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Telecom: Dual SIM Phones Poses Challenge For Number Porting

Dual Sim Phones
WITH about three weeks into the formal launch of Mobile Number Portability (MNP) in Nigeria, investigations by The Guardian have revealed consumer apathy to the process.

Investigations revealed that apart from poor education about how the process works; its newness to the Nigerian environment; the processing periods and in particular, decrease in the quality of service offered by all the operators including MTN Nigeria; Airtel; Globacom and Etisalat, most Nigerians could said to have already ported, as most go about with dual SIMs phones or an outright three to four mobile phones for each of the networks available.

Apart from the likes of Nokia, Samsung, LGs, RLGs that have introduced dual SIM phones into the Nigerian market; new entrant into the market — Techno Mobile — has changed the dynamics of the market, with its recently launched four SIMs mobile phone, by so doing, compounding the woes of MNP adoption in the country.

A visit to Computer Village by The Guardian and survey conducted revealed that about 55 per cent of those buying phones go for dual SIM phones.

Indeed, with so much noise made on the day of its launch in the country by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), many Nigerians are undecided about the process, because they already carry multiple mobile devices.

It could be said that most Nigerians have already ‘ported’ with their dual Sim phones.

MNP, which is the process that enables mobile telephone users to retain their mobile telephone numbers when changing from one mobile network operator to another came into Nigeria in 2013, when the about 35 million subscribers in 2004 had to cope with the challenge of quality of Service provisioning in the country.

The Guardian had reported that Nigeria is the 64th country to port numbers, after the likes of Singapore, which pioneered it in 1994; New Zealand; USA; Ghana; South Africa and others.

A visit to two of MTN service outlets revealed that subscribers are yet to really give the process the needed trial.

An official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told The Guardian that “people have not really embraced the process. Though some have come and done it. Others expressed concern about the porting period, saying they cannot wait for two days or be tied to a network for 90 days before they could switch if the need arises.”

One particular subscriber said he has all the four networks on two dual SIM phones, stressing that porting will be an exercise in futility.

At Airtel service outlet, the same scenario was painted. An official, who simply gave her name as Tonia, said, “I think more awareness still need to be created. We have seen so many subscribers, who have actually ported from competition and move to our network, but most Nigerians use dual SIM phones, so they may find it tough to port.”

The same story was also painted at both Globacom and Etisalat’s service outlets.

A subscriber by the name Gbenga Adenekan complained bitterly that he had announced its intention to port from its Airtel network to MTN, after visiting the outlet, but for about one and half weeks now, the process that was to take two days is yet to be completed. He urged the regulator to look into such cases.

Indeed, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Dr. Eugene Juwah, had said that any porting process that didn’t sail through within 48 hours means a failed one, stressed that the process should be re-launched.

Juwah said that MNP has been identified as one of such services that could further deepen the competition in the telecommunications market.

“ With the issues of waiting time to change network service, provider has exacerbated the sore-footed approach to mobile number portability, the Chief Operating Officer of Interconnect Clearing House, the company handling the switching, said.

Uche Onwudiwe 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, stressing that the process will still gain subscribers confidence and would be embraced.

Meanwhile, in an Interview with The Guardian, a telecoms industry analyst and Information Technology expert, Akin Akinbo, welcomed the development, but was quick to say that the market segment for MNP in the country is less than 10 per cent.

Akinbo, who based his estimate on the fact that 90 per cent of the market in Nigeria is occupied by prepaid users, said, “this means that only 10 per cent of the markets are loyal to a particular network. It is easier for the 90 per cent to get on another network. They can easily buy a N200 SIM, register it and move on.”

Reacting to the likely challenges the scheme may encounter, Akinbo, who is the Chief Executive Officer of AAA Infotech, noted that the current infrastructural challenges the telecoms sector is facing would impact seriously on the effectiveness of porting system.

He said the scheme would have to contend with the problem of lack of adequate transmission facilities and poor awareness, stressing that most people are yet to come to term with what MNP.

“I think all the stakeholders have a lot to do, especially in educating, informing people about it. The pre-launching awareness of the technicalities involved is too short. NCC, telecoms operators must create more awareness about it,” he said.

The AAA Infotech boss noted that the 90 days barrier for a subscriber to remain on a network before they can move to another network is another reason people may not be willing to port.

He said currently, Nigerians have continued to experience poor quality services on all networks due to infrastructure challenges, coupled with the fact that most subscribers have more than one telephone lines.

Akinbo noted that though the scheme has taken off, the uptake may be very small, adding that the NCC should encourage operators to put in place incentives that would encourage subscribers to port.

He said, “Nigerians are not loyal to any network and about 90 per cent of these subscribers are pre-paid customers, so, it doesn’t mean that people are porting or will port because MNP has taken off.

“I have my initial reservation for the workability of MNP, but let’s just wait and see, I must confess to you that the infrastructure challenges which operators are contending with is a problem.

Telecom: Dual SIM Phones Poses Challenge For Number Porting

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Telecom: Dual SIM Phones Poses Challenge For Number Porting Reviewed by Kratos Olympian on 09:38 Rating: 5

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