MTN, Globacom, Airtel, and 9mobile were all found to have
breached the rules guiding them in the process of replacing SIMs for their
customers, thus incurring the wrath of the regulator.
Newsmen report that while three of the operators are to pay
the fine, 9mobile was said to have been issued a ‘strong warning’ by the
commission as it recorded the lowest number of breaches.
According to the NCC, the infractions were discovered in its
SIM replacement audit conducted in the fourth quarter of 2020.
“All the four mobile network operators, MTN, Airtel,
Globacom and 9Mobile (EMTS), were found to be in absolute breach of the SIM
Replacement Guidelines at the last SIM replacement audit exercise conducted by
the commission. A notice of sanction was consequently issued to the respective
MNOs to show cause why appropriate sanctions should not be imposed for the
violation,” NCC stated in its enforcement report.
The telecoms regulator also stated that each of the telecoms
operators was sanctioned according to the number of infractions recorded
against its network.
Specifically, Airtel was fined N3.2 million for 13
infractions recorded on its network, while Globacom is to pay the sum of N39.2
million for 37 infractions.
MTN, which is the largest operator by subscriber number, was
fined N36 million in respect of 24 infractions discovered on its decisiona
According to the SIM Replacement Guidelines issued by the
regulator, “a SIM can be replaced if it is faulty, damaged, stolen, lost,
obsolete (but eligible for replacement or an upgrade), and any other reasonable
legitimate reason or condition necessitating a SIM replacement provided that an
operator may refuse a SIM Replacement request where there are reasonable
grounds to believe that the replacement ought not to be carried out and the
Commission is notified within 24 hours of such a decision.”
Parts of the requirements for SIM replacement as stipulated
in the guidelines include that “the SIM must have been registered in accordance
with the registration of telephone subscribers regulations issued by the
commission; the subscriber requesting for the replacement must provide the
following: information about the three most frequently called numbers from that
SIM, which must be verified by the network service provider. The frequently
called numbers must have been dialled at least five times over 30 days.
“Where the SIM to be replaced is a data SIM, the subscriber
will be required to provide any two of the following: Last recharge amount and
date, name of internet bundle value activated and data allowance allocated,
last three sites visited, an affidavit signed by the subscriber and a passport
photograph of the subscriber where the replacement is to be done by a proxy.”
However, the regulator did not specify which of the
guidelines was breached by the operators. The regulator also stated in the
guidelines that any SIM replacement done in violation of the rules would be
sanctioned in accordance with the enforcement regulations.
“A network service provider shall be held liable for any SIM
replacement carried out in violation of these regulations or done fraudulently
by its agent or dealer. The subscriber can pursue any other remedies against a
network service provider for any SIM replacement done fraudulently by such
network service provider or its agent or dealer,” it added.
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