NCC Orders Telcos To Block Stolen SIMs In 5 Minutes

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has issued a directive mandating all telecommunications companies operating in the country to block stolen Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) cards within five minutes of receiving a report from subscribers.

This move is part of the Commission’s ongoing efforts to curb the rising cases of SIM-related fraud and enhance the security of mobile phone users.

The Commission has also mandated telecommunication companies to ensure subscribers are attended to within 30 minutes of arriving at their service centres.

The NCC, in its ‘Quality of Service Business Rules,’ which were issued in August 2024, following the release of a draft version in June 2023, averred that the guidelines aim to enhance telecom subscribers’ service quality by establishing minimum service standards, associated measurements, and key performance indicators.

Speaking further on the issue of wait time at customer care centres, the NCC stated, “ It must not exceed 30 minutes. The Licensee shall provide means of measuring the waiting time, starting from the time of arrival at the premises.”

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The NCC has implemented further customer service enhancements in addition to shorter wait times. Customers must speak with live personnel within five minutes, and the commission has limited the number of calls that can be made before connecting to customer service lines to three. If this is not feasible, the telcos are required to return the subscribers’ calls within 30 minutes.

On internet outages, the NCC stated that internet outages must not exceed two hours, except in cases of lawful disconnection. According to the NCC, “internet outages cannot last longer than two hours unless there is a valid reason to disconnect.

If a subscriber’s line isn’t used for any revenue-generating events for a year, they risk having their phone lines blocked, NCC warned. To ensure they do not lose their numbers, subscribers may also seek line parking if they have good reasons not to use their lines, it added.

“A subscriber line may be deactivated if it has not been used within six months for a Revenue Generating Event (RGE). If the situation persists for another 6 months, the subscriber may lose his/her number, except for network-related faults inhibiting an RGE…”