NCC Slams August Deadline on Tower Companies to Boost Internet Quality or Face Sanctions

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has issued a strong ultimatum to telecom tower operators across the country: fix network quality issues by August or face regulatory penalties.

This directive, handed down by NCC Executive Vice Chairman, Dr. Aminu Maida, was delivered at a high-level industry meeting held Thursday in Abuja. Key tower infrastructure providers like IHS Towers, American Tower Corporation (ATC), and Pan-African Towers were present, alongside representatives from mobile network operators (MNOs).

The session focused on tackling persistent issues—ranging from poor power supply and equipment failures to inadequate site support—that continue to disrupt internet quality nationwide.

“That’s more than enough time for all parties to align with the performance standards expected of them,” Maida said, referring to new regulations implemented in August 2024 that extended quality-of-service responsibilities to tower operators, not just mobile networks.

Tower companies, or TowerCos, provide the physical backbone for Nigeria’s mobile connectivity. They own and manage the cell towers and related infrastructure used by MNOs like MTN, Airtel, and Glo to deliver voice and data services. However, growing complaints about network downtimes, dropped calls, and frozen data sessions have spotlighted weaknesses at the infrastructure level.

“When there’s no power, the radios shut down. If the power fluctuates, the radios restart, and that leads to dropped calls, frozen data sessions, and frustrated customers,” said one stakeholder who attended the meeting.

NCC Tightens Oversight

Under its revised Quality of Service (QoS) framework, the NCC now mandates that TowerCos meet specific Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), similar to their mobile network counterparts. As part of its enforcement strategy, the Commission has launched a Major Incident Reporting Portal, requiring public disclosure of service outages, and is developing online performance dashboards for transparency and consumer awareness.

Tower providers have previously blamed delayed payments from MNOs for service lapses, citing cash flow challenges that prevent timely site maintenance and investment in power backup systems. But the NCC is no longer buying that excuse.

“Operators must fulfill both their technical and financial responsibilities,” Maida said, warning that poor service delivery—regardless of internal disputes—will attract consequences.

Nigeria’s Tower Landscape

• IHS Towers: Controls between 16,000–19,000 sites, or about 62% of co-located telecom infrastructure.

• American Tower Corp (ATC): Operates roughly 8,270 towers.

• Pan-African Towers: Manages 760 to 1,000 mostly domestic sites.

As these firms dominate Nigeria’s connectivity infrastructure, the NCC’s August deadline raises the stakes for swift improvements across board.