Etisalat, a mobile telecom service provider, has sued the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) for allegedly leaving MTN an industry advantage with a 30 percentage differential between MTN’s off-net and on-net voice mobile services.
Punch reports that the differential given to MTN has allowed it create a calling club, like its family and friends voice plan, a service that allows people to make calls at a third of what’s obtainable in the industry.
“Etisalat explained that when it realised that MTN had launched its Family and Friends promo, it wrote several letters, including one dated February 28, 2015, to NCC, to complain but NCC refused and failed to compel MTN to immediately withdraw the aforesaid tariff option,” an excerpt from the report reads.
The plaintiff – Etisalat – is asserting that the 30 percent differential and the latitude it affords MTN does not allow for healthy competition within the Nigerian telecom industry.
The 30 per cent differential in on-net and off-net retail mobile voice tariffs, granted MTN by NCC, according to the report, is a breach of NCC’s rules tagged the ‘Determination of Dominance in Selected Communications Markets in Nigeria.”
Etisalat therefore instituted the suit, to seek redress in this regards. But the case has been adjourned till August 3, 2015.
Image Credit: Skeeze via Pixabay
