MTN Nigeria has contracted a world leader in digital security, Gemalto Allynis Services, to deploy its LinqUs Mobile ID platform to register afresh all the telecomms giant’s subscribers.
The subscribers’ authenticated reregistration would forestall a recurrence of the unregistered or poorly registered SIM cards which led to the huge N1.04 trillion fine slammed on it in October last year.
The multi-million dollar project operated for MTN in a Software as a Service (SaaS) mode by Gemalto, marks the first commercial rollout of SIM-based services delivering convenient mobile authentication for all mobile users.
MTN has hired over 10,000 additional contract staff for the exercise.
The authentication is coming on the heels of the N1.04 trillion fine on the leading mobile operator for failure to deactivate all unregistered or poorly registered SIM cards by Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). The new initiative further demonstrates MTN’s commitment to contribute to a comprehensive national database.
In another development, compliant with the latest GSMA standards, Mobile Connect, an ‘MTN Token’ is available immediately to MTN Nigeria’s 70 million subscribers and positions the operator as the country’s foremost provider of secure digital identification and authentication.
The General Manager, Products and Innovation, MTN Nigeria, A’isha Umar Mumuni said, “The launch of the MTN Token makes us the first private provider of a secure online identity and positions us as a warrant of digital ID and authentication in Nigeria. As our network of service providers adopting the MTN Token grows, the solution will deliver significant reductions in fraud whilst easing the frustrations often experienced by consumers on their digital journeys.”
The President for Middle East & Africa at Gemalto Eric Claudel, said, “The long-established partnership between MTN Nigeria and Gemalto is the perfect foundation for this ground-breaking project. Bridging the gap between security and convenience, Mobile Connect represents the future of user authentication. It also fully supports operators in monetising new value added services.”
The MTN Token offers its users a universal digital ID combined with a mobile-based second factor authentication for easy and secure web service access, payments and financial transactions validation.
