Reps to probe internet service providers

House of Representatives has mandated its Committee on Communications to investigate the activities of private internet service providers in Nigeria.

This followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance moved by the member representing Yagba East/Yagba West/Mopamuro Federal Constituency, Kogi State, Mr Leke Abejide during Thursday’s plenary.

According to the lawmaker, many internet service providers in the country “Have managed to evade accountability for their widespread inefficiency, feeble and inferior service delivery, while consumers are compelled to persistently pay for inadequate services due to the apparent absence of regulations governing their pricing and service provision, thereby enabling them to exploit Nigerians.”

Speaking about the motion, Abejide, a member of the African Democratic Congress, stated that “Frequent service outages, slow speeds, and inconsistent connectivity are widespread issues faced daily by consumers,” adding that “In this digital age, efficient internet connection is a necessity, not a luxury.”

He said, “The House is concerned that consumers sometimes experience service outages for more than an aggregate of two weeks in a single month from some ISPs, with no mechanism for refunding subscription fees, thus perpetuating a disregard for consumer rights and leading to exploitation.

“The House is also concerned that Legend, an ISP operating in Abuja, charges its subscribers a flat monthly prepaid rate despite knowing that its services are frequently interrupted.

“This company (Legend) offers various tariff rates, with the highest being approximately N483.000, per month, yet it rarely delivers uninterrupted service for even half of the month.

“The House is further concerned that Legend deliberately provides reliable internet service only few days preceding monthly billing, deceiving customers into renewing subscriptions under the false impression of satisfactory performance, before immediately reverting to its persistently inadequate service levels.

“This is an unethical business model of exploitation of consumers that requires accountability to regulators.”

That said, Abejide expressed worry that the NCC has failed to sanction some ISPS for their poor services, adding, “Their exploitative practices have far-reaching consequences on Nigerian society, hindering progress and negatively impacting business and economic activities.

With the adoption of the motion, the House mandated its Committee on Communications to investigate the activities of ISPs and report back to the House within two weeks.

It also urged the NCC and relevant agencies to develop a consumer protection framework that includes provisions for automatic compensation or refunds for prolonged service outages or significant deviations from advertised service levels.

The lawmakers further urged the NCC to initiate a policy of Pay As You Go to all ISPs to minimise high level of exploitation for services not rendered.