NCC To Crash Cost Of Special Numbering Service Over Poor Patronage

The Nigerian Communications Commission has said that the purpose of setting up its Special Numbering Service is under threat.

The commission said since it introduce the SNS, only 3,000 people have subscribed for the numbers and it has assigned additional numbers.

The NCC said consequently it is taking decisive regulatory step to ensure sustainability, profitability and fair competition in the Special Numbering Service (SNS) segment of the nation’s telecommunications sector.

Among the options available to it is to review the pricing policy around the service.

NCC said the move informed the decision of the Commission to hold a Stakeholders’ Forum on the ‘Determination of Call Termination Rate for Special Numbering Service Providers in Nigeria.

The forum, held at the Conference Room, NCC Head Office in Abuja on Tuesday, November 16, 2021.

The commission said it gathered representatives of Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), Special Numbering Service (SNS) providers and other stakeholders who participated actively in the discussions.

The Director, Policy, Competition and Economic Analysis at NCC, Yetunde Akinloye, said the commission is faced with addressing the perception of high cost of delivering services to end-users in the SNS segment.

Akinloye said, “This meeting is convened to discuss issues pertaining to the Special Numbering Services (SNS) segment of the Nigerian telecommunications market.

“Statutorily, the NCC is the custodian and manager of the toll-free and non-toll-free numbers licenses, on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

“The SNS has been in existence for the past 15 years, with some licensees actively engaged in the segment. However, we have noted some observations and complaints from different quarters on the use of these numbers. We have observed, for instance, that there has been no effective utilisation of the numbers.”

She also admitted that the off-take of the numbers have been poor against the NCC’s expectation.

“NCC has also received complaints from the licensees regarding the perceived high rates and charges by Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) who are owners of the major infrastructure being used by SNS providers to deliver services to end users,” She was quoted.

Also speaking during the meeting, Director, Technical Standards and Network Integrity, NCC, Bako Wakil, admitted that the SNS segment of the market has not been fully maximized due to the cost elements involved.

Wakili said, “So, there has to be a way of making people use the service more if the price is appropriate. In the last 15 years of introducing SNS providers, there are less than 3,000 people using the service and yet, we have licensed additional number of players in the segment. Therefore, we are looking at profitability, sustainability and vibrancy of the Value-Added Service segment.”

A new date has also been fixed for the second phase of the stakeholders’ forum at which more contributions will be taken to enrich the quality of decisions in that regard, the NCC added.

It said the forum has been scheduled to take place in Lagos on 14th December 2021.