Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) issued an apology yesterday to their subscribers for the recent service disruptions experienced over the past few days. The disruptions were attributed to severe fibre cuts by contractors, as stated by the Association of Licenced Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON).
ALTON Chairman, Gbenga Adebayo, addressed the problem, emphasising the susceptible nature of fibre optic cables to cuts during road and infrastructure building.
“There are reports of multiple fibre cuts that took a toll on the integrity of our networks,” he said.
He explained that since fibre optic cables are laid under the ground, they are highly susceptible to cuts during road and other infrastructure construction.
Most subscribers yesterday experienced the worst service disruptions, especially those in Lagos, who rely on their mobile phones for business and social activities.
A subscriber and CEO of Sanjoks Enterprises, Esther Kokumo, described her experience as harrowing.
“The usual method of payment each time I go to the factory is either through the use of a Point of Sale Machine (PoS) or transfer through my bank account. After calculating my bill, I already had the account number of the company, and I tried to transfer cash, but with no luck. When I tried doing the same via PoS, it just kept buffering. I was only allowed to go on self-recognition,” she explained.
Also, an Enugu-based subscriber, Chukwuma Ohia, said he promised to pay for goods sent to him on Monday from Lagos but could not due to network failure.
“I received a consignment on Monday for which I had promised to make a payment today (yesterday), but to my shock, the network disappointed me. By the time I realised that the network would not work, it was too late for me to enter the banking hall. I am used to transferring cash within the comfort of my office using my mobile app, or USSD,” he said.
Follow the AkweyaTV channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va7m7dvJuyA7h5XMc22i
