The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has mandated that all telecommunications companies (telcos) block stolen SIM cards within five minutes of receiving a report from subscribers. The NCC also requires that no charges be incurred by the consumer for any usage of the stolen SIM after the report is made. This directive is part of the NCC’s recent publication, *Quality of Service Business Rules,* released in August 2024, which introduces new standards to enhance customer service in the telecommunications sector.
These guidelines establish minimum service standards, measurements, and key performance indicators (KPIs) for telecom operators. One of the significant requirements is that telcos must ensure subscribers receive assistance within 30 minutes of arriving at service centers. The NCC has also mandated that customers must be able to speak with a live representative within five minutes. The commission stipulated that call attempts to customer care lines should not exceed three, and the number of rings before a call is answered should be limited to five. If a customer opts to speak to a live agent, the maximum waiting time should be five minutes, with an option for a callback within 30 minutes if a live agent is unavailable.
Regarding internet services, the NCC has specified that internet outages should not exceed two hours, except in cases of lawful disconnection. The regulator also issued warnings about the deactivation of subscriber lines, stating that if a line remains inactive for a year without any revenue-generating activity, it is at risk of being blocked. Subscribers are advised to request line parking to prevent losing their numbers if they have valid reasons for not using their lines.
These measures are part of the NCC’s efforts to improve the quality of communication services in Nigeria by setting and monitoring performance standards for telecom operators.
