Over-The-Top Services (OTT) on telecommunication operators in Nigeria: exploring consumers’ behaviour

Abstract

In Nigeria, more telecommunication consumers are using Over-The-Top (OTT) communication services like WhatsApp, Facebook messenger, iMessage and Skype. This has threatened mobile operators’ revenues from key mobile telephony services such as short message service (SMS), roaming, national and international voice calls while contributing to their inability to invest in infrastructure expansion. Thus, finding a prudent response to OTT will require that telecommunication operators and regulators put to use their understanding of the habits and preferences driving the consumers in using OTT services. This paper has captured the habits and preferences of 205 telecommunication consumers in using OTT services based on a probability random sampling approach. The statistical package used for the study was IBM SPSS software (version 23). Data were collected via an online questionnaire form which was posted on various social media platforms. Results from the study indicate that there might be a massive shift of telecommunication customers to what are today’s challengers for telecommunication operators. These findings highlight the trends that operators and regulators must accept in view of its social role and implications as they seek a path forward in the presumed threat of OTT services.