In the wake of the labor dispute between MTN one of its major licencees and labor and the protests that have resulted in the vandalization of telecom infrastructure the NCC on monday night activated the MOU with NSCDC to protect the switch stations and BTSs belonging to mtn and other telecom ooerators.
The Commission had contacted ACG Iyogho of the NSCDC on the matter and directed MTN to liaise with the NSCDC on the issue of the picketing by NLC and the reported destruction of telecom infrastructure across the country.
NCC has also briefed the security agencies on developments particularly the implications of the attempt to shut down the Ojota switch station. A collapse of the telecommumications grid is likely, if these attacks on MTN and other telecom facilities are not abated.
NCC recalls clearly that telecom infrastructure were classified as Critical National Infrastructure under the Cyber Security Act domiciled with the ONSA.
The NCC under the leadership of Prof. Danbatta has opened talks with other critical stakeholders through the office of the Executive Commissioner stakeholders’ management, Mr Sunday Dare on the issue. Both ATCON and ALTON leadership are working with NCC on these developments.
The regulator is working behind the scene to protect telecom infrastructure and minimize telecom service distruptions, in order not to compromise, national security, quality of service and protection of over 160 million sunscribers.
