Telecoms subscribers in Nigeria have commended the government and the country's largest operator MTN for sorting out the industry record fine issued by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) last year. However, subscribers are now demanding the same level of attention to service quality.

Speaking to ITWeb Africa in Lagos, industry expert, Kehinde Odukogbe, said the resolution was a welcome development that would finally put to rest the agitation in the ecosystem since the fine was announced.

"It has been a rocky period for Nigeria since the fine was announced and both sides had been affected. Many heads rolled at MTN while the Nigerian telecoms industry also indirectly suffered since investors were reluctant to invest in it as evident in the recent spectrum auction by the NCC that only attracted one qualified bidder," he said.

The fine amicably resolved, Odukogbe said it would now be possible for MTN, which recorded loss in the value of its shares to focus on growing the company, while NCC and other Nigerian government agencies will intensify efforts to consolidate the gains and heal the wounds inflicted on the ecosystem by the fine saga.

However, a cross section of MTN subscribers who spoke to ITWeb Africa believe that the Nigerian government has beaten the operator and effectively subdued the firm into adhering to the rules of the market.

"You cannot go to war with the government and expect to win. Before the fine, MTN was doing as if it wasn't under any law. But the NCC, through the support of the Nigerian government, was able to clip the network's wings. Considering the network lost due to the fine, it would henceforth obey instructions it is given by the regulator," said Enugu-based MTN subscriber, Chibuzor Chris.

While NCC spokesperson is yet to issue a statement, the commission is being implored to take the issue of service quality as seriously as it did the fine.