Nigeria: ‘SIM Cards success determines Number Portability success’

Left: Mr. Okechukwu Itanyi, Dr. Eugene Juwah, and

Mr. Tony Ojobo, Director, Public Affairs of NCC at the event

The Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Eugene Juwah has said that the success of the Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) cards registration would determine how success the Number Portability (NP) soon to be introduced would be.

He made this known at a recent media session with some IT Reporters and media chiefs at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, even as over 110,433,976 SIM cards have been registered as at the time of filing this report.

According to him, the success of Number Portability also rides on successful registration of SIM Cards and creation of SIM card data base of integrity.

He also disclosed that NCC is currently in the processed of harmonizing the process.

“… We are doing that at the moment,” he declared, saying that the data is undergoing 

through processing and cleaning at the NCC.

Juwah maintained that without a doubt, mobile Number Portability will impact on the quality of service on various networks although other cardinal steps are being taken to ensure that the service providers are constantly kept on their toes to make them give the best services to their subscribers.

He said that to this end, the Compliance and Enforcement Unit has been strengthened to enable the Commission enforce its regulations and directives.

Noting that recently the unit had embarked on a lot of enforcement activities nationwide, he said it’s a painful action to take but NCC realised that if it has to confront some key problems facing the industry like quality of service, some organisations and individuals must be pulled into line, which process would invariably cause some discomfort and corporate embarrassment, not to mention financial loss.

“However, that notwithstanding, going forward more vigorous enforcement actions are continuing,” he warned.

Just as he recalled that a fortnight ago, precisely on February 17, 2012, the Commission’s Enforcement Unit carried out enforcement actions against some mobile device dealers who flood our markets with non type approved devices, which in turn affect quality of service of the various networks.

“We have laid out comprehensive plans to further excite the Communications sector,” he promised, saying that NCC has broad plans for broadband deployment to enable it create and impact in the whole nation.

The EVC said that to implement this, NCC has adopted the open access model as platform, in addition to resuscitating the Fixed Line sector by giving out new licenses and in doing this to increase telephony penetration.

The success of this twin action, he said, would give Nigerians an enhanced choice of products and services to reduce overreliance on mobile services and encourage internet usage.

The EVC was accompanied at the occasion by Mr. Okechukwu Itanyi, Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management, and Mr. Tony Ojobo, Director, Public Affairs of NCC among others.

Remmy Nweke
 
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