"NCC Unveils New Guidelines for MTN, Airtel, Glo, and Others to Prevent Phone Line Disconnections"

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has introduced new guidelines aimed at enhancing customer experience and relations for telecommunication companies in Nigeria. These guidelines, in accordance with Section 57 of the NCC Act, allow stakeholders to contribute to the policy-making process.

The NCC has outlined specific requirements concerning the quality and standards of service that telecom firms must adhere to. One notable guideline states that customers should be attended to within 30 minutes of their arrival at any service center across the country. The NCC document emphasizes the need for telecom companies to implement means of measuring the waiting time from the moment customers arrive at their premises.

Additionally, the NCC has instructed telcos to ensure that customers can connect with a customer care representative within five minutes when they call the helpline. The maximum number of rings before a call is answered should not exceed five, whether it is by an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) machine or a live agent. If a live agent is unavailable within five minutes, customers should be given the option to hang up and receive a callback within a maximum of 30 minutes. Furthermore, customer care lines should be accessible through multiple free access numbers.

To prevent numbers from being deactivated, subscribers are required to use their lines within a year. If a subscriber's line has not been utilized for six months in a Revenue Generating Event (RGE), it may be deactivated. If this situation persists for another six months, the subscriber may lose their number, unless it can be attributed to a network-related fault inhibiting an RGE. Subscribers can request line parking by providing proof of a valid reason for their absence.

In terms of call termination, telcos are expected to send a short beep to the customer or call initiator after two minutes and 30 seconds to end the ongoing call. If a call lasts less than 30 seconds, a low credit announcement should be played.

These new guidelines from the NCC aim to improve the overall experience for telecom customers in Nigeria and hold telecommunication companies accountable for their service quality and responsiveness.