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Funmilayo Kolawole
The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, has fixed the duration of any national roaming agreement between service providers.
With the Guidelines on National Roaming released by the commission,such agreement is renewable after three years. The guidelines also stipulate that duly authorised service providers shall request and negotiate Roaming Agreements with each other on bi-lateral and non-discriminatory terms.
The commission which also said that it was empowered by Section 70 of the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003 and other enabling laws to give such directive, said that roaming seeker requesting for National Roaming services shall forward a duly completed Roaming Request Form A contained under Schedule1 of these Guidelines to the Roaming Provider.
NCC said: “Where the roaming seeker receives no response from the roaming provider within 15 days of its request, the roaming seeker shall immediately notify the commission in writing, and the commission shall take necessary steps to ensure the roaming provider responds to the roaming request.”
TheStory gathered that procedurally, the roaming provider shall within 15 days of receipt of the roaming request notify the roaming seeker of its acceptance by completing the relevant section of the Response to Roaming Request Form B contained under Schedule 1 of the Guidelines.
Among other safety nets built into the guidelines to forestall undue corporate bully and arm-twisting among the service providers are that:
Parties shall thereafter enter into a Non-Disclosure Agreement and commence negotiations of the terms of the National Roaming Agreement.Parties shall conclude negotiations on the terms of the National Roaming Agreement and execute same within 60 days from receipt of the Roaming Request.Parties shall ensure that the National Roaming Agreement is submitted to the Commission for review and approval, prior to registration, within 14 days of execution by parties.
The guidelines also said that if within 15 days from the date of submission the Commission does not act on the National Roaming Agreement, such shall be deemed approved and registered.
Once an agreement has been reached between the seeker and the provider, the NCC explained that such agreement shall subsist for a period of three years, adding that it reserves the right to permit parties to renew the National Roaming Agreement for another 3 years.
Meanwhile, the commission, in the guildline, said also said that any further extension must be subject to its approval.
