Telecoms Begin Blocking Of Sims Not Linked To NIN

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has emphasized its directive for telecom operators to disconnect phone subscribers not linked to their National Identification Numbers (NIN) by February 28, 2024.  Speaking at the 45th Kaduna International Trade Fair, NCC’s Executive Vice Chairman, Dr Aminu Maida, stressed the importance of linking NIN to SIM for national security reasons.  Maida said: “To this end, the National Communication Commission has directed all telecommunication operators to bar phone lines of subscribers whose lines are not linked to their NINs on or before February 28, 2024,” he added. This, the executive vice chairman said, was apt as the theme resonated with the principles and objectives of the commission in promoting local content development in the telecom industry. Maida also said the NCC was committed to protecting consumers’ rights while ensuring their satisfaction and noting that the commission has created a universally acceptable environment to access “affordable and equitable service and supports the nation’s economic growth.” “As a regulator of the telecommunications sector in the country, the Commission carries out its functions to ensure service availability, affordability, and sustainability for all categories of consumers, who are leveraging on ICT/Telecoms to drive personal and business activities,” he said.

Globacom Denies Owing MTN Interconnect Charges

Nigerian telecommunications giant, Globacom, has firmly rebutted claims of owing substantial interconnect charges to MTN, clarifying that the reported N1.6 billion debt had been settled without contention.* The rebuttal comes in response to a public pre-disconnection notice issued by the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) on January 8. The notice, signed by Reuben Muoka, Director of Public Affairs at NCC, cited Glo’s failure to clear its outstanding debts, leading to the authorization of partial disconnection as per the Nigerian Communications Act (2003) and relevant guidelines. However, a source within Globacom expressed dissatisfaction, asserting that due diligence should have been conducted before allegations were made. The company unequivocally stated, “We are not owing MTN any interconnect charges.” Highlighting its important role in introducing the pay-per-second billing system that disrupted the market, the telecommunications giant emphasized its position as a fully indigenous company, redefining communication accessibility across Nigeria. Globacom dismissed the reports as false allegations aimed at tarnishing its reputation within the industry. With the looming possibility of Glo subscribers losing the ability to call MTN after the 10-day grace period from the notice issuance, Globacom maintains its stance, refuting any outstanding financial obligations to MTN while reaffirming its commitment to ethical business practices within the telecommunications sector.

60.3% Nigerian Telecom Subscribers Still Use 2G —NCC 

*4G Users Stand At Just 22% The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has revealed that as at August 2023, 60.3 per cent of telecoms subscribers in the country are still on 2G. The telecom industry statistics further show that 10 per cent of the over 220 million subscriptions were on 3G, a higher generation of network launched in Nigeria in 2007. 3G ushered in the use of video calls and had significantly higher data transfer, operating at a speed of up to 2mbs, and increased bandwidth compared to the 2G network. 3G is the third generation of wireless mobile telecommunications technology which was first rolled out commercially in mid-2001 and was an upgrade over the 2G, 2.5G, GPRS, and 2.75G networks. According to the Commission, subscriptions for 4G, which the operators started rolling out in 2016 still stood at 28 per cent as of August, while the latest technology launched in 2022 accounted for 0.83 per cent of subscriptions in the country. While the operators said they have achieved over 80 per cent of 4G coverage, the slow pace of migration by subscribers is attributed to device constraints. Recently on the back of the company’s acquisition of a 3G license, the Chief Technical Officer of MTN Nigeria, Mohammed Rufai, also pointed out the fact that many Nigerians are still on 2G and 3G. “So, while we are investing in new technology, we must also maintain the other technologies that are needed by the people that use them and the people that don’t yet have the devices for the newer technologies. This is the reason why we are still investing in and expanding on the old technologies, and also because the spectrum, the license allocated by NCC, and the network resources that are used for 3G can also be used on other technologies in the future, so the investment is still usable for the higher technologies when the devices are ready.” Globally, the expansion of 5G has pushed internet service providers like AT&T and T-Mobile to shut down 3G services earlier in 2022, and most recently, Verizon and Vodafone have notified customers that they intend to cut off 3G-enabled devices from their networks from December 2022 and December 2023 respectively. At the moment, it has been succeeded by the launch of 4G, 5G, and most recently, a test run of 6G in China which is a super upgrade to the service.

Telcos rake in N3.33trn revenue from data, other services —NCC

MTN Nigeria, Airtel, Glo, and other telecom operators made a whopping N3.33 trillion as revenue from calls, data, SMS, and other telecom services in 2022, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said in its 2022 Subscriber/Network Data Annual Report. According to the commission, the total number of active subscribers increased from 195,463,898 subscriptions in 2021 to 222,571,568 active voice subscriptions as of December 2022, a 13.86 percent year-on-year increase. “The increase in the Operators’ subscriber base was attributed to a number of reasons which includes subscriber loyalty, promos, seasonal effects, aggressive consumer acquisition drive, and competitive product offerings across all the networks,” the commission said. It noted that the growth in active subscriptions impacted positively on other derived telecom indicators such as teledensity, Internet penetration as well as broadband penetration. Data usage also continued its surge in 2022. It increased by 46.77 per cent to 518,381.78TB as of the end of the year. The NCC stated, “There was an increase in the volume of data consumed at the year-end December 2022 when compared with the year-end December 2021. The total volume of data consumed by subscribers increased to 518,381.78TB as of December 2022 from 353,118.89TB as of December 2021, representing an increase of 46.77 per cent in data consumption within the period,” the report said.

Inactive lines will be lost after one year, NCC warns subscribers

New guidelines proposed by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) will see telephone subscribers lose their lines if it is inactive for one year. The guidelines, which were published by the Commission, are part of efforts by the NCC to improve service delivery by telecommunications companies (telcos). The commission said, “Subscribers may lose their numbers within a year if they do not use it”. “A subscriber’s line may be deactivated if it has not been used within six months, for a Revenue Generating Event (RGE), and If the situation persists for another six months, the subscriber may lose their number, except for a network-related fault inhibiting an RGE.” “Deduction of line rental charge is regarded by RGE,” it said.   To recover their lines, the Commission said subscribers must provide “proof of good reason for absence and is at liberty to request for line parking.” The commission said the publication was in accordance with section 57 of the NCC Act to allow stakeholders to make contributions to the policy. The new NCC guidelines, titled, ‘Draft Quality of Service Business Rules’, stipulate the minimum quality and standards of service, associated measurements, and key performance indicators for measuring the quality of service. According to the document, telcos are to attend to customers within 30 minutes upon arrival at any of their service centres across the country. “For customer care centres, waiting time to be physically attended to by relevant staff at customer care centres is 30 minutes. The licensee shall provide means of measuring the waiting time, starting from the time of arrival at the premises,” the document reads. The commission also said telcos must ensure that customers can speak to a customer care representative within five minutes when they call a telco’s helpline. “Lines should not be more than three times; maximum number of rings before a call is answered by either an IVR machine or a live agent should not be more than five; and where a customer decides to speak to a live agent, the maximum duration allowable on the queue/IVR should be 5 minutes before answer,” NCC said. “In exceptional cases where a live agent may be unavailable within five minutes to answer the call, a customer should be given an option to hang up to be called back within a maximum time of 30 minutes. “Customer care lines that can be accessed through 21 free access numbers and if 1 number then it should accommodate multiple other network calls at the same time.” On credit alert while on call, telcos are expected to send “a single short-beep to the call initiator 2 minutes, and at 30 seconds to termination of the ongoing call”.  It added that “low credit announcement to be played while the call is being originated in a situation where the call cannot last up to 30 seconds.”