MTN Reacts As Subscribers Face Network Outage: “Fibre Cuts Affecting Voice, Data Services”

• MTN subscribers on Wednesday, February 28, experienced call service and network glitches in Nigeria
• Several users find it impossible to make or receive calls, while others are not able to make use of their internet through the network
• MTN, on Wednesday night, attributed the development to a “major service outage caused by multiple fibre cuts”

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.

Telecommunications company MTN Nigeria has explained that the network outage experienced by its subscribers for the major part of Wednesday, February 28, was caused by “multiple fiber cuts.”

MTN boasts of 87,038,768 subscribers as of December 2023, according to data by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), representing 38.79% of the total market share, the highest in the country by any licensed Mobile Network Operator (MNO), Channels TV reported.

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BREAKING: NCC orders MTN, Glo, others to block SIMs without NIN, gives date

The 87 million subscribers of the MNO experienced difficulty making and receiving calls for hours on Wednesday, fuelling rumours that the NCC had made do its threat that all telcos bar subscribers not linked to the National Identification Numbers (NIN), with February 28, 2024 as deadline.

The executive vice chairman of NCC, Aminu Maida, stated this while speaking at the NCC’s ‘special day’ at the 45th Kaduna International Trade Fair on Wednesday, February 28.

Maida, who was represented by Reuben Mouka, NCC’s director of public affairs, noted that as a matter of critical national security, telecom consumers must link their NIN to their SIM.

Many subscribers were stranded with some persons visiting MTN offices nearest to them to get explanations.

However, MTN, in a post on its X account (formerly Twitter), attributed the situation to “multiple fibre cuts”.

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NCC orders MTN, Glo, 9mobile, Airtel to block phone numbers without NIN, confirmed date

MTN Tweeted:

“Important information! ️

“We are aware that there has been a service outage.

“We are working to ensure that this is resolved.

“We truly regret any inconvenience.

#StayConnected.”

SIM-NIN linkage: Court rules on NCC’s order

Legit.ng earlier reported that Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa of the federal high court in Lagos stopped telecommunication companies in Nigeria from deactivating or barring mobile lines or SIM cards not linked to the owner’s NIN.

Justice Lewis-Allagoa ruled on a suit filed by a legal practitioner, Olukoya Ogungbeje.

Source: Legit.ng