Subscribers threaten protest against high data prices, poor service

Association of Telephone, Cable TV and Internet Subscribers of Nigeria has threatened to stage a protest against high data prices and poor quality of services offered by network operators in the country.

The association also criticised the service providers for refusing to slash prices of data in line with the directive from the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami.

The ATCIS, in a statement signed by its National President, ‘Sina Bilesanmi, alleged that the service providers had been milking Nigerians using their services in diverse ways.

He said that Nigerians were paying for the operators’ inefficiency, poor facilities and systematic dilapidation of services that often times necessitated epileptic service provision, thereby making smooth communication impossible.

“Despite this, our people are charged heavily for dropped calls, paying for services not enjoyed in the case of cable subscriptions and several other methods deployed to force their charges down our throats with no form of compensations,” Bilesanmi lamented.

The association reiterated its support for the directive of the Pantami compelling the telecommunications service providers to reduce the prices of data offered to subscribers in the country.

“We make bold to say that the Nigerian population makes it the most viable economy for telecommunication companies in Africa and, as such, should be an advantage for the subscribers but reverse is the case as our people are being extorted for services they did not enjoy,” Bilesanmi said.

The group in its statement threatened to mobilise all its members for appropriate actions against the service providers.