NCC set to punish telecoms service provider over Unsolicited SMS

From now on, any network provider that sends unsolicited text messages (SMS) to subscribers would pay a fine of N5million.

The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta disclosed this yesterday at the 46th convocation of the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN).

Danbatta who spoke on “The Role of ICT in Tertiary Education in Nigeria – NCC interventions,” explained that the commission has contributed over 1.4 trillion naira to the country’s economy since its inception.

The chairman urged policy makers to adopt information communication technology (ICT) to grow the economy. He canvassed the use of ICT in addressing the challenges in agriculture, health, energy and education sectors.

“It is in the interest of the country to harness the potentials in the information-driven age to facilitate the socio-economic development.

“The commission will continue to facilitate the improvement of the content delivery and capacity development of tertiary institutions,” he said.

He emphasized that NCC’s commitment to improving learning in tertiary institutions is to reduce time wastage in accessing teaching and learning materials.

According to him, “Functional SAT 3, Main-One, Glo 1, WACS, In-Country Fibre Optic Cables Distribution and Last Mile are other viable investment opportunities for business people”.

Danbatta, however, bemoaned the low number of consumers who have activated the DO NOT DISTURB (DND) Code 2442 and persuasively request the audience to amplify NCC’s voice by telling people to activate the Code in order to stop unwanted and unsolicited messages as well as calls from telemarketing companies riding on the crest of telecommunication infrastructure.