Two of Nigeria’s mobile network operators (MNOs), MTN Nigeria and 9Mobile have been granted approval by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to carry out a trial on the workability of embedded Subscriber Identification Modules (e-SIM) Service in Nigeria.
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.
DigitalTimesNG gathered that the trial, approved to run for a period of one year, will involve testing 5,000 e-SIMs by the two networks, subject to compliance with a number of regulatory conditions.
The Commission on Monday said in a statement signed by its Director, Public Affairs, Dr Ikechukwu Adinde that these conditions include full compliance by the MNOs with the Registration of Telecoms Subscribers Regulations 2011.
It also includes the Mobile Number Portability Regulations and Business Rules 2015; Guidelines on SIM Replacement 2017; and non-degradation of the Quality of Service (QoS) experienced by users of e-SIMs.
Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta said 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.
The information on the e-SIM is rewritable by operators and the identification information can be updated over time.
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.
