Nigerian Communication Commission Allocates 383 Million New Telephone Numbers To Operators

The Nigerian Communications Commission has provided 382.94 million new telephone numbers for the use of telecommunications operators.

The commission assigned the numbers to 34 licensed telecom operators in the first quarter of 2021, as contained in the NCC’s Q1 2021 National Numbering Plan released on Friday.

The numbering plan is used to allocate a unique national number to each subscriber connected to the national telephone system.

According to the NCC, the purpose of the NNP is to set up a uniform numbering scheme and the associated dialling procedures to be used in the network to allow subscribers and operators to set up calls.

Some of the operators with national and state licences listed are 21st Century Technologies, Airtel Networks, Big Picture Nigeria, Intercellular Nigeria Limited, EMTS Limited (9 Mobile), Globacom, iPNX Nigeria Limited and MTN Nigeria Communications.

The states and cities where some of these telephone lines would be used by the operators include Lagos, Abuja, Abeokuta, Warri, Kaduna, Kano, Port Harcourt, Uyo, Ijebu-Ode, Benin, Asaba, Zaria, Ibadan, Onitsha, Akwa, Aba, Owerri, among others.

A 100 million new lines were assigned to Airtel Networks to be used nationally, while 50 million new numbers were assigned to EMTS Limited (9Mobile)  nationally as well.

Globacom Limited was allocated 46,000 new telephone numbers to use in Lagos, Ibadan, Abuja, Ijebu-Ode, Ijebu-Ode, Abeokuta, Benin, Warri, Asaba, Kaduna, Kano, Minna, Zaria and Port Harcourt. Glo Mobile, a subsidiary of Globacom, was given 70 million new lines for nationwide use.

MTN (Mobile Lines) was assigned 123 million new telephone numbers for national use, while MTN (fmr Visafone) was given 9.05 million new numbers for different states. MTN Nig. Comm Plc (Fixed Lines) had 25,000 lines for Lagos, Ibadan, Abuja, Ilorin, Warri, Kaduna, Aba, Port Harcourt, Calabar and Yenagoa.

Earlier this month, the NCC reported a loss of 3.30 million active subscribers in December 2020.

The regulatory agency had directed telecommunications companies in the country to suspend the sale and reactivation of new SIM cards.

The number of subscribers to Nigeria’s mobile telecommunications services reduced to 204.22 million in December, against 207.53 million GSM users recorded in November.

Also, the number of connected telephone lines in the country was 286.52 million as at the end of July 2020, of which 199.30 million were active lines.

The NCC recorded 198.96 million active GSM lines, 107,860 active fixed wired/wireless lines and 238,575 active VoIP lines. The commission also put Nigeria’s teledensity at  104.41 in July 2020.

-PUNCH (NG)