The Nigerian Communications Commission
(NCC) has waded into the problems of unsolicited text messages that customers
of service providers receive on their phones.
Vulnerable subscribers have been
inundated with messages which service providers send often unsolicited, and the
providers charge subscribers by making deductions from them as the providers
steal from them to be rich.
NCC directed all service providers to,
from July 1, 2016, activate the “DO NOT DISTURB” facility which gives
subscribers the freedom to choose what messages to receive from the various
networks.
With this direction the operators have
been mandated to dedicate a common short code (2442) which will enable
subscribers take informed decisions.
In a statement by Tony Ojobo, director
of public affairs, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the action was
taken in order to protect subscribers from the nuisance of unsolicited texts,
and therefore a direct regulatory response to the yearnings of the subscribers.
By this action, he explained, the
commission has invoked a regulatory provision which had hitherto been
overlooked by the operators.
“Taking cognizance of 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),
the commission directed the operators to give the necessary instructions and
clarifications that will enable subscribers subscribe to a particular
service/services /none at all,” Ojobo said.
“In fact, a Full DND which is SMS
“STOP” to 2442 does not allow the subscriber to receive any unsolicited message
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 added that the decision of the
commission does not affect personal messages or person to person messages which
are private communication by individuals.
He urged the operators to comply
immediately with the direction issued by the commission and never again harass
subscribers with unwanted messages.
Source: thecableng
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