Amid poor service quality that has continued to bedevil the telecoms sector, the federal government has backed the initiative of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to commence number porting across the GSM networks today.
The Minister of Communications Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, told THISDAY that Mobile Number Portability (MNP) would give subscribers the choice to select networks that offer best telecoms services, insisting that Nigerians have to embrace it, since it was the best option in a bad situation.
“We are going ahead with MNP because it will increase competition in the industry. It, however, does not stop the service quality issue because we have a nationwide service quality issue, which cuts across networks. We are doing a lot of other things to improve telecoms service, by creating an enabling environment for network operators to rollout infrastructure, and reduce bottlenecks on right of ways, wilful destruction of telecoms facilities, among other measures,” Johnson said.
Confirming that it would commence the exercise today, the Head, Public Relations at NCC, Mr. Reuben Muoka, told THISDAY that all was set for full implementation of MNP across GSM networks.
According to him, “all the GSM operators are ready and NCC is set to rollout the service, which is long overdue.”
He, however, said operators of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), like Visafone, Capcom, and Intercellular, would not be part of the exercise at the moment, because of the different technology that they operate.
He said NCC would begin with GSM operators, and later include the CDMA operators, if that of the GSM operators became successful.
The Corporate Services Executive at MTN, Mr. Wale Goodluck, told THISDAY that MTN was fully ready for MNP, owing to its nationwide modernisation exercise, which he said, had improved service quality to some extent, even though the project is ongoing.
He was optimistic that MTN, just like other GSM operators would not experience any hitch in the takeoff of the exercise.
Chief Executive Officer of Etisalat, Mr. Steve Evans, had initially stated that Etisalat, which is the latest entrant into the GSM market space, was ready for the rollout of MNP in Nigeria.
The President of National Association of Telecoms Subscribers (NATCOMS), Mr. Deolu Ogunbanjo, who welcomed the decision of NCC to commence Number Portability today, said it would not only drive quality of service, but would also make the subscribers feel as king, in their choice of porting their GSM numbers from one network to another at will.
In technical parlance, MNP is a process that allows subscriber to physically move their mobile numbers from one network to another, while still retaining the same numbers, irrespective of the network that the subscribers decided to move to.
The essence of the exercise, as it is currently being practised in South Africa and in most countries in Europe, is to give subscribers the choice to move from their original network to another network, in search of better service quality.
The subscriber also has the choice of returning to the initial network, if the service later improves.
NCC had penultimate week, reiterated its commitment to commence number porting across all GSM networks, after getting confirmation from the operators that they were ready, infrastructure wise, for number porting.
The agreement on the side of the operators came after several years of refusing the request from NCC to commence the exercise.
They had kicked against it in the past and had asked NCC for more time to build a robust network that will stand the challenges associated with MNPMobile Number Portability or MNP helps mobile phone users to change from one mobile network operator to another, without having to change their mobile phone number.
how it works:
The system of MNP is incorporated differently in various countries across the world. Most countries follow the system of Recipient-Led porting, also known as Donor-Led porting. Here, customer wanting to port their numbers will have to contact the Donor in order to obtain a Porting Authorization Code or PAC. The customer has to then give this to the Recipient. On receipt of this PAC, the Recipient proceeds to contact the Donor.
Some industry analysts have severely criticized this form or porting, as it is long-drawn out, breeds inefficiency and also dilutes competition.
Mobile Number Portability or MNP helps mobile phone users to change from one mobile network operator to another, without having to change their mobile phone number.
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