Telecom Lead Africa: Bharti Airtel was fined by
Nigeria’s telecom regulator for poor quality. The regulator fined the country’s
four major operators that include MTN and Bharti for a total of 1.17 billion
naira or $7.38 million.
However, a few days back, the Nigerian Communications Commission ranked Airtel
Nigeria the best operator for good quality of service in its Audit Report for
March and April, 2012.
MTN and Etisalat were fined 360 million naira each,
Bharti Airtel was ordered to pay 270 million naira and Globacom, a privately
owned network of Nigerian billionaire tycoon Mike Adenuga, got a
180-million-naira bill.
The penalties are as a result of the contravention of
the provisions of the quality of service regulations by the Nigerian
Communications Commission (NCC) as the operators failed to meet with the
minimum standard of quality of service,” said NCC in a statement.
While reacting on the imposed fine, MTN has complained of
sabotage of its equipment and shutdowns by state agencies over tax disputes in
some parts of Nigeria are impeding improvements to its service.
Airtel, other telcos fined in Africa for missing quality of
service norms
Earlier, Bharti Airtel Africa along with its
two competitors was penalized for not meeting quality of service standards by
sector regulator ARCEP in West African country Burkina
Faso.
Burkina Faso fined its three mobile telephony operators a
total of 3 billion CFA francs ($6 million) for not fulfilling their service
commitments. Maroc Telecom unit Telmob and local operator Telecel are the two
other fined operators.
