News Summary: Aiming to improve mobile in Nigeria
News Summary: New exchange lets Nigerians keep mobile number in effort to improve service
THE MOVE: The Nigerian Communications Commission's new exchange between the country's four main carriers allows customers to keep their number and switch carriers every 90 days for free. Customers and those in the business believe the new program will force the carriers to provide better service.
PROBLEMS: Nigeria's four biggest telecommunications companies have faced federal fines and complaints from customers over dropped calls for years. But many people still often own multiple phones, with different carriers, afraid to drop their service and lose their numbers.
THE BACKGROUND: There are about 95 million mobile phone lines in Nigeria, making it one of the world's top markets.
