Porting better than getting new sim — Group
MAY 26, 2013
Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators in Nigeria, Mr. Gbenga Adebayo
Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria has decried the criticism of the newly introduced Mobile Number Portability service.
It said porting would enable mobile telephone subscribers to cut their expenditure.
The association also said subscribers would pay more for additional lines and mobile phones they used, if they decided not to make their numbers portable.
Speaking to our correspondent in a telephone interview on Friday, the Chairman, ALTON, Mr. Gbenga Adebayo, who denied any hitches in the service, said those who criticised porting had little knowledge of its benefits.
“It means that you’ll carry additional burden, including additional handsets and additional costs on the SIM cards. Such subscribers will be forced to carry about two or more handsets and purchase additional lines.
“Getting another sim is not an alternative to porting. When you port, you’ll have your number, features and services with you. When you buy a new SIM, you’ll have an independent number with independent features and independent provider,” he said.
Adebayo said contrary to reports, more subscribers were porting and had been enjoying the benefits in the service.
He explained that to port to another service provider might take 48 hours because many internal processes were involved.
He said, “Don’t forget that when you move from one network to another, you’re moving all your records – billing, accounting and subscriber records – as well as your data base. There has to be a transfer process.
“If you’re moving from one network to another, you cannot carry your debts into another network. Therefore, there has to be account clearance before porting can be activated for you. These are the reasons why porting takes a bit of time before it is done.”
The Nigeria Communication Commission had on April 22, 2013, launched a service which enables mobile telephone subscribers to port from one service provider to another, while retaining their telephone number.
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