Senate okays data price hike

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has acted in national interest on the issue of data price increase, the Senate Committee on Communications has said.

The Committee, which visited the NCC headquarters in Abuja yesterday as part of it oversight functions, said Nigerians should see the commission as being on their side on the issue of data price increase.

Senator Solomon Olamilekan (Lagos West) who spoke on behalf of the Committee members said the NCC had taken some commendable steps to sanitize the telecom industry and the data price hike was one of them.

He said “Each time we invited the leadership of the agency to the National Assembly, they honoured our invitation and responded to our inquiries, particularly during the MTN issue, and of recent the data price floor. They have acted in national interests and Nigerians see NCC as being on their side.”

While receiving members of the Committee, the Commission’s Executive Vice Chairman, Professor Danbatta, said unless the issues regarding the data price floor are resolved, it remains a whirlwind that would not do anybody any good.

He said it is imperative that all stakeholders agreed on appropriate price floor on data for the good of the industry, noting that a proper cost-based study would be carried out shortly to determine price floor.