Mobile network operators exchange .33m subscribers in portability scheme

MOBILE Network Operators (MNO) on the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) technology platform might have exchanged about 331, 459 subscribers since the launch of Mobile Number Portability (MNP) scheme in Nigeria.

Launched in the country by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on April 22, 2013, Nigeria actually became the 64th nation to adopt the scheme in that year.

According to findings by The Guardian, at the weekend, MNP, which is in its 26th month in the country, has brought about several mixed feelings for the quartet of MTN Nigeria, Globacom, Airtel and Etisalat.

Meanwhile, the NCC has released new modalities to aid the growth and adoption of the scheme. The porting statistics obtained from the telecommunications regulator puts Etisalat ahead of other operators in terms of gaining more subscribers.

In specific, Etisalat attracted 156,023 new subscribers through the scheme, which is about 47 per cent of the total numbers of users that ported. The firm currently has 22.8 million subscribers and controls 16 per cent market share in Nigeria.

Airtel follows Etisalat with a total of 106, 691 ported lines coming into the network, representing 32.1 per cent of the total ported lines in the country. Airtel controls 20 per cent market share and has 29.5 million subscribers.

National operator, Globacom is third with 45, 901 ported lines equivalent to 13.8 per cent of the 331,459 ported lines. Globacom has 31.2 million subscribers and enjoys 21 per cent market share.