Telcos Record Reduction in Mobile Number Portability as Porting Figure Drops from 23,059 to 616

Emma Okonji

Statistics obtained from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has revealed that telecoms operators (Telcos) in Nigeria have recorded steady reduction in Mobile Number Portability (MNP) in the last one year.

Analysis of the telecoms industry regulator numbers showed a deep decline in the number of inward porting of telecoms subscribers to other networks.

According to the NCC numbers, porting reduced from 23,059 in June 2020 to 616 in June 2021, a space of one year.

Mobile Number Portability, which was introduced by NCC few years after the rollout of Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) in 2001, enables subscribers to migrate from one network to another, while retaining the original mobile number of the subscriber on the new network. It was introduced to allow subscribers port to another network, when they are not satisfied with the quality of service offered by their network operator. Subscribers’ who port to another network, are however expected to remain on the new network for a minimum of 90 days before they are eligible to return to their original network or move to any other network of their choice.

Although several subscribers took the opportunities offered by Mobile Number Portability to migrate to their network of choice in search of better service quality, while still retaining their original mobile number on the new network, the rate at which subscribers now port to other networks, is gradually reducing.

According to the recent statistics posted on the NCC’s website, a total of 23,059 subscribers ported to other networks in June 2020, but the figure dropped to 616 in June 2021, one year later.

A breakdown of the 23,059 subscribers that ported in June 2020 showed that 10,964 subscribers ported to 9mobile network in search of better service quality, while 9, 142 subscribers ported to Airtel network in search of better service quality. Only 2,667 subscribers ported to MTN network, while only 286 subscribers ported to Globacom network, in the month of June 2020.

In July 2020, the number of telecoms subscribers that ported across networks, dropped to 19,469, but in August 2020, the porting figure picked up to reach 21,385, and dropped again to 19,412 in September 2020.

In October 2020 to December 2020, the total number of subscribers that ported across networks, reduced again from 19,771 to 16,342 and to 4,085 respectively. From January 2021 to May 2021, there was no porting across networks, as all networks recorded zero porting within that period.

Then in June 2001, a total of 616 subscribers, ported across networks. The breakdown of the 616 subscribers that ported in the month of June 2021, showed that Airtel had the highest number of subscribers that ported to its network, numbering 360, followed by 9mobile 191, and MTN 65, while Globacom did not record any incoming porting to its network in the month June 2021.

Analysing the rate of porting, the President of National Telecoms Subscribers’ Association (NATCOMS), Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, said the statistics showed that most subscribers still experience poor service quality, hence the need for porting in search of better quality of service.

According to him, “Subscribers do not care about brand identity. What they need is better service quality and they are ready to port to any network that offers better service quality and remain on the network, as long as the network continues to provide the best of telecoms services to their customers.”

Some telecoms subscribers who also spoke to THISDAY said the introduction of Mobile Number Portability was one of the best things that have empowered telecoms subscribers to exercise their rights in making their choice of network.
They added that MNP would put telecoms operators on their toes to compete among themselves in offering the best of service quality.

They were of the view that telecoms services stabilised across all networks in the months of January to May 2021; hence it was needless for any subscriber to port to another network within that space of time.

Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Mr. Gbenga Adebayo, however blamed poor service quality on various factors, which he said, were beyond the control of telecoms operators.

He listed some of the factors to include: Delay in granting access to Right of Way (RoW) to telecoms operators for network expansion; multiple taxes; incessant closure of telecoms sites by government agencies; willful destruction of telecoms sites by social miscreants, among others.

“Unless the federal government rises to protect telecoms facilities in the country and declares telecoms facilities as Critical National Infrastructure (CNI), telecoms operators will continue to witness the impunity in the incessant closure of telecoms sites by government agencies, as well as other disruptions in telecoms facilities, which are factors responsible for poor service quality across networks, ”Adebayo said.