Telecom subscribers in Anambra, Ebonyi and Enugu have rued the recent hike in call and data tariffs by the federal government, noting that it was not commensurate with the services provided.

The subscribers interviewed in a survey on the impact of the tariff hike in the zone viewed the development as an “act of injustice” on the populace.

Telecom operators had explained that sustaining quality service may become increasingly untenable without a tariff adjustment.

The Nigerian Communications Commission had approved a 50 per cent increase in telecom service tariffs, which automatically impacts the cost of phone calls, SMS, and data bundles nationwide.

Dominic Ibe, a businessman in Abakaliki, said the hike was one of the present administration’s policies that was “anti-people”.

Bede Onyia, a rights activist, said the federal government should have ensured the service providers addressed hitches experienced by subscribers instead of sanctioning the hike.

“Subscribers experience low service provision, inconclusive calls, and high calls, among other service hitches and therefore need succour and no pains. Service provision is worse with the tariff increase, which has made the situation more deplorable,” he said.

In Anambra, some telecommunication users described the recent tariff hike by all the network providers in the country as a “burden”, which has forced most Nigerians to use data calls as alternatives to direct calls.

Some respondents described the recent tariff hike as a burden on the poor masses.

On how Nigerians are coping with a hike in tariff, Favour Okereke, an online vendor, explained that she had been exploring various options to meet up with the high cost of data, SMS and call rate.

Okey Chibueze, who deals in phone accessories and registers SIMs for subscribers, noted that there were no specific alternatives as subscribers only switch from one network to another.

Emmanuel Ifeanyi, said he had purchased another line with a cheaper call and data rate because of the increase in tariff.

In Enugu, subscribers observed that network providers’ telecommunications tariff hike was worsening people’s economic hardship.

A former South-East regional manager of a telecom firm, Collins Otegbulu, said Nigerians were feeling the impact of the hike in telecom tariff, which he considered outrageous.

He said when they increased the price of petrol, many people resorted to using phone calls instead of traveling just to save on costs.

Mr Otegbulu explained that people were getting used to the increase in petrol because of the alternative of phone calls. He added that people were now finding it difficult to make calls the way they ought to because it would make them spend more on telecommunication.

“The painful part of the telecom tariff hike is that the service of these telecoms has worsened because they are only interested in hiking tariffs and not in improving their services,” Mr Otegbulu said.

A businessman, Okwudili Ewu, decried frequent call drops. He said there was no alternative because all the telecom companies were charging the same.

Janet Odo, a civil servant, said coping with the hike in telecom tariff was like coping with hike in electricity tariff and other services and products in Nigeria.

“I have three lines, MTN, Airtel and Glo, but MTN is far better than others. Glo and Airtel usually have glitches. Call drops usually occur in Glo and Airtel, the only alternative is WhatsApp call if one has data. For me, I do not even recharge the other networks except MTN,” said Ms Odo.

(NAN)