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Telcos threaten to withdraw services over USSD charges misinformation

Telcos threaten to withdraw services over USSD charges misinformation

The telecom operators in Nigeria, including MTN Nigeria, Airtel, Globacom and 9Mobile have threatened to withdraw network support for banks’ Unstructured Supplementary Services Data, USSD, following what they described as gross misinformation of subscribers on the mode of deduction for transaction fees.

USSD, commonly known as ‘bank transfers’, is done through short codes on mobile phones.

However, in a swift reaction, the telcos under their umbrella body, the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria, ALTON said the banks’ notice is a gross misinformation deliberately hatched to suit their selfish interests. Hence they threatened to withdraw network support to the banks’ USSD services.
Chairman of ALTON Engr Gbenga Adebayo told Vanguard: ” I don’t understand why the banks are twisting agreements and distorting information just to favour their selfish interests. In the first place, the information wasn’t a directive from the NCC but a joint regulatory agreement between the NCC and the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN witnessed by the telcos and the banks. The agreement was that if the banks finally cleared all USSD debts owed to the telcos by June 2, 2025, they are free to migrate to the end-user billing method, so long as the model of migration is transparent and agreed upon by the telcos.
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“The reason for that clause was because the telcos insisted that the process of migration is such that will not allow a customer to be billed twice; in other words, that a subscriber would not have his airtime deducted and also have his or her money deducted for same services from his or her bank account.

” As we speak, some of the banks have cleared their debts, but the majority are yet to do so. So, even if all the modalities of migrating to end-user billing have been perfectly carried out, the implementation cannot even begin because the banks are yet to clear the USSD debt owed to the telcos.

“Our position now is that if that is the way the banks want to treat the agreement, we may withdraw support for their USSD services. It is not a must-have. They can do without it. But, they should clear the debts as agreed,” he added.

 

Telcos threaten to withdraw services over USSD charges misinformation

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