Fakoyejo Olalekan
In the last four months, Airtel, 9mobile and MTN Nigeria were the biggest losers in the telecommunications market, as over 15,000 network users left one telco to the other, using the porting channel.
The porting channel is used by subscribers who don’t want to change their number, but want to stop using a particular network provider, either due to poor service network, cost of usage, amongst other reasons.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelNote that the porting segment is divided in two categories; Outgoing and Incoming, with the former being the number of users a telco lost to its rivals, while the latter represents the subscribers that joined a network provider after leaving its rivals.
Prime Business Africa covers the period from Januaru to April 2022, based on the data obtained from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). Porting is largely unpopular in Nigeria, but the few that know about it have been taking advantage of the portability system in search for better mobile operator that suit their demand and pocket.
Outgoing port segment
According to analysis of the data, it was gathered that Airtel Nigeria lost the highest users within the period under review, with 10,272 subscribers switching from the network to its rivals; MTN, 9mobile, and Glo.
A breakdown of the loss showed 1,815 users left in January, and same figure in February, but this number increased to its highest in March, when 6,393, while the figure dropped in April, as only 249 switched.
9mobile also recorded 3,818 loss within four months, as 888, 1,370, 780 and 780 users switched from the network in April, March, February and January respectively.
MTN Nigeria wasn’t left out either, as 725 network subscribers moved from the y’ello service between January to April, with 208, 208, 166, and 143 mobile users on its platform switched to its rivals respectively.
Incoming port segment
MTN led the gainers list, as the network recorded 7,248 users switching from Airtel, Glo, and 9mobile to join the y’ello network, while Airtel came next after reporting 1,754 mobile subscribers joined its platform through the porting channel.
Prime Business Africa analysis discovered only 474 users joined 9mobile from its market competitors. Meanwhile, only Glo failed to record any porting on its platform in between January to February, but it recorded 457 users leaving its rivals to use its service within March to April.
