Stakeholders in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector at a conference on Internet Policy organised by a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Paradigm Initiative of Nigeria (PIN) in Lagos called on Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to upgrade their infrastructure to foster good service delivery to their subscribers on Friday.
The conference was organised to proffer workable modalities to the proposed ICT bill before the National Assembly.
They said it was no longer acceptable for service providers to continue to short-change subscribers by their poor service delivery caused by inadequate and obsolete facilities.
Treasure Uchegbu, an ICT officer with the Lagos State Government said “We have about 67 million internet users in Nigeria, therefore, there is the need for ISPs to broaden their scope to cater for the demand of the people.”
“With the introduction of phones and the Free Wireless Access (FWA), a whole lot of traffic is expected online therefore there is need for facility expansion to meet-up with the demand.”
“The slow speed of networks in Nigeria calls for concern as subscribers are being ripped-off”.
Deji Williams, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Focus Net, an IT company said regulatory bodies like the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) needed to keep the providers on their toes for proper service.
“A situation where ISPs see regulators as toothless cannot be allowed to continue.”
Williams urged the NCC and other supervisory bodies to always remind the providers of their obligations to the subscribers.
Gbenga Sesan, the PIN CEO, said subscribers were still being short-changed “with reckless abandon” by service providers.
“The slow speed being experienced in networks are short-changing users who pay for airtime they did not use.”
“Considering the population of internet users in the country, it will be a disservice for ISPs not to expand and improve their services with standard facilities,” Sesan said.
He appealed to the NCC to sanction service providers that failed to upgrade their facilities to meet with the demand.
Speaking for the ISPs, Tope Ogundipe, an IT expert from Linkserve, explained that infrastructural development by the ISPs was being hindered by challenges in accessing the Right of Way.
Providers who embark on facility expansion are always faced with the challenge of double taxation from the local governments and street urchins.
“It is quite difficult to easily lay synthetic fibre cables in some areas without residents of that area coming to make outrageous demands from the firms,” Ogundipe said.
According to him, because such infrastructure is meant to improve services to subscribers, regulatory agencies need to help in overcoming the problems being faced by ISPs.
“As government outfits, they need to prevail on local authorities to enable providers construct more facilities for improved services,” he said.
Genevieve Okafor, another ICT expert said when the proposed bill was passed into law, it would address issues hindering ICT development in the country.
“It will take care of complaints of slow networks as it will compel providers to build more base stations for improved services.”
NAN
