The Nigerian
Communications Commission has reiterated its readiness to protect subscribers
from the nuisance and irritations of unsolicited text messages and calls from
mobile network operators.
Mr. Tony Ojobo, Director,
Public Affairs, noted in a statement, that in spite of earlier warnings to
telecommunication service providers to activate their Do-Not-Disturb facility
which gives subscribers the freedom to choose the messages they receive, the
Commission is still inundated with complaints by subscribers of continuing text
harassment by operators.
The Direction issued to
industry operators to activate the 2442 Do Not Disturb Short Code took effect
from July 1, 2016. Ojobo explained that the Direction mandates the operators to
take immediate action which will allow the subscribers to take informed but
independent decisions on what messages to receive from the networks.
He observed that industry
compliance doesn’t seem to have matched the seriousness of the Direction thus,
compelling the Commission to issue a final warning to the operators.
According to him, the Direction
takes into cognizance the broad range of services, which
include:Banking/Insurance/Financial products, Real estate, Education, Health,
Consumer Goods and Automobiles, Communication/ Broadcasting/ Entertainment/ IT,
Tourism and /Leisure, Sports, Religion (Christianity, Islam, others), and directed
the operators to give the necessary instructions and clarifications that will
enable subscribers subscribe to a particular service/services/none at all.
In fact, a Full DND which
is SMS ‘STOP” to 2442 does not allow the subscriber to receive any unsolicited
messages from the operators at all.
Below are the various
options:
“SMS 1” for receiving SMS
relating to Banking/Insurance/ Financial Products to 2442
“SMS 2” for receiving SMS
relating to Real estate to 2442
SMS 3” for receiving SMS
relating to Education to 2442
“SMS 4” for receiving SMS
relating to Health to 2442
“SMS 5” for receiving SMS
relating to Consumer Goods and Automobiles, to 2442
“SMS 6” for receiving SMS
relating to Communication/ Broadcasting/ Entertainment/ IT, to 2442
“SMS 7” for receiving SMS
relating to Tourism and Leisure to 2442
“SMS 8” for receiving SMS
relating to Sports to 2442
“SMS 9” for receiving SMS
relating to Religion to 2442
Ojobo called on the
service providers to immediately comply with the Direction as further
complaints from the subscribers would be taken as serious infractions to a
major regulatory intervention by the Commission.
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