Business
Sanctions On MTN, Globacom Still Stand – NCC
The Nigerian Commu
nications Commission (NCC) is yet to lift regulatory sanctions imposed on MTN and Globacom, two of the biggest players in the telecoms market.
The two players were alleged to have used their market dominance to compete unfairly in Nigeria’s telecommunications market.
Both telecoms operators are however concerned about the deficiencies in herent in the determination process.
Executive chairman of NCC, Eugene Juwah had in a determination dated April 25, 2013 held that both companies South Africa’s MTN and Globacom, a second national carriers, are dominant mobile operators in critical segments of the nation telecoms market.
A top official of the commission at the weekend, who pleaded anonymity told The Tide source that the regulatory agency’s position is that the determinations still stand.
He said the determinations were yet to be reviewed after the 2013 study to assess actions by some operators that could reduce fair competition in the telecoms industry.
Giving insight into the rationale behind determining a telecoms operator in the country as a dominant player, NCC said the commission presumes that any licensee whose gross revenues in a specific communications market exceeds 40 per cent of total gross revenues of all licensees in that market is in a dominant position in that market.
Also a senior executive of MTN who spoke to The Tide source on condition of anonymity said NCC was allowed to make a presumption of dominance were a licensee controls 40 per cent of gross revenues, not market share in the specific market.
He explained that it was mandatory for NCC to conduct a study to determine if the dominant player was abusing its significant market power to stultify competition.