NCC Appoints Consortium To Implement Number Portability Services

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on Monday appointed a consortium of three companies to implement the proposed Number Portability services in Nigeria.

Mr Reuben Muoka, the commission’s spokesperson, disclosed this in a statement in Lagos that the Number Portability service would allow phone users to migrate from one network to another without losing their numbers.

He said that the consortium of Interconnect, Saab Grintek and Telecordia was announced as the preferred vendor for the service after the technical, financial and demo presentations by the bidding vendors.

“Consequently, the companies will be responsible for the set up and implementation of Number Portability Clearing House in Nigeria.

“They will also provide mobile number portability solution administration in Nigeria within six months of receiving the licence with a testing period of two months,” he said.

Mouka said that members of the consortium were to execute a tripartite agreement.

He said that this would indicate their specific responsibilities in the process with the regulator approving such agreement to tally with the conditions of the provision of the service in Nigeria.

“The NCC also mandates the consortium to ensure that local content participation and adequate skills transfer are entrenched in the process during the implementation of the five-year licence.

“The consortium is also expected to configure the technical solution for Number Portability in Nigeria in line with the consultation documents as earlier published by the Commission,” he said.

It would be recalled that the commission had earlier indicated that the Number Portability programme would be the next logical step following the SIM Card registration exercise.