Daily Independent (Lagos)
Aaron Ukodie And Emma Okonji
29 December 2008
The level of congestion being recorded in the telecommunications networks across the country during the Christmas and New Year season is considerably low compared to last year when network hiccups caused phone users outcry.
The slide this year comes as most phone users are resorting to the use of Short Messaging Service (SMS) device to send their seasonal greetings.
From Daily Independent findings more yuletide goodwill messages are being sent on time as against last year when many complained of late delivery and reception of SMS messages. One could hardly hear users complaining that their messages have not been delivered on time compared to last year when such messages were delivered several days after they were sent.
Generally, phone users are happier this year with the level of services delivery.
According to Chuks Odor, subscriber to Zain network, this year's performance by the networks is fairly better than last year. Unlike last year when it was difficult to recharge, the situation is different this year. He also said most people have acknowledged timely reception of season's greetings he sent to them.
The reason for the high performance of the networks in service delivery at this time of the year has been attributed to a number of factors.
One of them is the increase in the network capacity and coverage by the GSM operators. The number of transmission links being embarked on by various operators to carry traffic is nearing full completion, thus opening up wider pipe for passage of communication signals.
Also, the warning handed over to the operators by the Executive Vice- Chairman and Chief Executive of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Ernest Ndukwe, to optimise their networks so as to cope with the volume of traffic that would be generated at this point in time appeared to have also paid off.
Ndukwe had said during festive seasons when there are lot of goodwill messages, there are usually challenges for networks not only in Nigeria but in other parts of the world to cope with the volume of traffic.
He stressed, however, that the commission was not prepared to entertain the usual deluge of complaints concerning network congestion, as it expects operators to have anticipated the rise in traffic and do something about it.
"We have taken steps to sensitise the network operators to do what is right and manage effectively the increase in traffic that may occur at this time," he said.
He said complaints were reaching the commission concerning quality of service on the MTN and Glo networks. Some of the complaints, he added, even have to do with on-net calls. While asking the concerned operators to do something urgently, Ndukwe said "this is Christmas season, a time a lot of people are going to be needing communication networks to send messages to their loved ones. It will not be right for operators to spoil their joy."
Reiterating his earlier point made recently about sanctioning erring operators whose network quality continues to fall below the accepted quality threshold, Ndukwe insisted that "operators must ensure that the situation is put under control otherwise we could impose more sanctions including a ban on promos."
Commending telecom operating companies for the low level of network congestion recorded this yuletide, Chairman of Association of Telecoms Operating Companies of Nigeria (ALTON), Gbenga Adebayo, said networks responded better this yuletide season, when compared to that of last year. He explained that there was no case of network congestion or failure of networks, explaining that calls went through this year in a very seamless way, attributing it to the increased capacity deployed by operators across networks.
Adebayo confirmed that more subscribers resorted to SMS messages this year and such messages were delivered promptly unlike the bitter experience of last year's yuletide where text messages were delivered several hours and days after they were sent and even some were lost in transit and the subscribers were billed for messages undelivered.
Adebayo, who also confirmed he received over 350 SMS this yuletide, said the number of 'Greeting Cards' he received were less than 10 per cent of the total number of SMS he received, confirming the position that SMS service has over-taken 'Greeting Cards'. This, he said, is one of the many beauties of telecom services in Nigeria and beyond. He, however, called on government to give adequate support to telecom operators to enable them deliver more value added services as it is expected of them and compensate operators whose infrastructure were willfully damaged in 2008 by social miscreants. In the area of energy, he equally called on government to step up electricity supply to a level that would be meaningful to telecom operators, whom, he said, spend a lot on diesel in running generating sets at cell sites. Should there be constant and steady supply of electricity, operators will channel the money used in running generating sets to other areas that will benefit subscribers, he said.
But as a way of reducing pressure on the networks, Ndukwe encouraged subscribers in the country to do more of SMS this yuletide season than voice. While voice calls would easily lead to congestion SMS has become the most dependable as messages get through no matter the situation. In most developed parts of the world, including countries in the developing world, SMS has proved very useful and reliable.
He remarked in a statement that this is the time of the year the operators should bend over backwards to satisfy their numerous customers and ensure they are able to communicate, adding that NCC does not expect otherwise and would not hesitate to take severe actions against the operators to ensure they fulfill their part of the obligations.
The subscribers being a critical mass of one of the various public NCC is set up to protect, Ndukwe pledged that "we will not let them down but will ensure that their interests are protected at all times, including this festive season."
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