Telecommunication companies are proposing a 40% increase in the cost of calls, SMS, and data to the Nigerian Communications Commission as a result of the rising cost of running a business in the nation.
Based on their proposal, the price floor of calls will increase from N6.4 to N8.95. And the price cap of SMS will increase from N4 to N5.61.
The umbrella body for telecom companies said that to further help telcos during this economic crisis, the commission should explore and provide other means of penalising operators rather than punitive monetary sanctions; extend the payment timeline of relevant regulatory levies and fees; prevail on the Federal Government to sign the executive order declaring telecoms infrastructure as a critical national infrastructure to mitigate cost spent replacing damaged and stolen infrastructures, among other things.
In the annexure one section of the letter, the body requested an upward adjustment of the MTR by 40%.
It said, “For large operators, new interim MTR of N5.46 from N3.90 reflecting 40% increase in the cost of business.
“For small operators, new interim MTR of N6.58 from N4.70 reflecting 40% increase in the cost of business.”
