Telecommunication subscribers and service providers are locked in a dispute over whether or not the mode of billing for data services have been altered in recent times.
While the subscribers tried to link the fast depletion of their data for browsing to alleged manipulation of the value by the operators, the latter insist that any such occurrences are consequences of high level of usage by the former. The operators said that once subscribers get it right, they will not be witnessing unexplained depletion of their data.
But experts told our reporter that rising operating costs due to Nigeria’s struggling economy might have forced the country’s telecom operators to reduce the value of data they sell to subscribers, even though they have not formally announced any additional charges.
Meanwhile, Daily Trust investigations show that the operators have also been complaining over what they describe as a 43 per cent rise in the cost of doing business in the industry.
Despite the high cost of doing business, however, the telcos maintained that they have not officially increased their tariffs.
Some of the subscribers who spoke to our correspondent now allege that a N2,000 data bundle for internet usage now gets depleted within three to five days, as against three to four weeks that they hitherto utilise same.
READ THE FULL STORY IN DAILY TRUST