Fear may have started to build up among the
telecommunications operators in the country, following the readiness of the
industry regulator to commence the next phase after deadline and month-long
grace for the registration of Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) cards.
This worry is more on the part of telecom operators for
their subscribers on data SIM, which investigations revealed that could be
easily forgotten, such as SIM on internet modems or dongles, iPads, Point of
Sale (POS) terminals, laptops, Automatic Teller Machines (ATM) among other
devices.
Investigations by ITRealms Online showed that panic has
gripped most of the telecommunications operators over the issue, mostly on the
unregistered data SIMs and likely implication to their networks.
More so, the palpable decline in data service patronage,
which has the capability to affect the telecom operators’ revenue.
Industry watchers affirmed that the anticipated revenue decline
would definitely take some times to recover from any short comings likely to
result from the potential disconnection of unregistered SIMs, particularly on
data SIMs.
Additionally, ITRealms Online gathered that the worry is
heightened by the fact that voice revenue has been on downward slope for some
years now, which has resulted on most revamping operators or new entrants to
anchor their marketing on data related devices.
Further, this slope, it was gathered may continue for a long
time, just as the Nigerian telecom consumers expect the introduction of the
Number Portability Scheme, which industry analysts could be another double
sword for every operator in the country, thus a call for wake up.
“… Or face subscriber base decline which ultimately will rob
off on other related services of telecom operators in the country, especially
on data, which cuts across various mobile devices,” one of the analysts said.
Industry watchers argued that this is very clear with the
fact that most Nigerian subscribers have more than two mobile handsets and of
course those two or more will naturally have data access on them pending when
the quality of service improves.
In the last quarter of 2011, ITRealms Online gathered that
the telecommunications regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC)
reportedly extended the deadline for SIM card registration from September so as
to enable those yet to register their SIM cards to do so on or before December
31, 2011.
Further reports had it that the expiration of the deadline,
which paved the way for collation and harmonization of telecom subscribers’
data was to facilitate the disconnection of unregistered SIM in the country to
boost security services operations.
Although by end of September 2011, when the second phase of
the SIM registration ended, NCC announced an extension without definite
deadline on when the disconnection may take effect.
But industry watchers were of the opinion that the
disconnection would not exceed the first quarter of 2012, given the fact that
NCC is seriously warming up for the Number Portability scheme.
The objectives of SIM registration, according to NCC are to
assist security agencies in resolving crimes and by extension to enhance the
security of the state.
Additionally, NCC said that it would facilitate the
collation of data by the Commission about phone usage in the country. As well
as enabling operators to have a predictable profile about the users in their
networks and allow the commission to effectively implement other value added
services like Number Portability among others.
Remmy Nweke
ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D
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