GSM NETWORK AND SATISFACTION
BY
ABU-RAMLAT MAHMUD ABUBAKAR
Global
system for mobile communication is a means of communication that enables you to
communicate to mobile subscribers all over the globe, by the help of mobile
service operators. Accessing a GSM network stipulate three things which are,
mobile phone operator, mobile phone and a subscriber identity module (SIM) Card,
GSM service was first introduce in Nigeria in august 2001, in the era of
president olusegun Obasanjo. Before then, Nigeria had about 450,000 lines but
now it have increased to over 40 million lines as at June 2014.
Meanwhile,
Nigeria today have over 20 mobile network operators but the four leading among them are MTN,ETISALAT,GLO and
AIRTEL all this four are competing in
other to win the minds of people to patronize their service, but the salient question
to ask here is that do these companies render their services effectively? An
African writer and also a BBC AFRICA reporter Sola Odunfa in 2012 writes on
difficulty of making call in Nigeria” if you must make a call to any body’s
phone in Nigeria, you need to be understanding and patient, it can be very
frustrating and annoying experience”. She concluded that “conversation which
normally should not last two minutes may after several calls take 10 minutes
and believe me you will pay for every second”.
Equally
important, for you to browse internet beyond the capital city of Abuja with
some networks, the problem still the same. Opening page of 9kb will take you 3
to 4 minutes. Why is it so? Is it because of the mobile phones Nigerians use or
the problem is from the Service providers? According to the world mobile producers,
Nigeria is among the top African countries that purchase high quality mobile
phone
Moreover, the number you’re calling is not available even if
the number is just before you is what Nigerians hear while making calls.
Although,
service providers do give many excuses for providing poor service to teeming Nigerians,
which include: high running cost due to lack of constant power supply in
Nigeria. a recent study about power supply in this country shows that 78% of
the total cost of operation by GSM operators goes to the provision of diesel.
Is that a reason GSM subscribers in Nigeria pay high rate of call tariff and
expensive data bundle? This vindicates that subscribers are directly affected. and they
are neither satisfied nor save their unit.
Also,
Occasional sabotage of system of telecommunication in some north eastern states
of Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe, were sectarian insurgency continue to wreck havoc
on the socio economic lives of those that reside in that part of the country, despite
all the presence of the security, GSM base stations were not prevented.
The
Nigerian communication commission (NCC) is a body that regulates
telecommunication industry in Nigeria. The responsibility of this body is to
make sure that, service providers provide quality service to Nigerians.
NCC
has been living up to expectation. For instance, in march 2012. NCC fined service
providers sum of $2m each for providing poor service. Yet officials do not
offer promises to improve quality of service.
So if
the Nigerian government has failed to generate standard power supply ,and
adequate security in the country, NCC hasn’t stop them from rendering their
service and spending huge amount of money in razzmatazz advertisements, and
giving celebrities gigantic amount of
cash and offers. do you know that in June 2013
inyaya signs N60million mtn endorsement deal, N60million deal includes,
appearance for the telecom’s events for a year, performances, sign on fee, and
commercials, believe you me that’s not all Inyanya was signed alongside five
other artists Wizkid, Davido, Pariz,
Chidinma, and Imike as brands ambassadors. According to the reports, Wizkid
signed close to 45 million naira while Devido also signed close to 32 million
naira! Imagine 137 million has gone in vain, yes in vain what if they use this money
in installing new base stations, this is just for MTN alone and the others are
not exclusive.
Efforts must be intensified to ensure
that these ugly experiences are corrected. Government should provide enabling environment
for service providers through the provision constant power supply, basic
amenities such as roads as well as the reduction in tax. A special task force should be established to
secure Gsm network base stations in the country.
Service providers on their parts
should strive to provide quality service to subscribers.
NCC should go beyond fining service
providers by providing stiffer punishments for erring service providers. So that
Nigerians could enjoy quality GSM service.
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