Pascal Arogorn Ibe
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Monday said it has granted approval for two mobile network operators (MNOs), MTN Nigeria and 9Mobile, to carry out trial on the workability of embedded Subscriber Identification Modules (e-SIM) Service in Nigeria.
The regulatory body added that the trial would run for a period of one year, noting that it would involve testing 5,000 e-SIMs by the two networks.
A statement by the Public Affairs Director of NCC, Dr Ikechukwu Adinde said the trial is subject to compliance with a number of regulatory conditions.
Dr Adinde announced that the conditions include full compliance by the MNOs with the Registration of Telecoms Subscribers Regulations 2011; the Mobile Number Portability Regulations and Business Rules 2015.
He added that guidelines on SIM Replacement 2017; and non-degradation of the Quality of Service (QoS) experience by users of e-SIMs are part of the conditions.
The Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, was quoted as saying that the primary objective of the e-SIM trial is to assess the technical performance of the e-SIM on telecoms service providers’ network towards eventual rollout, if satisfactory.
According to the EVC, the e-SIMs is a technology that will eliminate the need for physical SIM card slots on mobile devices in the near future, adding that the trial is in line with the Commission’s forward-looking regulatory approach to ensure Nigeria’s telecoms ecosystem is in tandem with global best practices.
Dr Adinde further explained that an e-SIM is a small chip that is embedded on a mobile phone or smart devices. “It is designed for convenience, flexibility and simplicity.
“The e-SIM makes it easier for subscribers to choose a pre-paid plan provider and switch between network operators, he said.
“The information on the e-SIM is rewritable by operators and the identification information can be updated over time,” Dr Adinde added.
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