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Nigeria's carriers lose 863,917 customers to porting

All the four mobile network operators (MNOs) have lost a total number of 863,917 customers to mobile number portability (MNP) since Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) introduced the scheme  May 2013 to allow subscribers switch between one  non-performing MNOs to another  while retaining their mobile numbers.

Analysis of porting activities compiled by the NCC from May, 2013 to December, 2022 showed that MTN had the highest number of subscribers that ported-out with 444,226 to other networks while Airtel, Globacom and   9mobile had 351,422; 277,527 and 190,742 respectively.

The analysis further illustrated that 9mobile had the highest count of port-in subscribers with 676,944 while Airtel, MTN and Globacom respectively recorded 331,837; 181,301 and 105,746 respectively as port-in counts.

MNP allows subscribers to migrate from one mobile service provider to another without changing their mobile phone number. It empowers subscribers to terminate their relationship with their current network service provider if they are dissatisfied with the quality of services provided.

According to the NCC data, the count of port-in activities increased from 17,467 in 2021 to 32,086 as at the end of last year. This indicates an increase of 83.69per cent in the total port-in between 2021 and 2022 year-on-year.

“The increase noted in port-in activities was attributed majorly to the effect of the directive from NCC in April 2021 to all GSM operators lifting the ban on the sale and registration of new SIMs (subscriber identity modules), SIM swaps and all porting activities following the conclusion of the Commissions nationwide audit of Subscriber Registration Database,” the Commission, through its Policy Competition and Economic Analysis Department, explained.

NCC said MNP service will guarantee freedom for telecoms subscribers deepen competition and force mobile phone operators to provide better service to their customers.

MNP service is provided by all GSM mobile operators in Nigeria free of charge. This, however, does not apply to Fixed Number Portability (FNP) or any other form of number or service portability.

All mobile phone users, no matter the type of your subscription or plan – pre-paid/pay-as-you-go, post-paid/contract, simple/single number or complex/multi number – can take advantage of the service. Individual numbers are ported separately as separate transactions using the same procedure as for a single number account except that the numbers may share the same porting request form.

Subscribers must visit the customer care office, retail shop or outlet of their chosen new service provider to request to port their number. Porting cannot be done via telephone calls, text messages, online or other electronic means. Deferred or delayed porting is not permitted. Only real-time porting of numbers is allowed.

The customer must present valid identification documents- passport, driver’s license or an official identity card that has your picture on it- as for proof of identity. A webcam is used to capture your image in the absence of proper identification documents.

The new network needs to check for credit worthiness to ensure that the request to port a number or numbers is not malicious.

For a customer to port his or her number, he or she would be asked to complete a Port Request Form. You would then be asked to send a text message with the word “PORT” to a short code “3232”. Porting is completed within 48 hours.

A new SIM card is issued every time you port your number to a new service provider. Your old SIM card ceases to be useful once the porting process has been completed.

Subscribers to any network can port at any time and as many times as they like in a given year. However, porting to a third operator or back to your original operator is restricted within 90 days of a previous port. You would need to follow the same procedure each time you decide to port your number or return to your previous service provider.

Information on the progress of your porting request is sent via SMS. You can change your mind at any time before you receive confirmation SMS is sent. Cancellation of porting request or porting process is not acceptable once you receive confirmation.

Service from the old service network operator may be lost within an hour of notification by SMS of completion of porting request.

Your call charges may change to reflect the tariffs of the new network operator.

Voicemail, SMS, MMS and ancillary services would need to be reset with the new service provider. Messages sent to you prior to porting may be lost.

Pre-paid subscribers cannot take outstanding credits while switching to the new service providers just as post-paid subscribers must settle outstanding bills to their previous service provider, including any early termination fees, before the porting process can commence. A final bill for usage up to the time the number is ported would be sent to the new operator.