MNP Gives Subscribers Power to Fire GSM Operators

The telecom industry yesterday gave birth to mobile number portability (MNP), a new democratic environment which empowers a subscriber to dump his or her network service provider if he or she is not satisfied with the quality of services rendered and still maintain his or her number.

GLO, MTN, Airtel and Etisalat, the four GSM services providers have all pledged their readiness to play in the scheme.

Engineer, Eugene Juwah, executive vice-chairman, NCC, said that the scheme is a key factor in expediting competition among the players to benefit 100 million and more subscribers across the country.

Juwah,  said the door has been thrown open for subscribers to choose  network operator that give them value for their money.

He said that no GSM service provider can refuse a subscriber opportunity to port except on cases involving security breaches, fraud or failure of the subscriber to present adequate information needful under the scheme.

Juwah added that MNP across Nigeria’s GSM networks will enable customers change their subscription to other mobile networks while retaining their mobile digits, however it will take the subscriber another 90 days to migrate across other network in search of quality service without the fear of losing, thereby driving competition, improved services and reduced tariff.

NCC in its released guidelines for MNP, made migration free of charge for subscribers but insisted that subscribers could only change networks once every 90 days.

“The seamless porting from one network to another will reduce subscribers’ challenges as regard quality of service, printing of business cards, all most, every time to include one number or the other or flamboyant bill board adverts”.

He said that NCC has developed policies that will guide the scheme, expressing hope that parties involved will adhere to the terms and conditions.

“NCC developed these regulations in line with international best standards; therefore, MNP will promote transparency and healthy competition,” he added.

Also speaking, Ms. Josephine Amuwa, director, Legal and Regulatory Services (NCC), said that experiences from other jurisdiction depict MNP as leads to customer satisfaction and compel operators to improve their services, boosts innovation and wider distribution of products and services.

“For the mobile telecommunication consumer, the advent of MNP in Nigeria will do away with the phenomenon of ‘Lock-in’ which is a principal obstacle to consumer choice; MNP gives consumers the choice of switching to service providers with better service,” she said.

She traced the legal, regulatory and operational framework of MNP to have started in 2010 with the publication of the MNP consultation paper.

On the technical aspect of the project, Rear Admiral Alison Madueke (rtd.), executive chairman, Interconnect Clearinghouse Nigeria Limited (ICN), said the company has been instrumental in the actualization of the scheme, adding that its partner, Telcordia, a foreign based ICT firm, has availed them with technical milieu and expertise to handle the in-country dynamics and systems.

“This day is the realization of a vision by our regulator and their pure persistence and dedicated commitment to make sure the subscribers get what they deserve. I am delighted that Interconnect Clearinghouse Nigeria Limited, Telcordia and Saab Grintek were instrumental in the actualization of this vision. 

Meanwhile, NCC has said it would extend the scheme to Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), operators in the country, which include Visafone and Capcom, a merger of Starcomms, Multi-Links and MTS Wireless.