The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Communications, Hon. Peter Akpatason, has said that misconceptions about data usage, pricing and depletion remain widespread among Nigerian telecommunications consumers.
Akpatason spoke in Abuja at an event tagged 'Data on Trial', which brought together the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, legal practitioners and information technology experts to examine why subscribers exhaust their data bundles faster than expected.
He said discussions at the event helped clarify several misconceptions, including the belief that data is more expensive in Nigeria than in other African countries and other parts of the world.
According to the lawmaker, consumers also discovered that certain protective measures must be taken to prevent unused data from being lost under applicable conditions.
“I have actually had such an impression in the past. Sometimes you begin to wonder, how did this go? But at the end of the day, you discover that you could have done better,” he said.
On investment in the telecommunications industry, Akpatason said the sector had attracted substantial funding but still required more investment to improve services.
“There is a lot of investment in this sector. Apart from the oil sector, I think telecoms is the next in this country. There is room for more investment, and I will advise our people to continue to invest in the industry.”
The Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola, attributed the perceived high cost of data subscriptions in Nigeria to the significant expenses telecommunications operators incur on electricity and transportation to their network sites.
Also speaking, the Head Prosecutor for subscribers, Ekito Labo-Albert, earlier challenged the operators over the rapid data depletion which he noted has caused some Nigerians to lose important opportunities because of unreliable services.
Labo-Albert called for better consumer education and improved services from network operators, stressing that subscribers were entitled to adequate information about the services they purchased.
He cited provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, saying consumers had the right to safety, accurate information and freedom of choice.
“They have the right to proper information. They have the right to freedom of choice to choose whether they want to consume this one or that one,” he said.
He also questioned whether subscribers who suffered losses because of unexpected data depletion could receive compensation.
“My major question is: Will there be remediation today after data has been found to be guilty?” Labo-Albert asked, expressing hope that the event would lead to remedies for subscribers whose plans had been disrupted by data-related problems.
Meanwhile, information technology expert Michael Ndukwe explained that several technical factors and user habits could contribute to rapid data consumption, sometimes without subscribers realising it.
He said differences in how devices measure data could account for variations in reported usage, particularly when converting bytes into megabytes and gigabytes.
According to him, different measurement methods and rounding calculations could produce discrepancies ranging from about two per cent to between 12 and 13 per cent as data quantities increase.
Ndukwe also explained that data sessions could cross different time periods, making it difficult to calculate usage solely by looking at when an activity started.
He identified video streaming quality as one of the major factors affecting data consumption, noting that platforms such as Netflix and YouTube use different amounts of data depending on whether users select standard definition, SD, high definition, HD, or 4K resolution.
The expert added that modern devices, including smart televisions, could consume more data by automatically optimising video quality to provide smoother streaming and reduce buffering.
He further warned that applications allowed to run in the background could continue consuming data even when users were not actively using them.
Ndukwe advised subscribers to review their application settings, streaming resolutions and background data permissions to manage consumption.
He also noted that faster network connections could enable users to consume data more quickly, while the network type, such as 3G or 4G, primarily affects connection speed and the overall user experience.
He added that subscribers sharing Wi-Fi connections should monitor usage and apply available data-management tools to prevent excessive consumption by connected devices.
Why data bundles disappear fast, more costly in Nigeria - Akpatason, experts explain