Dual Sim Phones, Others Hobble MNP

Mobile number portability (MNP) arrived with pomp and ceremony a fortnight ago; but the growth has been hobbled by undecided Nigerians who already carry multiple mobile devices, Nigeria CommunicationsWeek can now report.

Critics said the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) inadvertently took the steam off MNP by introducing the scheme when most Nigerians have already “ported” with their dual  Sim phones.

In essence, MNP arrived too late in the day despite the clamour since 2004 when quality of service provisioning begun to deteriorate.

Eugene Juwah, executive vice chairman, NCC, however said that MNP has been identified as one of such services that could further deepen the competition in the telecommunications market.

But today, apart from the frenzy generated by Hafiz Oyetoro alias Saka, the celebrity actor’s migration from Etisalat to MTN network, most Nigerians are indifferent to the scheme.

“Why will I need to switch my network operator when I have a phone that have dual Sim cards-MTN and Globacom, I will make calls with any one that works” Uwen Ekanem, a subscriber said.

Mobile number portability is a new service offered by all mobile service providers that allows a subscriber to switch over to another service provider while retaining his existing mobile phone number.

Nigeria CommunicationsWeek gathered that despite the huge budgetary allocation for awareness of the new scheme, most telecom subscribers are not aware of the workings of the MNP.

Adenike Laguda, a petty trader asked “what is mobile number portability? I don’t think I will change my MTN”

Also, issues around waiting time to change network service provider has served to exacerbate the sore-footed approach to mobile number portability.

Uche Omwudiwe, chief operating officer, Interconnect Clearing House,  (the middle service provider for switches) explained that subscribers will have to obtain forms from the intending operator to migrate to and send SMS to a short code 3232 and will get a confirming or denying port response within 48 hours.

Nigeria CommunicationsWeek gathered that if a subscriber wishes to re-migrate to his original or any other network, such customer has to stay for 90 days on the newly migrated operator before moving again.  This process that will take 48 hours he stated could be completed within 10 minutes.

This means that any subscriber who experiences poor service quality on the new network, shortly after porting, will have to endure the challenges of the network and complete the 90 days period before porting out.

To many Nigerians this is not unacceptable.

“It is like going from frying pan to fire, to me, NCC should not have bothered with the introduction of MNP” Chuks Arubalueze,  a lawyer said.

Elsewhere, some subscribers are reluctant after learning that they have to lose all existing data on the old Sim card when moving from one operator to another.

Arubalueze said that “the simple thing would have been for new operator to provide data backup for the new subscribers to encourage them to stay. I don’t think I will like to lose my data just to move to another network”

But Juwah, EVC of NCC said the benefits far outweigh the shortcomings adding that “customers will no longer need to worry trying to memorise new numbers, making changes on their business cards, letter heads, billboard advertisements etc whenever they need to change their service providers.”

Nodding in agreement, Mr. Segun Ogunsanya, chief executive officer, Airtel Nigeria said the scheme is a quality driven initiative and operators survival instinct which will lessen the regulatory burden of the NCC.

 He said, “The NCC can now focus on other areas of regulation that will make investment in the telecoms sector to thrive.”

Brett Ghosen, chief executive officer, MTN Nigeria, described it “another revolution” in the history of Nigeria telecoms sector which shows that the sector is a driven by innovations to give customers choice.

Muhammad Jameel, chief operating officer (COO) of Globacom, said that initiative as “a game changer” in the Nigerian telecommunications sector.