the subscriber experience. Earlier last week, Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy Minister Bosun Tijani directed the NCC to enforce the 2024 QoS guidelines.

In his statement, the Minister said that transparency has helped operators become profitable, and that the NCC is now fully empowered to monitor performance, enforce service standards, and ensure industry compliance. He added that the Ministry will continue to rely on the NCC’s periodic reports and public feedback to engage both the commission and operators more actively in the coming months. The NCC also released mandatory performance metrics for MNOs and tower companies, focusing on reducing dropped calls and boosting data speeds.

Operators must now notify consumers during major outages and report them through the NCC’s Major Network Outages Reporting Portal. They have also been directed to upgrade infrastructure, with plans for over 12,000 additional sites in 2026, of which nearly 3,000 have already been completed, including 5G expansions. Enforcement of the updated QoS Regulations 2024, which include potential sanctions and automatic consumer compensation for poor network service, is ongoing. The regulator targets improvements in coverage, capacity, and internet speed, aiming to raise the national median download speed above 20 Mbps.

The NCC’s focus on consumer complaints has led to a comprehensive strategy that includes massive infrastructure investment and strict regulatory enforcement to permanently resolve the country’s QoS challenges. The commission acknowledged a period of under‑investment and stated that the current expansion and modernization cycle is beginning to yield results. According to a working document signed by Head of Public Affairs Nnenna Ukoha, MNOs invested over ₦2.13 trillion in network upgrades in 2025, while tower companies contributed an additional ₦373.8 billion, resulting in the addition and upgrade of more than 2,800 telecom sites nationwide. The commission expects this momentum to accelerate in 2026, with industry commitments to deploy and upgrade over 12,000 sites this year alone, of which nearly 3,000 are already completed.

Addressing public concerns about service quality, the working paper acknowledges the frustration caused by dropped calls, slow internet, unstable data services, and disruptions that affect daily life. It emphasizes that telecom services are now central to work, learning, business, essential services, and connectivity, and that consumers deserve reliable service and value for money.

Over the past two years, improving QoS has been a core regulatory priority. The commission has intensified monitoring of MNOs, Internet Service Providers, and tower companies, strengthened data‑driven oversight, and deepened engagement with public institutions to remove structural barriers. These measures aim to ensure measurable improvements. The sector is currently undergoing one of its most extensive network expansion and modernization cycles in recent years, following a prolonged period of under‑investment. Notable interventions include adding faster 4G and 5G layers to existing sites, expanding fibre backhaul, targeting high‑demand urban locations, rolling out services to underserved communities, and refreshing network equipment.

“These investments are welcome, but they must translate into visible and measurable service improvements for consumers,” the commission said. While there is a semblance of QoS improvement, the NCC notes that the expansion drive continues in 2026 to meet Nigeria’s rapidly evolving digital ecosystem and the exponential growth in data consumption. The commission expects a boost from industry commitments to add and upgrade several sites within the year, many of which have already been delivered. More than 730 additional 5G sites have been deployed across 27 states so far in 2026. In line with its Spectrum Trading Guidelines, the commission has facilitated the reallocation of a majority of idle and under‑utilized radio spectrum among the three major MNOs, while also rearranging spectrum blocks to provide contiguity for operators. The NCC is optimistic that these interventions will improve spectral efficiency, network capacity, and service performance. Using crowdsourced and field‑based analytics, the commission’s QoS and Quality of Experience assessments show gradual improvements in network capacity, coverage, and average data download speeds across several parts of the country. As subscribers migrate to faster 4G networks, 4G penetration rose from 45 % in January 2024 to 54 % currently, and national median download speeds increased from 16.5 Mbps to 20 Mbps in the same period. Power availability at telecom towers improved from a national average of 99.3 % in January 2025 to 99.7 % currently.

These improvements are most evident in areas where recent upgrades and new site deployments have been completed. However, the commission stresses that the pace and consistency of improvement must increase, especially in locations where consumers still experience poor call quality, slow data speeds, congestion, and service instability. In line with government policy to deepen fibre penetration to homes, businesses, schools, and public institutions, the commission is also conducting a market study to create a wholesale market segment. This will enable smaller, localised Internet Service Providers to expand penetration and deliver internet services at lower cost, complementing government‑backed initiatives such as Project BRIDGE and other efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s national digital infrastructure.

Aragb‑Akpo is a member of THISDAY Editorial Board.