The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has urged all mobile network operators in the country to begin implementing its newly approved harmonized shortcodes (HSC) for the provision of specific services to users.
Reuben Muoka, NCC’s director of public affairs, said in a statement that the direction to network providers is consistent with the commission’s consumer-centric approach to telecoms regulation in the country. Muoka stated that the NCC has already set a May 17, 2023 deadline for all service providers to fully migrate from different shortcodes to harmonized ones and that this procedure is aimed at creating uniformity in common shortcodes across all networks.
He stated that the migration will ensure that the code for checking airtime balance, borrowing services, and credit recharge, among other things, is the same regardless of which network a mobile service client uses.
The following is a list of harmonized shortcodes for telecom mobile network users:
1. All mobile network call centres/help desks: 300
2. Voice Mail Deposit – 301
3. Voice Mail Retrieval – 302
4. Borrow Services – 303
5. STOP Services – 305
6. Check Balance – 310
7. Credit Recharge – 311
8. Data Plan across networks – 312
9. Share Services – 321
10. Balance of Data Plan – 323
11. Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Registration Verification/NIN-SIM Linkage – 996
12. Do-Not-Disturb (DND) unsolicited messaging complaint management – 2442
13. Mobile Number Portability or Porting Services -3232
According to the NCC, both the old and new shortcodes will be active until the complete adoption of the harmonized ones.
