Big changes could be coming to your phone bills — the NCC is digging into how much networks charge each other for calls, and they want the whole industry to weigh in.

So, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is at it again, and this time they’re putting mobile termination rates (MTR) under the microscope. Basically, MTR is what one network pays another when you call someone on a different carrier. The NCC says it’s high time for a review because, well, the telecoms game has changed a lot.

At a Stakeholders’ Consultative Forum on the whole thing, the Head of Competition and Tariff Unit at NCC’s Policy, Competition and Economic Analysis Department said this review is “another important milestone” for keeping Nigeria’s telecoms sector “inclusive, transparent, and dynamic.” In plain English: they want the rules to actually match what’s happening on the ground.

The forum was all about laying out how the consultancy study will run — the methods, the approach, timelines, the works. They’re now moving into the data-gathering stage, and they’ve made it clear this isn’t just box-ticking.

“This exercise extends well beyond routine regulatory compliance,” the NCC official explained. “It constitutes a significant economic intervention intended to align our frameworks with the rapid pace of change in the telecoms sector.”

Why now?

The last time we set interconnection rates was back on 1 June 2018, with a tweak to Mobile International Termination Rates in September 2022. Since then? Loads have happened. We’ve seen the market boom, 5G roll out commercially, MVNOs enter the chat, and the economy throw us some curveballs with exchange rates and inflation. All of that changes how much it actually costs to provide telecoms services.

“The Nigerian telecommunications market has undergone considerable transformation,” the official noted, pointing to “swift expansion, shifting market dynamics, the commercial deployment of advanced technologies such as 5G, and the emergence of new ecosystem players including Mobile Virtual Network Operators.”

And because regulation has to keep up, the NCC is leaning on Section 108 of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003. The goal? Make sure tariffs stay “reasonable, cost-reflective, and non-discriminatory.”

What’s the plan?

The consultancy study has three main goals:

- Update the cost model for both national and international termination rates

- Review retail price controls and asymmetry arrangements to keep consumers protected

- Build a sustainable framework for bringing new players like MVNOs into the national networks

But here’s the kicker — none of this works without good data from the operators themselves.

“The success of this study depends entirely on the accuracy and completeness of the data that underpins it,” the NCC stressed. “No regulatory cost model can be effective without relevant and credible input from operators.”

KPMG consultants will be working directly with stakeholders over the next few weeks to collect that data. The NCC is basically saying: “Come on, let’s do this together.”

“Let us approach this exercise as a shared commitment to building a resilient, competitive, and investment-friendly ecosystem that supports the long-term growth of our entire industry,” the official urged.

All stakeholder contributions will be documented and used to shape the study as it moves toward a new MTR framework for Nigeria.

Source: cbinews.tv

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