Survey of Consumer Satisfaction with Telecommunications Services in Imo State

Consumer satisfaction with telecommunications services is a critical metric for assessing operator performance and the effectiveness of regulatory frameworks in ensuring service quality. This study surveys consumer satisfaction with voice, SMS, and data services across the four national network operators in Imo State, South East Nigeria. A structured questionnaire was administered to 400 telecommunications subscribers recruited through stratified random sampling across Owerri, Orlu, and Okigwe senatorial zones. The questionnaire assessed satisfaction across six service quality dimensions: call quality, data speed, network availability, billing accuracy, customer support, and value for money. Results reveal that overall consumer satisfaction in Imo State was moderate, with a mean satisfaction score of 3.1 on a five-point Likert scale. MTN recorded the highest satisfaction score at 3.6, while 9mobile received the lowest at 2.4. Call quality and network availability generated the highest dissatisfaction rates, with 59% of respondents rating these dimensions as poor or very poor. Billing accuracy and customer support were rated lowest by Glo and Airtel subscribers. Rural subscribers reported consistently lower satisfaction than urban respondents across all operators. The study recommends that the NCC enforce stricter service quality reporting obligations, introduce a public-facing operator quality league table, and expand consumer dispute resolution mechanisms in Imo State through accessible regional offices. Keywords: consumer satisfaction, telecommunications services, Imo State, service quality, network operators.