Short Codes Big Bang! Untold Benefits Of NCC’s Decision

In what could be described as a big bang in the country’s mobile telephone sector, the Nigerian Communications Communication, NCC last Monday gave the marching order to the country’s mobile telephone networks a May 17, 2023 deadline to implement the approved harmonized short codes for the industry and with it setting the stage for the benefits to accrue.

The deadline issued by the NCC’s director of public affairs of the NCC, Mr Rueben Mouka follows years of deliberation on implementing the harmonized short codes.

GWG.ng reports that the scheme for harmonized short codes had been conceived since April 2011 when the NCC took over the administration and management of all short codes.

The intention of the NCC was to provide a cohesive regulatory framework and ensure a harmonized short code database in the country as was being implemented across the world.

The move by the NCC came against the background of the situation where each of the Mobile Network Operators, MNOs use different short codes for different customer services like credit balance check, credit recharge, call centre enquiries.

Giving a practical application of what the new harmonized scheme means, Mr Mouka said:

“The use of harmonised short codes is aimed at achieving uniformity in common short codes across networks. This means that the code for checking airtime balance is the same across all mobile networks for the same function, irrespective of the network a consumer uses.

“With the new codes, the telecom consumers using the over 226 million active mobile lines in the country, can now use the same codes to access services across the networks.”

“The initiative, which is in line with NCC’s regulatory modernisation programme, is essentially to make life much easier for telecom consumers, as it is now easier for Nigerians to memorise single codes for various services across all mobile networks they may be using, thereby improving consumer quality of experience (QoE),” the NCC said of the harmonised short codes to be operated in Nigeria.

Practical Benefits From the NCC’s Harmonised Short Codes For Phone Networks in Nigeria

1. Visibly promote transparency and accuracy of short code allocation

2. Ensure accountability of short codes usage in the industry

3. Encourages healthy competition amongst stakeholders in the industry

4. Significantly enhanced customer experience

5. Makes information less confusing to potential customers

6. Streamlines marketing efforts drastically   

7. Stimulates easier and faster launch of new of services across all networks.

GWG.ng reports that whereas the move by the Professor Umar Dambatta led management of the NCC working under the Prof Adeolu Akande led board would underpin a legacy that would stand their time in the NCC, and nay, the Nigerian mobile telephony in the positive annals of history.

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