Dropped Calls: Senate Moves Against Telcos, Summons NCC, MTN, Airtel, Glo, T2

The Senate has summoned the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and major telecommunications operators over persistent dropped calls, failed connections and alleged unjustified airtime deductions affecting millions of Nigerian subscribers.

The affected operators include MTN, Airtel, Globacom and T2, which are expected to explain recurring service failures and address complaints that customers lose airtime even when their calls fail to connect or are prematurely terminated.

The Senate’s decision followed concerns raised by lawmakers over the financial implications of poor network services, particularly for Nigerians who depend on mobile communication for business, education and other daily activities.

During deliberations, senators observed that subscribers are frequently forced to dial the same numbers repeatedly because of network failures, resulting in multiple airtime deductions for calls that are never successfully completed.

They expressed concern that low-income earners, traders, students and small business owners are disproportionately affected by the situation.

Senator Ned Nwoko, representing Delta North, described the proposed intervention as a straightforward consumer protection measure, arguing that Nigerians should not continue paying for telecommunications services that are not effectively delivered.

The lawmakers maintained that although technical challenges may occasionally disrupt telecommunications services, subscribers should not bear the financial burden of failures beyond their control.

After deliberations, the Senate adopted the sixth prayer of the motion, which consolidated the proposed interventions contained in the preceding five prayers.

Consequently, its Committee on Communications was directed to invite the NCC and telecommunications operators to investigate complaints involving airtime deductions for failed calls, dropped calls, prematurely terminated conversations and inflated charges.

The committee is also expected to establish the financial losses suffered by subscribers and submit its findings and recommendations to the Senate within four weeks.

The investigation is expected to provide a basis for further legislative and regulatory action to strengthen consumer protection and improve service delivery in the telecommunications industry.

President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, emphasised the need for a thorough investigation, insisting that the NCC, the supervising minister and telecommunications operators must account for the persistent complaints.

He stressed that the exercise should go beyond routine engagements and produce concrete solutions to the challenges confronting subscribers.

The Senate’s intervention comes amid growing concerns over the quality and affordability of telecommunications services in Nigeria, placing renewed attention on the responsibilities of service providers and regulators to protect consumers from paying for services not rendered.