MTN Nigeria and 9Mobile have been granted permission to carry out trial on the workability of embedded Subscriber Identification Modules (e-SIM) Service in Nigeria.
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.
A statement by the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) says these conditions include full compliance with the Registration of Telecoms Subscribers Regulations 2011, the Mobile Number Portability Regulations and Business Rules 2015, Guidelines on SIM Replacement 2017, and non-degradation of the Quality of Service (QoS) experience by users of e-SIMs.
According to Executive Vice Chairman of NCC Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta 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 found satisfactory.
He also said that an e-SIM is a small chip that is embedded on a mobile phone or smart devices and 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.
The information on the e-SIM is rewritable by operators and the identification information can be updated over time.
