Unused SIMs rise by 177% to 105 million
TECHDIGEST – The number of connected telecommunication lines abandoned by their users has grown by 177.39 per cent year-on-year, according to data from the Nigerians Communications Commission.
The data revealed that the unused lines in the country grew to 105.31 million in October 2022 from 37.96 million in the corresponding period of 2021. In the period under review, the total active lines grew to 214.35 million from 191.62 million in October 2021, while the total connected lines increased to 319.66 million from 229.58 million in the prior period.
Experts attributed the high number of unused lines to Nigerians who are multi-sim owners and users.
The NCC and National Identity Management Commission disclosed that one Nigerian could have more than one SIM registered in their name.
Corroborating this, the Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria, Gbenga Adebayo, had earlier in the year said, “Traditionally, a lot of people carry more than one phone. Some have an office line; some have private lines but use one more often.
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“Some are in the Diaspora, who though they hold Nigerian SIM cards, are not residents here. Some are students, who for half of the term are not around. It also depends on how and why these lines are said to be unused and for what period, because you could have someone not using their lines for three months, and after three months start to use them again,” he explained.
While the number of unused lines in Nigeria might have grown, the total number of mobile subscriptions is estimated to hit around 8.4 billion by the end of 2022. The number of people with phones is also expected to rise to 6.8 billion at the end of the year.
The Ericsson Mobility Report (November 2022) said, “Around 8.4 billion mobile subscriptions are estimated by the end of 2022, and this figure is projected to increase to around 9.2 billion by the end of 2028.
“During this time, the share of mobile broadband subscriptions will increase from 85 to 93 per cent, while the number of unique mobile subscribers is projected to grow from 6.1 billion to 6.8 billion. Subscriptions associated with smartphones continue to rise.
At the end of 2022, 6.6 billion smartphone subscriptions are estimated, accounting for about 79 per cent of all mobile phone subscriptions. This is forecast to reach 7.8 billion in 2028, accounting for around 84 per cent of all mobile subscriptions.”
Source : Punchng.com
