Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is set to amend key regulatory instruments and introduced new ones in the communications sector in order to create an enabling environment for the industry to thrive.
Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of NCC Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, stated this Tuesday at public inquiry on six regulatory instrument in Abuja.
According to Danbatta, the public inquiry affords an opportunity to critically examine and provide valuable insights on the draft instruments.
“The expertise and perspectives of all stakeholders present will help shape the final instruments that will govern the communications sector and determine their impact on society in the years ahead,” he noted.
He said the first instrument, the Quality of Service Regulations, has been amended to ensure that the quality and standards of service are in line with current realities.
“It is pertinent to add that the Commission has also introduced Business Rules for Quality of Services, which comprises of all the various Quality of Service parameters, to ensure that they can be easily adapted to meet the ever evolving and changing trends in technology and different deployment approaches of the sector,” said.
According to him, the second instrument, the draft Guidelines on Corporate Governance for the communications sector has been introduced to promote transparency, accountability and ethical conduct in Communications companies.
He said it is important to note that strong corporate governance is the cornerstone of a healthy and sustainable communications sector.
He added that the third instrument, which is the Commercial Satellite Guidelines, which is now intended to be regulations, has been amended to address the growing demand for satellite services, satellite licensing and orbital slots, ensuring fair access for all stakeholders towards ensuring that the broadband penetration targets of the government are attained.
“The fourth Instrument, the Numbering Regulations, has comprehensively analyzed the current numbering regime to identify possible gaps and ensure it is adaptable to the ever-evolving needs of the sector, ” he noted.
Speaking further, Danbatta said, the Competition Practices Regulations has been amended to ensure that the current Regulations strike the right balance between encouraging healthy competition and safeguarding the interests of all stakeholders.
Finally, the draft Data Protection Regulations has been developed to ensure that communications sector specific data is handled responsibly and with utmost care. Data Protection regulation has become exigent as our daily activities have become more intertwined with digital technologies and it is the responsibility of the Commission to ensure that the personal information and traffic data entrusted to communication service providers are handled responsibly and with utmost care,” he said.
