NIN-SIM linkage hiccup costs telcos 12 customers in one year
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
A total 12 million internet subscribers were lost by telecommunication companies (telcos) in 2021 due to the inability of subscribers to link their National Identification Number (NIN) with their SIM, as directed by Abuja.
The latest release from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) titled, ‘2021 subscriber/network data annual report’, disclosed nine million active voice subscribers were also lost between 2020 and 2021.
The report linked the losses to the government directive to telcos to suspend the sale and registration of new SIMs because NIN-SIM linkage.
The NCC in December 2020 gave telcos a two-week deadline to block SIMs not registered with NIN.
The deadline was later extended to January 2021 to enable subscribers with NIN to link it up. Those without NIN were given until February 9, 2021 to get one and link it with their SIM.
The NCC report said internet subscribers decreased by 12 million because of the policy.
It also shows “Nigeria’s teledensity decreased from 107.18 percent as at December 2020 to 102.40 percent by December 31, 2021.
“The number of internet subscribers decreased from 154,301,195 subscriptions as at December 2020 to 141,971,560 subscriptions as at December 2021 representing a decline of 8 per cent.”
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Broadband subscription, penetration
Broadband subscription reduced from 85,941,222 in 2020 to 78,041,883 in 2021, broadband penetration also slashed from 45.02 per cent in 2020 to 40.88 per cent in 2021, the report said, per Vanguard.
“There was an increase in the volume of data consumed in the year-end December 2021 when compared with the year ended December 2020.”
But active voice subscribers decreased from 204,601,313 in 2020 to 195,463,898 in 2021, a loss of 9,137,415 subscriptions, according to the NCC.
“This represents about 4.46 percent decline in total subscription within the period under consideration.
“The decrease in operators’ subscriber base was attributed majorly to the effect of the directive from NCC in December 2020 to all GSM operators to suspend the sale and registration of new SIMS, SIM swaps and all porting activities.
“The objective of the audit exercise was to verify and ensure compliance by mobile network operators with the set quality standards and requirements of SIM card registration as issued by the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy and the Commission.”