ATCON Boss Cautions Telecom Subscribers

Telecom subscribers across networks that are pushing for the implementation of mobile number portability have been urged to tread softly.

The President of the Association of Telecom Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Titi Omo-Ettu who spoke in Badagry, Lagos last week, while delivering lecture at a three-day training programme, organised by ATCON and the Information Technology Industry Association of Nigeria (ITAN), for Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Journalists, cautioned those seeking for the implementation of mobile number portability for the purpose of achieving quality of service, to have a re-think, since the motive would be defeated.

Omo-Ettu said, Mobile number portability is a system that allows telecom subscribers to port their GSM numbers by moving the numbers from one network to another service provider, without changing their original numbers.

According to him, subscriber with a particular network who is not satisfied with the kind of services being offered by the network operator, can decide to move his or her GSM number to another network where services may be better, also retaining the original number with the new network operator.

He recalled that the idea of moving GSM numbers from one network to another in order to get quality service, is already defeated in Nigeria, since every subscriber is registered with all networks and carrying more than three GSM numbers from more than three network operators.

Furthermore, he explained that the reason for having multiple phone lines is to enable subscribers place calls through the network that they think serves them better at a particular point in time.

He noted that Nigerians are not patient, hence they change their GSM numbers at will. “If they had been patient and remained with one network, it will be easier to push for number portability to enable them move their GSM numbers to all networks at will, while retaining their original numbers”, he said.

Moreso, said that the only good reason for insisting on number portability could probably be to maintain individual and organisational stability, saying that individuals and organisation who want to be identified with a particular number, have good reasons to push for number portability.

Furthermore, Nigerians, before now, have been clamouring for the implementation of number portability across networks, citing African countries like Kenya and Ghana that are currently implementing number portability in their countries.

He added that Nigeria started agitating for number portability long before Ghana started, Ghana commenced number portability this year.