House Blames Poor Utilisation of NigComSat for High Price of Cable TV

Udora Orizu

The House of Representatives at the plenary yesterday disclosed that the underutilisation of NigComSat was responsible for the high prices of cable television subscriptions in Nigeria.

The assertion of the lawmakers followed the consideration and adoption of report recommendations presented by the Ad–hoc Committee on Non–Implementation of Pay–As–You–Go and sudden increment of tariffs plan by Broadcast Digital Satellite Service providers.

Presenting the report, the Chairman of the committee, Hon. Unyime Idem, called on the management of NigComSat to embark on the creation of awareness to companies and organisations that make active the use of the satellite facility.

He advised users of satellite infrastructure to look inwards and patronise the country’s satellite to reduce the cost of production and services, and generate income for the government.

The leader of the committee also underscored the need to tinker with the extant laws in the sector to make the industry competitive.

He said: “All obstacles that make use of NigComSat less attractive to the end-users must be looked into as utilisation of the satellite is a key to resolving the issue once and for all. The government as matter of urgency will expedite action on implementing the content of the National Broadcasting Code and the Nigeria Information Policy of 2014 that would trigger healthy competition in the industry.

“The entertainment industry has a wider spectrum with limitless opportunities for the teeming youths; the visible absence of competitors in the industry was tacit approval of monopoly of the industry by the present operators. Timely application of these government regulatory intervention measures already articulated will revolutionise the industry and meet the people’s yearnings on Pay-as-you-go, Pay-Per-View and price reduction.”