Business Briefs
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ACTIVITIES of Value Added Services, VAS, providers in the telecommunications sub-sector, have added about N30 billion to the Nigerian economy within the last few years. This figure was given by Umar Danbatta, executive vice chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, at a media interaction in Abuja.
Danbatta, who said VAS operations also created jobs in the sector, however, said the commission will continue to enforce proper regulations that would prevent telecommunications subscribers from being cheated by service providers in the country. He said that already, a rule of engagement is in existence between Mobile Network Operators, MNOs, and VAS operators, which help to ensure that none of the parties infringed on the right of the subscribers.
The NCC will continue to regulate the activities of VAS operators in the country, especially in the area of unsolicited text messages, which have become a menace in the industry, Danbatta said. He reiterated that better regulation of the operations of VAS providers has become highly essential to keep the sub-sector going.
Indeed, the exponential growth in the Nigerian telecoms industry in the last 13 years gave rise to the evolution of VAS, where its operators provide support communications services to subscribers, via the smartphone. They provide plethora of services such as news breaks, ring back tunes, telemarketing, mobile entertainment, flight information, among others.
But of late such services are becoming a nuisance to telecoms subscribers as they constitute unethical practice, forcing unsolicited text messages on subscribers and compulsorily billing them for the services.
— Oct 10, 2016 @ 01:00 GMT
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