The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said that telecom operators are not to blame in the ongoing data depletion saga, instead identifying seven key factors responsible for the issue.
According to the commission, its investigation revealed that background apps, automatic updates, location services, advertisements, roaming, malware, and excessive usage are the main causes of rapid data depletion.
The Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, who spoke on this recently said the Commission is also concluding a consultation process to simplify tariff plans, that would provide enhanced transparency to the consumer.
To address the issue, NCC has offered practical solutions for subscribers, including data usage monitoring, disabling background data and automatic updates, and using ad-blockers.
The Commission also recommends connecting to Wi-Fi when possible and upgrading to larger data plans for heavy users.
In a related development, NCC has directed Mobile Network Operators to audit their billing systems and is working to simplify tariff plans for improved transparency.