By The reoccurring cases of complaints by telecoms services’ consumers on how fast their data plans deplete at a fast speed shortly after subscribing to one, may just have been put to rest.
According to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the consumer should not expect that the telecoms operators will be the one that will end data depletion saying that such issues are beyond them.
Director of Consumer Affairs Bureau (CAB) at the NCC, Dr Ikechukwu Adinde said at a meeting in Lagos recently that “in reality, it is the activities that people do with their phones that deplete their data saying that “the more activities you carry on, the more your data is used.”
He explained that that was why the NCC is always engaging consumers to have a better understanding of this through communication that “helps us educate and create more awareness about what uses data on the phone and what really uses data is the activities that people embark upon.”
Adinde said further that “the stronger your phone in terms of the make of your phone, the resolution of your phone, the more likely you are to use more data. So, we’ve done radio jingles. We’ve done dedicated pages on the MNO websites on data depletion.”
Speaking more on what the Commission, has done to savage the situation, he said: “We’ve also done social media posts. And then, of course, across all the MNO service centers, we have staff also talking to their consumers who walk in about what they need to do with their data. Because data depletion came up on our own statistics as one of the five top concerns of consumers.”
He disclosed that the NCC has decided to dedicate resources to really address and create more awareness about what depletes data so that “people are able to understand how to manage their phones and better use their data resources when they buy their phones, when they buy data” noting that the regulator has .put-up “some infographics just to communicate to consumers on our social media platforms what they can do to be able to manage their data.”
He also said that consumers need to learn how to secure their data when doing data-sharing urging that consumers should not share their passwords especially when using hotspots.
“You know, some apps actually use more data than others. So, concerning all the apps on your phones, you need to really check which ones are more productive for you. It’s not all the apps that are useful on your phone. So, you need to do an audit of your apps and remove the apps that are not useful. That’s one step. The second step is for you to also have a look at, check where you have shared your passwords recently.
“If you have been in this environment, for example, and you have shared your passwords through hotspots. As soon as you get into this environment, what you need to do is to check your passwords. If it’s not on low data mode, set it on low data, he stated.
