NCC approves e-SIM trial for MTN, 9Mobile

04 Nov NCC approves e-SIM trial for MTN, 9Mobile

The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, has granted approval for MTN Nigeria and 9Mobile, to carry out trials on the workability of embedded Subscriber Identification Modules Service (e-SIMs) in Nigeria.

It said the trials, approved to run for a period of one year, would involve testing 5,000 e-SIMs by the two networks, subject to compliance with a number of regulatory conditions.

A statement by the Director, Public Affairs, NCC, Ikechukwu Adinde outlined the conditions to include full compliance with the Registration of Telecoms Subscribers Regulations 2011, the Mobile Number Portability Regulations and Business Rules 2015; Guidelines on SIM Replacement 2017; and non-degradation of the Quality of Service experience by users of e-SIMs.

An e-SIM is a small chip embedded on a mobile phone or smart device. It is designed for convenience, flexibility, and simplicity. It makes it easier for subscribers to choose a pre-paid plan provider and switch between network operators. The information on the e-SIM is rewritable by operators and the identification information can be updated over time.

Danbatta said the technology would eliminate the need for physical SIM card slots on mobile devices in the near future. He said the trial was in line with the commission’s regulatory approach to ensure Nigeria’s telecoms ecosystem is in tandem with global best practices.

… assigns 357 million telephone numbers to operators

The Nigerian Communications Commission has assigned 357.53 million new telephone numbers for the use of telecommunications operators.

The new telephones numbers were added in the third quarter of 2020 and belonged to about 32 licensed telecom operators, as contained in the NCC’s Q3 2020 National Numbering Plan.

The numbering plan released on Tuesday is used to allocate a unique National Number to each subscriber connected to the national telephone system.

Some of the operators with national and states licences, according to a document on NNP from NCC, are 101 Communications, 21st Century Technologies, Airtel Networks, Airworld Technologies, Alpha Technologies, Big Picture Nigeria, Broadbased Communications, CallMe Nigeria, Cedarview Communications, Cyberspace, EMTS Limited (9Mobile and FNL Engineering.

The states and cities where some of these telephone lines would be used by the operators include Lagos, Abuja, Enugu, Kano, Port Harcourt, Maiduguri, Owerri, Aba, Umuahia, Zaria, Jos, Awka, Umuahia, Uyo, Calabar, Ilorin, Kaduna and Kano, among others.