Telecom
NCC to Drag SIM Registration Offenders to Court
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says that it will henceforth prosecute those involved in fraudulent registration of SIM card.
The commission said it would no longer be business as usual, threatening that anyone caught would be made liable to face 25 years imprisonment as prescribed by the law.
Mr Sunday Dare, Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management, NCC made this known at the South-South Regional Sensitisation Workshop on the dangers of fraudulently-activated SIM cards in Port Harcourt, Rivers.
According to a statement in Abuja, Dare was represented at the forum by Mr Efosa Idehen, NCC Director, Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement said past efforts to educate and sanction fraudulent SIM card registraion operators had failed to yield results, hence the legal perspective.
Dare added that years of continuous fight against the fraudulent operators started in 2012.
He disclosed that “Since the SIM registration exercise started in 2011, a total of 151,449,837 registration data of subscribers have been processed, with only 55,749,652 records valid, making 63.2 per cent of the total records invalid based on invalid face capturing and fingerprints,” underscoring the importance of proper SIM registration.
According to him, if an agent engages in pre-registered SIM cards and is arrested, the culpability in such a case will extend to other players in the SIM registration value chain including the super agents.
“The Heads of Marketing of Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and possibly the Chief Executives of licensees, who illegally benefit from such illegal SIM registration activities to meet their marketing targets,’’ he said.
He insisted that the right thing must be done by the registration agents and their MNOs to curb the dangers posed by the menace.
“Without appreciable compliance by the MNOs and their different layers of registration agents across the country, thereby constituting threats to national security and jeopardising national interest.
He said aside several sanctions provided in the Registration of Telephone Subscribers Regulations 2011 for improperly-registered SIM cards, others included imposition of N1 million on person found to be dealing with subscriber information.
“The NCC will begin to plead national security and national interests against anybody found culpable of fraudulently-registered SIM cards in the telecom industry,” he said.
In his own personal remark, Idehen made a separate in-depth presentation on dangers of dealing in pre-registered SIM cards and took the participants through the various regulatory interventions already implemented.
He took the participants on other ongoing initiatives aimed at enforcing broad-range compliance with SIM registration rules in the last eight years.
“Unfortunately, despite the level of stakeholder engagements, sanctions so far imposed, arrests made and prosecutions secured through working with law enforcement agencies, among others.
“The level of compliance with the SIM registrations rules by the various players across the SIM registration value chain remains unsatisfactory,” he said.
He said this had necessitated the need for the sensitisation workshop to educate all players in the SIM registration value chain on the dangers posed by fraudulently-registered SIM cards to the country’s national security.
“It is no longer going to be business as usual for all players in the SIM registration value chain. We will no longer allow some deviants to jeopardise our national interest and national security.
“Today, cases of fraudulently-registered SIM cards have been aiding and abating robbery cases, kidnappings, financial frauds and all manners of criminalities.
“Where the anonymity of the registered subscribers makes criminal investigation difficult for the law enforcement agencies.
“That is why we will now be pleading breach of national interest in the prosecution of arrested perpetrators of pre-registered SIM cards,” he said.
He said that aside other requirements, the only four identity cards that should be accepted by SIM registration agents are the national identity cards, the voters card, driver’s licence and the international passport.
He also cautioned the agents that fingerprint capturing of the subscribers must be done properly.
“Agents must ensure that clear pictures of the subscribers are properly captured, finger prints well taken and only four ID cards are recognised for now any of which must be presented and confirmed by the registration agents before registration.
He stressed that MNOs and their agents should accept the mantra: “No valid identity card, no SIM registration.”
Idehen added that NCC had been working with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) in the area of ensuring that data collected from the mobile subscribers are in line with the national specifications.
The 2023 Subscriber/Network Performance Report of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has shown that consumers’ telecommunication spending hit N5.30 trillion in 2023.
The recent figure is a 37.54 percent increase from the N3.86 trillion recorded in 2022.
According to NCC, the increase in spending was fuelled by a spike in data consumption, which translated to higher revenues for telecom operators including mobile network operators, fixed wired, internet service providers, and other telecom services.
“The total volume of data consumed by subscribers increased to 713,200.62TB as of December 2023 from 518,381.78TB as of December 2022. This represents an increase of 37.58 percent in data consumption within the period. The increased data consumption is indicative of the increasing appetite and use for data by consumers,” the NCC said.
This increase in data consumption coincides with only a margin increase in voice calls, with total outgoing calls hitting 205.29 billion minutes, a 0.59 percent increase from the 204.09 billion minutes recorded in 2022.
The total number of active subscriptions increased from 222.57 million in 2022 to 224.71 million, attributed to subscriber loyalty, promos, aggressive consumer acquisition drive, and competitive product offerings across all the networks.
NCC stated that internet subscribers increased from 154.85 million in 2022 to 163.84 million in 2023, and broadband penetration declined from 47.36 percent to 43.71 percent.
This growth in internet consumption has continued into 2024, thanks to increased streaming services and smartphone penetration.
It would be recalled that Karl Toriola, chief executive officer of MTN Nigeria, recently noted that telecom companies are set to benefit from increased demand for data services, which has become the primary driver of telecom revenue.
Between January and September 2024, MTN Nigeria and Airtel Nigeria reported combined data revenues of N1.63 trillion, up from N254.32 billion in the same period of 2019. Over this time, voice revenues—once the primary income source for telcos—grew by only 70.74 percent to N1.44 trillion.
Data usage per user has grown, with MTNN reporting that its average data usage per user rose to 11.3GB in September 2024 from 7.8GB in March 2023.
For Airtel Nigeria, monthly usage increased from 2.8GB in March 2021 to 8.1GB in September 2024.
“We are positioning ourselves to capture the opportunities of growth for the next 10 years. The demand for data in Nigeria is exceptional and will continue to grow,” Toriola stated.
Globacom’s Festival of Joy promo took the centre stage in Abuja on Friday as the company held a draw to select lucky winners of exciting prizes.
The event, held at the Gloworld office on Aminu Kano Crescent, Wuse, was witnessed by officials of the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC), Glo subscribers, and media representatives.
This draw marks another milestone in the Festival of Joy promo, which has been rewarding subscribers across Nigeria since its launch in October 2024.
Lucky winners in Abuja will receive their prizes, including a brand-new Toyota Prado, tricycles, sewing machines, generators, and grinding machines, on Wednesday, January 22, 2025.
To participate in the promo, new and existing subscribers can dial *611# and recharge their lines (voice and data) during the promo period.
Globacom explained that, “Customers are required to recharge up to N100, 000 cumulatively during the promo period to qualify for the draw for the Prado Jeep, N50, 000 cumulative recharge for Kia Picanto, N10, 000 in a month for tricycle and N5, 000 total recharge in a month to win a generator.
“For the sewing machine, a total recharge of N2, 500 in a month is required, while for the grinding machine, a recharge of N1000 in a week will be eligible for the draw,”.
The subscribers of MTN Nigeria enjoyed the best mobile Internet performances in 2024, according to nPerf’s 2024 report, which analysed mobile internet performance across Nigeria.
nPerf, a French company has been a trusted partner for both fixed and mobile operators, providing comprehensive network testing solutions and analysis.
According to nPerf, in 2024, the mobile market in Nigeria saw significant developments and the leader for this period is MTN, maintaining its position as the global winner.
From January 1 to December 31, 2024, MTN led mobile internet in Nigeria across every measurable category, with great performance. Its subscribers enjoyed an average download speed of 17.82 Mbps, leaving Airtel at 9.98 Mbps and Glo at a distant 5.66 Mbps.
“This period highlights MTN’s continued dominance as the market leader, with no new entrants taking the lead in 2024. MTN emerged as the sole leader, showing impressive advancements across various KPIs and focus areas. The analysis showcases MTN’s superiority in Download speed, Upload speed, and Latency.
Upload speeds were similar, with MTN averaging 8.05 Mbps, Airtel 4.35 Mbps, and Glo 3.43 Mbps, even as reliance on solid internet connectivity never stopped increasing.
Latency, an important metric for real-time applications such as video calls and gaming, further enhanced MTN’s place in the market. The network achieved an average latency of 79.44 ms, comfortably outperforming Glo’s 89.44 ms and Airtel’s 119.85 ms.
These figures are particularly important during peak periods (6 PM to 11 PM) when the network issues are at the highest. MTN’s ability to maintain consistent latency levels during these busy hours speaks to its superior infrastructure.
Beyond raw speeds, the quality of experience (QoE) was also analysed. In browsing performance, MTN scored an average success rate of 36.08%, surpassing Airtel at 28.86%, while Glo lagged at 29.42%.
This difference was also seen in video streaming, where MTN recorded an average streaming success rate of 72.35%, overshadowing Airtel’s 67.04% and Glo’s 53.81%.
Airtel, despite being a distant second in most metrics, delivered a commendable performance in specific areas, particularly video streaming.
Its streaming rate, at 67.04%, shows a strong emphasis on delivering quality experiences in this domain.
However, Airtel’s inability to match MTN’s speeds, browsing performance and latency asserted the gap between the two providers.
Glo, on the other hand, had steady progress throughout 2024. Although it lagged in download (5.66 Mbps) and upload speeds (3.43 Mbps), its performance in latency (89.44 ms) revealed some improvement in network responsiveness.
Glo’s focus on enhancing connectivity is obvious, but it remains apparent that the provider has some ground to cover before it can challenge the likes of MTN or even Airtel.
The data disclosed that whether downloading, browsing, or streaming, MTN subscribers always enjoyed the best experiences.
In the 4G focus area, MTN also stands out as the leader. These achievements underline the positive trends and strong market dynamics” according to nPerf.
The report also said that not only does MTN excel in download speed, upload speed, and latency, but it also leads in Video streaming.
nPerf’s report added that MTN dominates the 4G focus area, reinforcing its pioneering position in the mobile technology sector.
“Significant improvements include a remarkable enhancement in Upload speed. MTN’s consistent contributions have greatly strengthened the overall market landscape” it said
On Airtel, nPerf reported excellence in browsing and streaming, adding that Airtel, while not the market leader, demonstrates excellence in specific categories.
“With a strong performance in browsing and video streaming, Airtel secures its place as a key player. The operator’s contributions are vital to the market’s competitiveness, and its focus on enhancing user experience is evident” nPerf reported.
nPerf further reported that Glo showed steady progress with a commendable improvement in its overall score.
Although not a market leader, Glo has shown improvements in various areas, contributing positively to the market’s dynamics. The operator’s focus on enhancing connectivity and customer satisfaction is noteworthy, according to nPerf.
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