NCC directs mobile operators to implement unified short codes for telecom services

By Business AM

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has directed mobile network operators (MNOs) to commence implementation of the authorised harmonised short codes (HSC) for providing targeted services to telecom consumers across the country.

Reuben Muoka,the director of public affairs at the NCC, who announced the development in a recent statement, disclosed that the unified short codes were approved in line with the regulator’s consumer-centric approach to telecom regulation.

Muoka explained that the use of harmonised short codes is aimed at achieving uniformity in common short codes across networks.

This, he stated, means that the code for checking airtime balance is the same across all mobile networks for the same function, irrespective of the network a consumer uses.

With the new codes, the NCC made known that telecom consumers using the over 226 million active mobile lines in the country can now use the same codes to access services across the networks.

Consequently, the commission has set a deadline of May 17, 2023, for all mobile networks to fully migrate from hitherto diverse short codes to harmonised codes.

The NCC stated that the period between now and May 17, 2023, is provided to enable telecom consumers to familiarise themselves with the new codes for various services.

Under the new harmonised short codes regime, 13 common short codes have been approved by the NCC and include; 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, and 311 for Credit Recharge.

In line with the new directive, the NCC stated that the common code for Data Plan across networks is now 312, adding that the code 321 is for Share Services, 323 is for Data Plan Balance, while 996 is now for Verification of Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Registration/NIN-SIM Linkage.

In addition, the code 2442 is retained for Do-Not-Disturb (DND) unsolicited messaging complaint management, while the common code, 3232, is also retained for Porting Services, also known as Mobile Number Portability.

According to the NCC,the old and new harmonised short codes will run concurrently up until May 17, 2023, when all networks are expected to have fully migrated to full implementation of the new codes