The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) had in March ordered telecom companies in the country to start using standardized short codes for all services.
As a result of this harmonization, all current codes used to recharge, subscribe for data, and check balance, among other things, will stop working.
Consequently, the same code will now be used for the same service by all mobile network operators starting from May 17. Until now, the old and codes codes have co coexisted, and this coexistence will continue until May 17, 2023, when all networks are anticipated to have completely converted to the full application of the new codes.
Under the new harmonised short codes regime, 13 common short codes were approved approved by the Commission
According to the NCC, the initiative to harmonize the codes, which is in line with the NCC’s regulatory modernization program, is crucial to improving consumer quality of experience (QoE) by making it simpler for Nigerians to memorize single codes for various services across all mobile networks they may be using.
Up until this point, each telecom operator had a special code for performing operations like credit borrowing, recharging, and balance checks.
These demand that a telecom subscriber with many lines learn the various codes for the various providers’ networks.
The NCC claimed that the concurrent use of the codes was allowed between March and May 17 so that telecom users could become accustomed to the new codes for the various services.
Here are the new codes as approved by the NCC
- 300 for Call Centre/Help Desk on all mobile networks
- 301 for voice Mail Deposit
- 302 for Voice Mail Retrieval
- 303 for Borrow Services
- 305 for STOP Service;
- 310 for Check Balance
- 311 is for credit recharge.
- 312 is for Data Plan
- 321 is for Share services.
- 323 is for Data Plan Balance
- 996 is now for verification of Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) registration or NIN-SIM linkage.
- 2442 is retained for Do-Not-Disturb (DND) unsolicited messaging complaint management.
- 3232 is also retained for porting services, otherwise called mobile number portability.
The Commission furthers aid that it will provide opportunity for licensees in the Value-Added Services (VAS) segment of the telecoms sector to be able to use freed-up/old codes for other services.
Ifunanya Ikueze is an Engineer, Safety Professional, Writer, Investor, Entrepreneur and Educator.
