Aspiring Nigerian mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) Vitel Wireless said on Thursday it has been issued a mobile number series by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), making it the first of the country’s dozens of MVNO licencees to receive one.
Vitel said it has been allocated the unique mobile number series 0712, as well as its own international routing code, which will enable seamless international connectivity.
Vitel also said it has successfully met all government regulatory requirements, and is now fully prepared to launch and deliver services across Nigeria.
In addition to offering voice, SMS and data services, Vitel also plans to offer “IoT, AI and data-driven solutions to enhance mobile experiences”, with offerings ranging personal safety tools to solutions for government welfare programs.
“We are committed to providing reliable and cost-effective solutions that will drive Nigeria’s digital economy forward,” said Vitel chairman and CEO Kenneth Nwabueze in a statement.
The NCC first announced plans to allow MVNOs into Nigeria’s mobile market in 2022, and had awarded 46 MVNO licences as of July 2024. According to a recent research note from Analysys Mason, the scheme features five tiers of licences. The first four range from virtual operators that lease network capacity without offering their own SIM, to virtual aggregators that purchase bulk capacity from mobile operators and resell it to lower-tier MVNOs. The fifth tier comprises “unified virtual operators” that offer a combination of Tier 1 to Tier 4 services.
However, MVNOs have been slow to launch services because licensees have struggled to secure wholesale access to mobile operator networks. The Analysys Mason note said mobile operators are worried that MVNOs will upset the market status quo by competing on price to sell mobile data services.
Meanwhile, the current row over mobile operator plans to increase tariffs by 50% could make them even more reluctant to cooperate with MVNOs who could undersell them.
