NCC Orders Telcos to Disclose Reasons for Network Outages, Compensate Subscribers After 24 Hours

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has issued a landmark directive compelling telecom operators to inform subscribers of major network outages and compensate them if such disruptions persist for more than 24 hours.

This directive, which marks a significant policy shift in Nigeria’s telecom sector, was announced in a statement by the Commission’s Acting Director of Public Affairs, Mrs. Nnena Ukoha, and is aimed at enhancing service transparency and enforcing consumer protection across the board.

According to the NCC, Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), Internet Service Providers (ISPs), and last-mile service providers are now required to promptly notify consumers via public channels — such as print, broadcast, and digital media — of both unplanned and planned service outages, indicating the cause, the affected areas, and expected restoration timelines.

In the case of planned service disruptions, operators must issue public notifications at least seven days before the outage occurs. For unplanned disruptions, operators must immediately disseminate information using accessible public communication platforms.

A Major Shift in Consumer Transparency

Until now, telecom subscribers in Nigeria have long complained of being left in the dark during service disruptions, with most operators offering little to no information when network issues arise.

Subscribers often experience dropped calls, slow or unavailable data connections, and full blackouts, but operators have rarely provided official explanations. These disruptions, sometimes lasting for hours or days, have typically gone without warning or updates, causing frustration and losses for users who rely heavily on mobile services for personal and business communication.

The NCC’s directive seeks to correct this pattern.

The Commission’s new guideline goes further by mandating compensation for subscribers when outages exceed 24 hours. This compensation may include validity extensions for data and airtime, discounts, or equivalent service value, as contained in the Consumer Code of Practice Regulations.

The Commission stated that where a service outage lasts more than 24 hours, consumers shall be entitled to compensation in the form of airtime/data top-up, validity extension or any other form of value proportionate to the time of outage.

What Constitutes a Major Outage?

To ensure accountability, the NCC defined what qualifies as a “major outage,” stating that telecom operators must report and disclose any outage that fits the following:

• A network condition, such as fiber cuts, vandalism, theft, or force majeure, which affects 5% or more of an operator’s subscriber base, or services in five or more Local Government Areas (LGAs).
• The unplanned shutdown of 100 or more base stations, or 5% of total sites (whichever is lower), or the complete loss of a network cluster for 30 minutes or longer.
• Any disruption that significantly degrades service in Nigeria’s 10 most trafficked states, as identified by the Commission based on current traffic data.
• These outages must not only be publicly disclosed but also logged in real-time via the Commission’s Major Outage Reporting Portal, which is now open to the public through the NCC’s official website (www.ncc.gov.ng).

The NCC said the directive follows a pilot phase in which it tested the reporting process with telecom operators over several months.

Engr. Edoyemi Ogor, Director of Technical Standards and Network Integrity at the Commission, said: “By providing consumers and stakeholders in the telecommunications industry with timely and transparent information on network outages, we are entrenching a culture of accountability and transparency,” he added.

Ogor emphasized that beyond consumer information, the policy will also aid in tracking sabotage to telecom infrastructure.

“This approach ensures that culprits are held responsible for sabotage to telecommunications infrastructure. It reinforces the need to safeguard these assets, given their centrality to national security, economic stability, and the everyday lives of Nigerians,” he said.

Backed by Executive Order

The new directive also aligns with the Executive Order recently signed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which designates telecom infrastructure as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII). This classification places telecom assets under special protection and reinforces the need for their continued security and operational stability.

Public Accountability Through the Portal

The Major Outage Reporting Portal is a key component of the directive. Accessible to the public, it offers transparency by displaying real-time updates about network issues across the country. The portal will also show which entities, including construction companies or vandals, are responsible for any reported infrastructure damage.

The move represents the first time the Commission is compelling operators to maintain a public-facing log of infrastructure faults, disruptions, and their causes, allowing both the public and the regulator to monitor trends and responses.

Telecom industry observers and consumer rights advocates say the NCC’s directive is long overdue.

Following its approval of a 50% tariff hike, the NCC demanded that the telcos improve their services – offering commensurate services to subscribers. The NCC’s new directive, mandating public communication and tying it to customer compensation, is seen as a way of holding the telecom service providers accountable.