NCC approves new national numbering plan for MTN, Airtel, others

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The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has approved a new National Numbering Plan for the Nigerian telephone network (both fixed and wireless).

The Commission approved the new plan for 296 telecoms operators to ensure the allocation of unique national numbers to each subscriber connected to their network.

Going by the approval from the Commission, MTN Nigeria, Globacom, Airtel Nigeria and 9Mobile and others would soon begin to make available for subscribers at their service centre across the country, new mobile phone lines for both fixed and wireless, including data alone operators for purchase.

According to the NCC, in a document seen by TechnologyMirror, the purpose of the National Numbering Plan is to set up a uniform numbering scheme and the associated dialing procedures to be used in the network to allow the subscribers and operators to set up calls.

Some of the numbers, which were released by the NCC are: 0912, 0917 for Airtel, 0913, 0916 for MTN, 0915 and 0905 for Globacom and 0908 and 0909 for 9Mobile.

The highest of the numbers approved by the NCC for each access code is 10,000 lines while the least is 500 as well as others of 1000 and 2000 lines.

The National Numbering Plan provides more importantly, a uniform dialing procedure for the following types of calls: Local Calls, National Long-Distance Calls, International Calls, Calls to Emergency and Special services independent of where the call is originating from in the country.