The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) at the weekend listed seven factors as primarily responsible for data depletion for mobile subscribers in the country and advised them to adopt measures to optimize their data usage.
The Consumer Affairs Bureau of the commission, following incessant complaints from subscribers on fast rate of depletion of their data subscriptions by service providers, maintained that some apps would consume data even when the users are not actively using them and that “background data usage can quickly add up and deplete your data allowance.
The industry regulatory commission also stated that automatic updates for apps, operating systems, and other software can also use up a significant amount of data just as GPS and other location services can consume a lot of data, especially if subscribers use navigation apps like Google Maps.
The NCC further clarified: “Some apps display ads that use data. These ads can consume data even if you don’t interact with them.
“If you travel abroad and use your phone, you may be subject to data roaming charges, which can quickly add up and deplete your data allowance.
“If you suspect that your phone has been infected, it’s important to remove the malware as soon as possible”, it added.
Similarly, the Commission listed one of the foremost reasons for data depletion as excessive usage, pointing out that “if you use your phone to stream videos or music, download large files, or use data-intensive apps for a long time, your data limit can quickly be depleted.”
It, therefore, advised that in order to reduce incidents of data depletion, subscribers should always monitor their data usage, turn off background data usage for specific apps, and switch off automatic updates.
In addition, the Commission also advised mobile users to disable location services for some specific apps as such services consume a lot of data, while subscribers should install ad-blockers for unsolicited advertisements.
