Follow Us on Google
From Tony John, Port Harcourt
MTN Nigeria on Saturday put itself in the dock before its own customers in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, as it launched a novel interactive forum, “Data on Trial: Port Harcourt Edition”, to answer the burning question many subscribers have been asking: “Where did my data go?”
The event, staged in a courtroom format, allowed customers to choose their prosecutor and judge, while MTN officials, led by the Chief Customer Relations and Experience Officer, Ugonwa Nwoye, stood in defence.
Nwoye said the forum was created to give MTN a one-on-one, face-to-face interaction with customers to discuss how their data is used, why they are charged the way they are, and why some wake up to find their data exhausted.
“They say that sometimes they sleep and they wake up and they don’t have data. This is what we’re here to discuss today,” she said.
“We have asked our customers to choose who is going to prosecute for them, who is going to be the judge, who is going to be on the defence is us. So, I am going to be on the defence, and I’ll be here to work with my colleagues to answer the questions that our customers have.”
She said MTN has built tools to help customers track and manage their data usage, both on their phones and on MTN platforms, noting that many subscribers have a high appetite for data-hungry applications without realising how much they consume.
On the persistent allegation that MTN steals subscribers’ data, Nwoye was emphatic:
“We don’t steal. MTN does not steal. We are, aside from the fact that we’re a public company, it is not within any of our values to steal. So, what is important to us is a common understanding.”
Other News
She explained that the evolution from basic “Balasa phones” that could not even take photographs to today’s sophisticated smartphones that produce high-definition photos and videos has changed data consumption dramatically.
“Your phone is actually communicating with various equipment all across the world to either entertain you, to bring you closer to the world, to make you more productive. Those things use data. And some people are not always fully aware how much they’re using. We’re here to dispel any issues today.”
Nwoye said the feedback that motivated the intervention was customers’ demand to know what uses their data, adding that for about two years the regulator has led the industry to explore the question, with MTN running campaigns on how to control usage on WhatsApp, YouTube and other apps.
“What MTN decided to do was to take it to another notch. To decide we were going to have one-on-one conversations,” she said.
On why monthly data plans do not last for one month no matter how they are used, she said the issue would be fully explained at the forum.
“Our plans are structured as internet plus validity. So, when we say something is monthly, what we mean is that it is valid for one month. Not that you can use it anyhow and it will last for one month,” she clarified.
Also speaking, the General Manager, Network Performance and Quality Assurance, Mike Ndukwe, echoed the position.
“People love accounts, but the honest answer is that we’re not stealing your data. 4G and 5G just make the experience faster and richer. But the higher quality also means higher consumption. So, at MTN, we are committed to transparency, network excellence and also earning your trust, and that is why we’re here.”
Nwoye thanked the regulators for attending the event, stressing that it is data that is on trial, not individuals or companies.
