NCC orders telecom operators to promptly notify consumers of service outages
By Damilare Adeleye
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has ordered telecommunications service providers to notify consumers promptly whenever major service outages occur and restore affected services within specified timelines.
This is as the regulator acknowledged the growing public frustration over poor telecommunications services across parts of the country, saying that ongoing industry-wide investments and regulatory interventions are already improving network quality.
This was contained in a statement signed by NCC Head of Public Affairs, Nnenna Ukoha, on Wednesday.
Ukoha remarked that improving Quality of Service has remained a top regulatory priority of NCC over the past two years as Nigerians rely on telecom services for access to essential services.
According to the Commission, the telecommunications sector is currently undergoing one of its largest network expansion and modernisation phases in recent years following a prolonged period of under-investment.
It disclosed that Mobile Network Operators invested over N2.13 trillion in network infrastructure and upgrades in 2025, while Tower Companies committed an additional N373.8 billion to the sector.
The investments, the Commission said, supported the addition and upgrade of more than 2,800 telecommunications sites nationwide to address network congestion, coverage gaps, and capacity limitations.
“The interventions include the addition of faster 4G and 5G layers on existing sites, expansion of fibre backhaul to improve site capacity and resilience, targeted deployments in high-demand urban locations, rollout into underserved communities, and general network equipment refresh,” it said.
It added that the expansion drive has continued into 2026, with operators committing to add or upgrade over 12,000 telecom sites this year, out of which nearly 3,000 have already been delivered.
The Commission further revealed that over 730 additional 5G sites have so far been deployed across 27 states in 2026 to strengthen next-generation connectivity nationwide.
In addition, the NCC said it facilitated the reallocation and restructuring of idle radio spectrum among the country’s three major mobile network operators in line with its Spectrum Trading Guidelines.
“These interventions are designed to improve spectral efficiency, network capacity, and service performance,” the Commission stated.
The regulator also pointed to improvements recorded in its Quality of Service and Quality of Experience assessments conducted through field-based and crowdsourced analytics, saying that national 4G penetration rose from 45 per cent in January 2024 to 54 per cent currently, while median download speeds increased from 16.5Mbps to 20Mbps within the same period.
It added that power availability at telecom towers improved from a national average of 99.3 per cent in January 2025 to 99.7 per cent currently.
The Commission also identified persistent external challenges affecting service delivery, including vandalism, theft of telecom equipment, fibre cuts linked to road construction activities, denial of access for maintenance operations, and power disruptions.
It disclosed that more than 27,000 avoidable fibre-cut incidents were recorded nationwide in 2025 alone, with each incident negatively impacting network availability and consumer experience.
“Each incident has a direct impact on network performance, service availability, and consumer experience,” it stated.
Meanwhile, the NCC said it is collaborating with the Office of the National Security Adviser and other stakeholders to implement the Presidential Order on Critical National Information Infrastructure to protect telecom assets and curb infrastructure vandalism.
It further added that details of major outages are now publicly accessible through its Major Network Outages Reporting Portal.
The Commission stressed that enforcement of the updated Quality of Service Regulations 2024 commenced fully in November 2025 after operators were granted a transition period to procure and install necessary equipment nationwide.
It warned that operators failing to deliver measurable improvements risk sanctions, including consumer compensation measures and additional investment obligations.
“The expectation is clear: the industry must now deliver measurable improvements, and the Commission will continue to enforce compliance in the interest of consumers and the wider economy,” the statement added.
The NCC also called on federal and state governments, host communities, and other stakeholders to support efforts aimed at protecting telecommunications infrastructure and ensuring an enabling environment for sustained sectoral investment.