2012 would be a competitive year for GSM operators – NCC

Against the background of enforcement of quality of service (QoS) the regulatory body for service providers, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has reiterated its position when it pointed out that 2012 would be a competitive year for operators because of number portability (NP).

Number Portability is a telecommunications service that enables mobile phone subscribers retain their telephone numbers when they change mobile operators. This means that a subscriber can move from one mobile operator to another without losing his or her number. This is commonly referred to as ‘porting’.

The benefits of NP include the freedom and convenience of retaining ones’ original number while migrating from any network. Subscribers would also receive all their calls and messages regardless of which mobile network they may have ported their numbers to and they would not need to inform their friends, relatives, colleagues or clients about their change of mobile operators.

NCC Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management, Dr. Okechukwu Itanyi, disclosed this in Lagos at a one-day capacity training organized for information and communication technology (ICT) journalists. While admitting that the commission is working towards improving access to broadband, noted that NCC is ready and willing to work with service providers to improve QoS. Itanyi predicted that 2012 would be an explosive year for the commission, because it will not rest on its oars till several issues militating against the telecoms sector are adequately addressed.

In his capacity as chairman of the training, Managing Director and Editor in Chief, Sun Publishing Ltd, Mr. Tony Onyima, in his remarks hinted that the Commission has additional responsibility to regulate properly the sector and train more journalists in the country because Nigeria is driven by a knowledge economy.“Human capital is the most challenging in the country, journalists must know what the NCC is doing. It is not possible to report what you don’t know especially since what Universities products do not meet the industry standard,” he stated.

He acknowledged that technology has changed lives tremendously and the more reason for intense human capital development, which is the most challenging in the country. On his part, Publisher/Chief Executive Officer of Business Day Newspaper, Mr. Frank Aigbogun, one of the resource persons explained that ICT has become an enabler for the sector.