Published in August 27th, 2007
ABUJA (Reuters) - The Nigerian telecoms regulator is working on plans to allow mobile phone subscribers to keep the same number when they change networks in a bid to force providers to improve services, its top executive said on Monday.
ADVERTISEMENT As things stand, Nigerians have to give up their numbers if they want to move to a new network, which discourages many subscribers from trying a different provider even when they face constant problems making or receiving calls.
"We are planning for the future to allow number portability. The aims are to improve quality and competition," Ernest Ndukwe, executive vice-chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, told Reuters by telephone.
"It is still some months away. We are going to conduct consultations with the industry and announce a starting date in the near future," he said.
Nigeria's booming mobile phone market has grown from scratch to over 30 million subscribers in six years, making it one of the fastest-growing in the world.
It is seen as having potential for many more years of rapid growth as Nigeria is Africa's most populous country with 140 million people, the majority of whom do not have phones.
However, the quality of service from mobile phone providers has always been patchy and it has deteriorated over time.
Subscribers often have to dial several times before a call goes through. Sometimes no calls go through for hours. When they do connect, the lines are often so bad that callers cannot hear each other. Calls frequently cut off after a few seconds and text messages can be delayed by hours.
Mobile operators argue that services are impaired by frequent blackouts, forcing companies to provide their own power with costly diesel generators, and constant vandalism and armed attacks on facilities and staff.
The regulator's move will put pressure on Nigeria's biggest operator, South Africa's MTN (MTNJ.J), to improve its service and defend its 45 percent market share.
The plan comes at a time when Kuwaiti-owned Celtel () has taken over the third-biggest mobile phone network in Nigeria and announced a $1.4 billion investment drive to challenge MTN's dominance.
MTN had 13.38 million subscribers in Nigeria at the end of March this year, representing just under a third of the company's total customer base and making Nigeria the main market for MTN.
Celtel paid $1 billion in 2006 to gain control of Nigeria's third-largest operator, Vmobile. The second-biggest mobile phone operator in Nigeria is Globacom, a firm owned by Nigerian business tycoon Mike Adenuga.
