Last warning! Stop unwanted texts, calls or face sanctions, NCC warns telcos

The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, said it has issued a final warning to telecom operators over unsolicited text messages and calls to subscribers in the country.

This was disclosed in a statement by its Director of Public Affairs, Tony Ojobo, adding that it was prepared to protect subcribers from the inconvenience the text messages and calls constitute from operators.

According to Ojobo, the operators had continued to ignore earlier warnings to them to activate their Do-Not-Disturb facility, allowing subscribers the freedom to choose the messages they receive.

The statement also noted that the commission is still inundated with complaints by subscribers of continuing text harassment by operators, adding that the directives to operators took effect from July 1, 2016.

Read also: Alarming: Minister says bag of rice may sell for N40, 000 by December

According to Ojobo, the direction makes it mandatory for operators to take immediate action that will enable subscribers to take informed but independent decisions on what messages to receive from the networks.

The statement reads in part: “Industry compliance doesn’t seem to have matched the seriousness of the direction thus, compelling the commission to issue a final warning to the operators,” he said.

“The direction takes into cognisance the broad range of services, which include: banking/insurance/financial products, real estate, education, health, consumer goods and automobiles, communication/ broadcasting/entertainment/ it, tourism and /leisure, sports, religion (Christianity, Islam, others), and directed the operators to give the necessary instructions and clarifications that will enable subscribers subscribe to a particular service/services/none at all.

“In fact, a Full DND which is SMS “STOP” to 2442 does not allow the subscriber to receive any unsolicited message from the operators at all.”

The telecom regulator therefter warned operators to immediately comply with the directive, adding that further complaints from the subscribers would be viewed as a serious infraction to a major regulatory intervention by the NCC.

By Timothy Enietan-Matthews…

RipplesNigeria …without borders, without fears

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now