NCC Hands Tower Firms August Deadline to Fix Network Failures or Face Sanctions

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has issued a stern warning to telecom tower operators in the country, giving them until August to address persistent network quality problems or face regulatory sanctions.

The directive was delivered by the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, during a crucial industry meeting held in Abuja on Thursday. The meeting brought together major infrastructure providers such as IHS Towers, American Tower Corporation (ATC), and Pan-African Towers, alongside top mobile network operators (MNOs) including MTN, Airtel, and Glo.

At the heart of the discussions were recurring service disruptions that have plagued telecom users nationwide. Issues such as unstable power supply, equipment failures, and poor maintenance of tower sites continue to undermine internet access and voice services.

Dr. Maida stressed that the August 2024 Quality of Service (QoS) regulations, which extended accountability to tower operators, leave no room for excuses.
“By now, all parties should have aligned with the required performance standards,” Maida told the gathering.

Power Failures Behind Dropped Calls, Frozen Data

Tower companies, commonly referred to as TowerCos, are the backbone of Nigeria’s telecom network, providing the physical infrastructure for MNOs to deliver mobile services. But recent complaints of dropped calls, slow internet, and network blackouts have exposed deep-rooted problems at the infrastructure level.

“When power goes out, the radios shut down. Power fluctuations cause them to restart, disrupting services and frustrating customers,” one industry participant explained.

NCC Ramps Up Enforcement

To enforce compliance, the NCC has revamped its Quality of Service framework. Tower operators must now meet specific Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), similar to mobile networks. The Commission has also launched a Major Incident Reporting Portal for mandatory outage reporting and is developing online dashboards to provide real-time service quality updates to the public.

In the past, TowerCos have blamed cash flow constraints—particularly delayed payments from MNOs—for their inability to maintain towers and invest in reliable power backups. But the NCC insists that internal financial disagreements do not excuse service failures.

“Operators must meet both their technical and financial obligations. Poor service delivery, regardless of who’s at fault, will not be tolerated,” Maida warned.

Nigeria’s Tower Industry at a Glance

IHS Towers: Controls between 16,000 and 19,000 sites, covering roughly 62% of shared infrastructure.

American Tower Corporation (ATC): Manages over 8,270 sites.

Pan-African Towers: Operates between 760 and 1,000 sites.

With these three players dominating the nation’s telecom infrastructure, the NCC’s ultimatum has raised industry-wide expectations for swift and visible improvements.

Whether tower operators will meet the August deadline, or face stiff penalties, remains to be seen. For millions of Nigerian telecom subscribers, the countdown has begun.

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