The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is under intense pressure to stop the free WiFi services Google Nigeria is providing in selected cities, including Lagos, Kaduna, Port Harcourt, Ibadan and Abuja.
Unveiling the Google Stations, its Country Director, Juliet Ehimuan-Chiazor, said the initiative would address affordability and access to data as well as broadband penetration.
But speaking during a panel discussion at Vanguard e-Economy Forum on Telecoms in Lagos, stakeholders urged the NCC to apply the necessary sections of the Nigeria Communications Act 2003 and stop the freeby, which has taken a toll on the business of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in the country.
The National Coordinator, Wireless Application Service Provider’ Association of Nigeria (WASPAN), Chijoke Eze, lamented that the partnership with 21st Century Technologies Limited, which is providing free internet services in strategic locations such as Shoprite and the University of Lagos that boasts of 40,000 people, is shutting down a whole ISP out of business. He urged the NCC to reverse the partnership because it is hurting investment.
Also, the Executive Director, Business Development at Broadbased Communication Limited, Chidi Ibisi, lamented that private investors go to the banks to raise cash at crushing double-digit interest rate to set up ISP business, pay for licence to NCC, pay other taxes and charges, only for one firm to come and offer the same service freely.
Ibisi said the NCC should put national interest at the forefront of its regulatory functions. According to him, net neutrality is possible in the United States (U.S.) because there is ubiquitous fibre, adding that in the country, a lot of cash will have to be sunk to provide same.
The NCC said the Commision was not contacted on the Google matter, adding however that there was no need to engage in blame game.
Its Executive Vice Chairman, NCC, Prof Umar Garba Danbatta, stressed the need for consultation.
Represented by Head, Technical Standards and Network Integrity at the Commission, Engr. Bako Wakil, he said the NCC however intervened, adding that nothing has been heard.
The NCC has formally reported Google to the Federal Government for evading its regulatory oversight.
A letter from NCC to the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) under the Office of the Vice President, indicated that Google may be illegally providing its ‘free’ Wi-Fi in the country under obscure conditions that put it beyond regulatory purview.
The letter, signed on behalf of NCC’s Executive Vice Chairman by the Executive Commissioner (Stakeholder Management), Mr. Sunday Dare, reported PEBEC that “Google is operating in Nigeria without being licensed by the Commission with the implications that it does not pay applicable fees, levies and taxes that are paid by other players in the telecommunications sector.
“There are several other irregularities in the structure under which Google presently provides its free public Wi-Fi for which the Commission requested it to provide information that will clarify certain issues that have cropped up in the course of trying to streamline its usage of Short Message Service (SMS) for user authentication.
“Google has till date failed to provide the requested information, which has stalled efforts to resolve the issues,” the letter read.
