NCC endorses e-SIM trial for MTN, 9Mobile

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on Monday said it had given the go-ahead for two Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), MTN Nigeria and 9Mobile to carry out a pilot scheme on the viability of embedded Subscriber Identification Module (e-SIM) service in Nigeria.

e-SIM is a small SIM card integrated inside the phone rather than being available as a physical entity, consequently saving users the hassle of switching between the physical ones when a service provider is changed.

The trials would run for one year and involve testing 5,000 e-SIMs by the two networks, subject to meeting some regulatory conditions, NCC said in a statement issued in Abuja by Ikechukwu Adinde, its director of public affairs.

Among the conditions are full compliance with the Registration of Telecoms Subscribers Regulations 2011, guidelines on SIM Replacement 2017 and the Mobile Number Portability Regulations and Business Rules 2015 as well as non-degradation of the quality of service experience by users of e-SIMs.

The regulator’s Vice Chairman Umar Dambatta said the trial had the primary objective of evaluating the technical performance of the e-SIM on telecommunications service providers’ networks prior to ultimate rollout, if deemed satisfactory.

As a small chip embedded into phones and mobile devices, e-SIM is known for its flexibility, simplicity and convenience.