NCC’s DND crashes unsolicited SMS complaints by 96.6% in 3 years
- As full DND hits 22.04m; partial stands at 448,985
Introduction of Do Not Disturb (DND) service 2442 short code by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has led to drastic reduction of complaints related to unsolicited telecoms SMS in Nigeria, a new report by the commission has shown.
The Commission has gone empirical to measure the effect of the service as it conducted a study titled: A Study on the Impact of DND Service 2442 Short Code in Effective Telecoms Consumer Complaints Management.
The 38-page report of the research sighted by Business Metrics showed that complaints related to DND service ‘2442’ short code in effective telecoms consumer management has drastically reduced since the inception of DND service ‘2442’.
Findings show that there was a 96.6 per cent decline in the number of complaints about unsolicited text messages from 2017 to 2019.
The report also revealed that the percentage of resolved DND complaints within 72 hours went from 84 per cent, 75 per cent and 100 per cent resolution in 2017, 2018 and 2019 respectively.
It was also gathered through the empirical research that since the inception of DND, there has been an increase in the total number of subscribers to the service.
“There are currently 448,985 and 22,038,864 representing 305 per cent and 250 per cent for partial and full DND respectively,” the report read.
The Research also highlighted the key challenges that pose a threat to the full effectiveness of the DND implementation in Nigeria to include the lack of flexibility in the Opt-in and Opt-out options of the DND which prevents MNOs from alerting their subscribers of new products and services in case they might wish to amend their status.
Other challenges include inadequate awareness of the DND service by consumers in the rural areas; and the notion that the DND service does not cater for Nigerians who do not speak English, or for those with accessibility challenges due to disability.
In general however, the introduction of DND service ‘2442’ has positively impacted the curbing of the menace of unsolicited text messages and has therefore resulted in a drastic reduction in Telecoms Consumers Complaints.
Meanwhile, the report concluded by tasking the commission and operators to work to ensure the gains of reduction in the Telecoms Consumer Complaints.
What you should know
NCC introduced the DND service in Nigeria after listening the cries of Nigerians who complained of unjustly losing huge fortune to unsolicited messages and calls from their operators and third parties.
As at 2015, telecoms users in Nigeria were estimated to be losing up to N30 billion annually to SMSs forced on them by network operators and those riding on their infrastructure to provide value added services.
However, effective July 1 2016 as mandated by the NCC, all operators in Nigeria activated the DO NOT DISTURB facility on their platforms, thereby giving Subscribers the freedom to choose what messages to receive from their networks.
With this direction, the operators have been mandated to dedicate a common Short Code (2442) which will enable Subscribers take informed decisions on which of the broad range of telecoms related services they wish to be informed about, or to subscribe to.
The broad range of services which include: Banking/Insurance/ Financial Products, Real Estate, Education, Health, Consumer Goods and Automobiles, Communication/ Broadcasting/ Entertainment/ IT, Tourism and leisure, Sports, Religion (Christianity, Islam, others).
The Commission directed the operators to give the necessary instructions and clarifications that will enable subscribers subscribe to a particular service/services /none at all, using either A Full DND which now stand at 22.34 million or a partial DND (448,985 total subscriptions so far) on the dedicated 2442 short code number, where Subscribers have the power to pick and choose from a bouquet of services for which they wish to be kept abreast about.
It should however be noted that this direction does not affect personal messages as they are the private communication of Subscribers
