Telecom

Changing Telecom Landscape Through Number Portability

Published

18 years ago

June 30, 2008

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There has been clamour by Global System for Mobile communications subscribers in the country for the regulatory authority in the industry to implement number portability, which is believed to be panacea to the lingering quality of service issues. This report looks at benefit and challenges in implementing the system in Nigeria.

Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has severally indicated its intensions to introduce number portability in the telecommunications sector this year as a move to check poor quality of service, anti competitive behavour by operators as well as ensure economic growth through telecommunications service delivery.

Number portability is a circuit-switch telecommunications network feature that enables end users to retain their telephone numbers when changing service providers, service types, and or locations.

Wireless number portability (WNP) when fully implemented nationwide by both wireline and wireless providers, portability will remove one of the most significant deterrents to changing service, providing unprecedented convenience for consumers and encouraging unrestrained competition in the telecommunications industry. Observers believe that, this is the best method to increase the efficiency of the service provider by increasing the competition, thereby ensuring better services in all respects.

From the subscribers’ perspective, this is a deceptively simple and very welcome change, because they can change wireless service providers without worrying about notifying friends, family and business contacts that their wireless number is changing. In addition, being able to ‘port’ a number from one provider to another eliminates the hassle and expenses of changing business cards, stationery, invoices and other materials for businesses.

From the wireless carrier’s perspective the change is anything, but simple. Virtually all of wireless carriers’ systems are affected. Especially any system that relies on mobile identity numbers (MINs) or mobile directory numbers (MDNs) will be affected. Examples of critical systems and processes that would be affected are: billing, customer service, order activation, call delivery, roamer registration and support, short messages service center, directory assistance, caller ID, calling name presentation, switches, maintenance and CSC systems, home location registers (HLRs), and visiting location registers (VLRs).

According to Thomas Mazzone, vice president, Sales and Alliances Telcordia Interconnection Solutions, Number Portability types include, service provider portability; this is the ability for end users to retain the same geographic or non-geographic telephone number as they change from one Operator to another such as toll-free.

Location portability is the ability for end users to retain the same geographic or non-geographic telephone number as they move from one permanent physical location to another, while service portability refers to the ability for end users to retain the
same geographic or non-geographic telephone number as they change from one type of service to another.

Mazzone added that key drivers for number portability are deregulation and introduction of competition globally, enhanced competition among operators, introduction of new bundles of services as well as creation of downward pressure on prices.

He explained that further that the system makes it easier for newer entrants to gain market share and also enhances the concept of personal mobility like personal terminal.

Engr. Ernest Ndukwe, executive vice chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) said that number portability will empowers subscribers to manage their "personal brand" with freedom to change operators, enables fair competition amongst operators and allow innovation to flourish with greater return on investment.

"It will reward creative marketing, service features, pricing models, and high quality with growth in subscriber numbers, revenue, and ARPU," he added. Overview

Though it was introduced as a tool to promote competition in the heavily monopolized wireline telecommunications industry, number portability became popular with the advent of mobile telephones, since in most countries different mobile operators are provided with different area codes and, without portability, changing one’s operator would require changing one’s number. Some operators, especially incumbent operators with large existing subscriber bases, have argued against portability on the grounds that providing this service incurs considerable overhead, while others argue that it prevents vendor lock-in and allows them to compete fairly on price and service. Due to this conflict of interest, number portability is usually mandated for all operators by telecommunications regulatory authorities. In the US, LNP was mandated by the FCC in 1996 with the First Report and Order on LNP and Number Pooling. The mandate required all carriers in the top 100 MSAs (metropolitan statistical areas) to be "LNP-capable" and port numbers to any carriers sending a BFR (bona fide request). The ability to keep a number while switching providers is thought to be attractive to consumers. It was also a major point made by CLECs (Competitive Local Exchange Carriers) preventing customers from leaving Incumbent Line Exchange Carriers (ILECs), thus hindering competition.

In the U.S., the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has mandated this in order to increase competition among providers. As of late November 2003, LNP was required for all landline and wireless common carriers, so long as the number is being ported to the same geographical area or telephone exchange. This latest mandate included carriers outside the top 100 MSAs that theretofore enjoyed a rural carrier exemption.

In the United States and Canada, mobile number portability is referred to simply as WNP or WLNP (Wireless LNP). In Japan and Pakistan it is referred to as mobile number portability, (MNP)[1].Wireless Number Portability is available in some parts of Africa, such as South Africa which is the fourth-fastest growing mobile communications market in the world. The country’s three cellular network operators – Vodacom, MTN and Cell C provide telephony to over 39 million subscribers or nearly 80% of the population.

The introduction of number portability as well as the arrival in 2006 of Virgin Mobile, a virtual network service provider that operates in partnership with Cell C, has helped enhance competition. South African mobile companies are making inroads into Africa and the Middle East, with MTN leading with over 20 operations in these emerging markets. Egypt commenced the implementation of number portability on April 7, this year.The Inhibitors

Huge cost is one of the most common barriers in WNP implementation, within any country. Service Providers have been constantly bargaining for time, based on the cost factor, from their respective governments. Referring to the example of the US, where each of the large carriers would need to spend $50–60 million to institute the service and an equivalent sum to maintain it. The FCC on this plea gave wireless carriers in the US a year to resolve implementation issues. The experience of developed countries exhibits that local number portability for fixed wireline was introduced within two to three years of introduction of competition to incumbent state telcos. The cost estimate for the implementation of WNP in developed nations like the US can be very helpful for the other countries, who wish to think on the lines of number portability. To add on increased marketing costs are to be realized as the carriers look to lock up their current base before number portability is implemented, and then aggressively pursue the customers of other carriers thereafter.

Customer retention/increased competition issues: Every subscriber in a race to retain its customer would like to offer its customers best services so as to save them from porting. It’s like a blessing in disguise for the customers, as they would get better service irrespective of the carrier, albeit with the same number.

Infrastructure upgrade; to support WNP, a company has to upgrade both its hardware and software capabilities, which will amount to some cost. Software need to be upgraded to provide proper routing of calls. The carriers need to upgrade their networks to handle portability requests. The provider, which has its portability compatible would be expected to attract maximum customers and will emerge the winner.

Cost Recovery and Bill Reconciliation/Query Processing; when a customer plans to shift, the old service provider (OSP) has to perform a query to identify if there are any billing amounts pending, which they need to recover before the subscriber moves to the new service provider (NSP).

Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, chairman, Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (Alton) said that number portability is a common practice all over the world; it is a feature that can be supported by networks. But, he said that the regulatory authority has not done well in its approach to introducing number portability as it has not carried operators along.

This some industry watchers attributed to refusal by operators to be apart of a forum organized by NCC to educated operators on implementation of number portability held last year.

Although some sections of stakeholders have describer the uninteresting attitude of operators especially Global System for mobile communications (GSM) operators to fear of losing subscribers in view of poor quality of service by such operators.

They argued that most Nigerian subscriber don’t want to change their mobile phone which their friends and business associates have known them with, which is responsible for them not willing to move to other service providers even when their network operator’s service delivery is poor.

Adebayo urged for stakeholders’ involvement to determining the commercial, engineering and administrative implication of number portability implementation.

As mobile subscribers in the country are anxiously waiting for the commencement of the implementation of number portability which will ensure an improved quality of service, observers caution that operators be carried along to ensure it smooth implementation for it to achieve the desire result as in other countries.

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Digital Encode Sponsors PAFON 3.0 as CVO Prof. Adewale Set to Deliver Keynote on Cybersecurity and Trust

Published

2 days ago

April 10, 2026

Ugo Onwuaso

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Digital Encode Limited has emerged the lead sponsor of the upcoming third edition of the forum (PAFON 3.0), the organisers have announced.

PAFON 3.0

PAFON 3.0 is scheduled to take place on Friday, April 24, 2026, at the Oriental Hotel, Lekki Road, Lagos, from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM.

Themed “Fair Digital Payments as a Catalyst for Deepening Financial Inclusion in Nigeria,” PAFON 3.0 serves as a strategic platform for senior executives from banks, fintechs, regulatory agencies, and technology innovators to address the evolving digital payment landscape.

As Nigeria transitions toward a cash-light economy, the forum will focus on critical pillars of sustainability, including transparency, pricing integrity, and system resilience.

Bridging Cybersecurity and Financial Inclusion

Professor Adewale Peter Obadare, the Founder/chief visionary officer of Digital Encode will deliver a cybersecurity-focused keynote address that connects trust, resilience, fraud prevention, and consumer protection to financial inclusion.

His session will provide a specialized perspective on how information security serves as the bedrock of financial inclusion; exploring the vital links between building infrastructure that consumers can rely on, protecting the ecosystem to allow inclusion to scale, and ensuring equitable and secure access for all Nigerians.

Prof. Obadare is arguably the most Credentialed PAN-African Digital Trust Leader, CyberSecurity Strategist, GRC Thought Leader & Global Technopreneur.

He is a seasoned Multi-Award Cybersecurity & GRC expert with over 58 (Fifty-Eight) international professional certifications to his credit, Master of Science in Cybersecurity, Liverpool Unversity, UK, was awarded Honorarary Doctorate Degree in Cybersecurity from Trinity International University of Ambassadors Atlanta Georgia, United State of America and First Professor of Practice – Cybersecurity at Miva Open University, Abuja, Nigeria.

Prof. Obadare is a well-recognized subject matter expert with numerous successful engagements to his credit in Africa and the world. His skills and experience spans Data Privacy, Data Protection, CyberSecurity, Information Security, Vulnerability Management, Penetration Testing, Computer Forensics, Business Continuity, I T Governance, Risk Management and Compliance.

He is a Cybersecurity Advisory Board Member for Lagos State Government, a Platinum Team Member of Open-Source Security Testing Methodology Manual (OSSTMM), as well as a lifetime member of the Open Worldwide Application Security Project (OWASP). He is an alumnus of FATE Foundation and US Department of State Exchange program.

He is also a distinguished alumnus of executive education at Harvard Business School, Harvard School of Government, MIT Sloan School of Management, MIT Professional Education and Oxford University – Said Business School.

“Without trust in the security of digital payments, inclusion cannot scale. And we are happy to welcome Digital Encode as our Lead Sponsor this year. With what the company stands for and the personality of the CVO on a global scale, we have no doubt that attendees at this year’s PAFON will go home with lots of insights.”

“The theme for PAFON 3.0 was carefully selected because if digital payments are affordable, transparent, accessible, and trustworthy, more Nigerians, especially the underserved, will participate in the financial system”, Mr. Chike Onwuegbuchi, the co-convener of Payments Forum Nigeria, noted, highlighting Digital Encode distinguished leadership in Nigeria’s cybersecurity ecosystem.

Other Confirmed speakers: Dr. Jameelah Sharrieff-Ayedun, Vice President, Fintech Association of Nigeria (FintechNGR) & CEO, Credit Registry; Uche Uzoebo, MD/CEO, Shared Agent Network Expansion Facilities (SANEF Limited): Special Guest of Honour; Mojeed Abayomi Agboola, National President, Financial Inclusion Agents Multipurpose Cooperative Society (FIAMCS); Dr. Obioha Otti, National President, Association of Mobile Money and Bank Agents in Nigeria (AMMBAN); Chukwuemeka Enoch, Founder, Lagos Blockchain Week, and Sarafadeen Fasasi, National President, Association of Financial Inclusion Agents of Nigeria (AFiAN), amongst others.

The forum will feature speakers from across the financial spectrum, including mobile money operators, payment processors, and development institutions, to shape policy dialogue and industry standards.

PAFON is a premier industry gathering that aligns brand positioning with trust and innovation in Nigeria’s digital payments ecosystem. It provides a unique space for thought leadership, regulatory engagement, and market expansion within the payment infrastructure sector.

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NITDA Boss Warns of AI Threat Shift @ GITEX Africa

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2 days ago

April 10, 2026

Ugo Onwuaso

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The era of treating cybersecurity as a mere IT problem is over. As AI-powered digital threats become more elusive and destructive, Nigeria is shifting its strategy toward “Total Resilience”—a multi-dimensional defense involving every level of society.

NITDA

At the 2026 GITEX Africa summit, NITDA DG, Kashifu Inuwa sounded the alarm on the changing nature of digital warfare, asserting that technology alone is no longer enough. Instead, Nigeria’s survival in the digital age now hinges on a strategic blend of policy, people, and proactive defense.

Speaking during a panel session on Cyber Resilience, Inuwa described the current global digital environment as being at a “critical turning point.”

He warned that emerging technologies are not only transforming industries and economies but are also reshaping the nature of cyber threats, demanding a proactive and multi-dimensional response from governments, institutions, and citizens alike.

“Cybersecurity is no longer just a technical issue. It is a strategic imperative for national development,” Inuwa stated. “We must think beyond technology alone and build resilience through people, processes, regulations, and infrastructure.”

Inuwa revealed that the focus of Nigeria’s cyber strategy is shifting from high-tech software to the people behind the screens. Pointing to data showing that 95% of all digital breaches stem from simple human mistakes, Inuwa argued that the world’s most advanced encryption is useless if the user is compromised.

“The most sophisticated technology cannot protect us if the human element is overlooked,” he noted. By prioritising human capacity and digital literacy, NITDA aims to turn every citizen into a “human firewall”, the first and most critical line of defense in a world where AI-driven attacks are the new normal.

In response, the Nigerian government has launched a comprehensive National Digital Literacy Programme aimed at achieving 95 percent digital literacy by 2030, with an interim target of 70 percent by 2027.

The programme emphasizes digital safety and cybersecurity awareness, equipping citizens with the knowledge to navigate an increasingly online world responsibly.

Inuwa highlighted initiatives such as the “3 Million Tech Talent” programme, designed to develop Nigerian expertise across key technology domains, including cybersecurity, data science, and AI.

The programme also leverages hackathons, innovation challenges, and mentorship schemes to channel young people’s skills into productive, lawful, and globally competitive ventures.

He argued that nurturing local talent is essential not just for national security but also for economic growth. “We want to create an environment where young Nigerians are innovators, not just consumers of technology,” he said.

Addressing concerns about Nigeria’s ranking in global cybercrime indices, Inuwa urged contextual understanding. “Countries with the most advanced digital economies also rank high in cybercrime because of the scale of their online activity,” he explained.

“Our focus is on redirecting talent towards innovation and solutions that protect our citizens while contributing to global digital advancement.”

On the legal and regulatory front, Nigeria continues to review and enhance the Cybercrime Act of 2015 to keep pace with the rapidly evolving threat landscape. The law underpins a structured National Cybersecurity Architecture coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser.

In addition, the country operates a 24-hour cybersecurity operations centre tasked with monitoring threats, issuing advisories, and providing real-time support to government institutions, businesses, and citizens. Advanced technologies, including dark web monitoring and AI-enabled threat detection, are being deployed to enhance situational awareness and improve response times.

Inuwa emphasized that effective cyber resilience requires collaboration between public and private sectors. NITDA is working closely with ministries, departments, agencies, and private sector stakeholders to secure critical infrastructure and strengthen national resilience.

“Cyber resilience is not a solo effort; it is a collective responsibility. By integrating people, technology, and regulation, we can build a secure, globally competitive digital economy,” he added.

As Nigeria navigates a digital-first future, initiatives such as the National Digital Literacy Programme, 3 Million Tech Talent, and strengthened legal frameworks underscore a commitment to turning cybersecurity challenges into opportunities for innovation and growth.

The country’s strategy reflects a broader understanding that in an era of AI-driven threats, preparedness is as much about people and processes as it is about technology.

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Truecaller Targets Global Market with Powerful New Business Chat Push

Published

3 days ago

April 9, 2026

Ugo Onwuaso

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Truecaller, the leading global communications platform, today announced the expansion of its Business Chat platform, making it accessible to global channel partners and enterprise solution providers. By “opening up” market access to its platform, Truecaller is empowering partners to transition their enterprise clients from legacy, low-trust SMS to a verified, smart, media-rich, and conversational communication experience.

Truecaller

Through this partner-led expansion, Truecaller empowers businesses to reclaim customer attention and establish immediate trust and credibility.

“The definition of success for modern enterprises has fundamentally evolved. It’s no longer just about delivery – it’s about earning attention, establishing credibility, and driving meaningful conversion,” said Priyam Bose, Global Head, GTM at Truecaller.

“By opening up market access to our global partners, we’ve created a powerful gateway for brands to engage with over 500 million active users where they already interact daily through communication that is contextual, trusted, free from clutter, and designed to initiate actions. For existing customers, the outreach opportunity extends to an additional high-impact channel, strengthening the overall customer experience journey.”

Truecaller Business Chat enables a clutter-free, high-trust conversational experience between businesses and consumers. The Business Chat platform equips partners with actionable insights, including real-time data and rich engagement metrics. This facilitates a more sophisticated, data-driven communication strategy that adapts at every stage of the customer journey.

Partners, including Gupshup and OneXtel, are already live in India along with Globe Teleservices, Cloudcom, and Sling Africa in other global markets, rapidly scaling the product in their respective regions. Global partners can now leverage Truecaller’s massive footprint to offer their clients a trustworthy engagement channel in an increasingly crowded digital world.

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