Dear Nigerians, the next time your internet glitches midway through your Netflix binge or a Zoom call, the NCC wants you to know who is responsible.
In a sweeping change, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the regulator for telecom firms and internet service providers (ISPs), has said it will introduce a portal for tower companies to report downtimes on their network facilities. It has also given them an August deadline to improve their infrastructure or face fines.
Why does this matter? According to the NCC, Nigeria experiences an average of two network outages daily, with a total of 349 major outages recorded across the country between January and June 2025.
The NCC wants every company involved in the network connectivity value chain to be held accountable. When your internet connection frustrates you next time, it’s not enough to blame MTN, Airtel, Glo, or 9mobile. There are more players behind the scenes that make internet connectivity happen. Tower Companies (TowerCos) are one of them; they manage and maintain the cell towers you see in your streets, lease them to telecom companies, and charge for it. When their infrastructure fails, it affects you too.
Zoom out: Since the telecom tariff hike took effect in February, Nigerians have been paying more for internet, voice, and SMS services. Now the NCC is saying: if consumers must pay more, then service providers—especially TowerCos—must deliver more. And fast.
In September 2024, the telecom regulator reviewed its Quality of Service (QoS) benchmarks for mobile operators to improve internet quality and call drop rate. As part of that review, mobile operators now face a fine of ₦5 million ($3,300) if they fail to improve their service, and an additional ₦500,000 ($330) daily for the period the infraction lasts.
TowerCos too, like mobile operators, will get the same accountability treatment. No more excuses about diesel costs or unpaid bills from mobile operators. The Commission has made it clear: downtime has a deadline. And it expires in August.
