techpoint : Nigerian Telcos May Block Whatsapp And Skype Calls

According to a manager at one of the telcos, Nigerian telcos have already lost about N100tn to OTT players between 2012 and 2017 on international calls. The proliferation of Over-The-Top (OTT) services, has seen many Nigerians shifting more from the traditional calls to making calls (audio and video) on apps like Skype and Whatsapp. Are Nigerian telcos looking to enrich their pockets in this economic recession to the detriment of Nigerians? According to recent reports, Nigerian telecommunications operators have revealed their plans to block subscribers from using Skype and other OTT services as a result of their alarming revenue loss on international calls. Are Nigerian telcos really running at a loss?

This is why Nigerian telcos should not block Skype and Whatsapp calls

Nigerian telecommunications operators still charge one of the most expensive voice, text and data rates in the world.The proliferation of Over-The-Top (OTT) services, has seen many Nigerians shifting more from the traditional calls to making calls (audio and video) on apps like Skype and Whatsapp.International call rates in Nigeria are expensive with calls costs ranging from about N30 to N180 per minute depending on the country one is calling or one's network provider.


On Monday, 20th February 2017, telecommunication companies (telcos) announced that they may have no choice than to ban the use of mobile applications such as Skype and Whatsapp that allow unlimited voice and video calls between their users.These applications are said to provide Over the Top (OTT) services but telcos are considering disabling Nigerians from accessing these applications.However, telcos have given three basic reasons for this action, one of which is the loss of revenue.


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