The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) promised telecoms operators and their customers that the regime of multiple regulations and taxes from government agencies across states, would soon be over.
Giving the assurance, weekend, the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the commission, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, said this was sequel to the positive response from Nigerian governors during a recent forum where the issue of multiple regulations and taxes on telecommunication operations in the country, were discussed extensively.
Besides talks with NGF, the NCC, Danbatta said had also engaged other agencies of government on the same issues, with a view to improving relationship with telecommunications operating companies, who are often the victims of these taxes and multiple regulations.
Danbatta disclosed these, in Abuja, when he received the management team of ATC Wireless Infrastructure Company of Nigeria (ATC Nigeria) that is specialised in infrastructure management.
“The NCC as a responsible regulatory agency, was worried about multiple regulations and taxes because they do not augur well for smooth development of the telecommunications sector. So we have decided to engage all stakeholders especially other government agencies in order to cushion the pains operators go through, as a result of multiple regulations and taxes.”
“The NCC is particularly worried about the indiscriminate way base transceiver stations (base stations) are sealed by agencies and some state governments and we have appealed to these agencies and the state governors to show some understanding. We are particularly in talks with them to understand the implications of these actions as they affect quality of service and other sundry matters, including power supply.”
Most state governments have come up with state policies on how to regulate telecommunications in their various states, insisting that the activities of telecommunications must be regulated by states, irrespective of the statutory regulation by the NCC. They have argued that since the state governments provide infrastructure like roads, electricity and security in the state environment where the telecoms service providers operate, they therefore have the right to regulate the operators in their respective states.
Some states go as far as imposing outrageous levies on telecoms operators and would not allow them to rollout telecoms infrastructure in their states without the operators paying for such levies, which covers base station installation, laying of fibre cables, among others.
While receiving ATC Wireless Infrastructure, Danbatta implored the company to ensure regular power supply to its managed base stations in order to make a difference, since government has created an enabling environment for businesses to thrive.
In his remarks, the Chief Executive of ATC Wireless Infrastructure, Mr. Gordon Porter, said his team came to familiarise itself with the NCC management and to “tell you what we do, how we do it and why we do what we do.”
ATC recently acquired 4716 cell sites from Bharti Airtel Nigeria and for the past 146 days it has deployed 1,000 generators and replaced 600 air-condition units.
So far, over $11 million has been invested by the company in the towers with a view to improving quality of service significantly.
According to Porter, “ATC has been in constant talks with host communities with a view to improving relations and right-of-way.”
He explained that although it has a commercial relationship with Airtel, it is interested in working with other operators especially on the issue of co-location, adding that ATC hopes to inject about $100 million in the business in the next two years.
The EVC received the visitors in the presence of Director, Public Affairs, NCC, Mr. Tony Ojobo; Chief of Staff to the EVC, Mr. Usman Malah, while Porter led the ATC team, made up of Director, Corporate Advisory and International Compliance, Nigeria, Ms Lucretia Fontaine; Regional Manager, Regulatory, Mr. Onyeaghana Oji, and Head, Health, Safety and Environment, Mr. Dubem Agbakoba.
