NATCOMS wants GSM operators to create more awareness on ‘2442 DND’

The President of the National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers  (NATCOMS), Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, has advised telecommunications services providers to create more awareness on the 2442 Do Not Disturb (DND) directive by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

Ogunbanjo, who disclosed this in Lagos over the weekend, said that many telecommunications consumers were yet to know what could be done with the code.

He also advised the service providers to devise different means of enlightening their customers on the use of the 2442 code.

According to him, the service providers can organise different forums to educate subscribers and also do same when the customers visit their Customer Care Centres.

He said that service providers could educate subscribers on the directive through prompted messages, adding that this would be visible when subscribers check their credit balance on their cell phones.

”Also, when subscribers want to recharge their accounts, the operators can send some messages on the use of the 2442 code to subscribers,” he said.

Ogunbanjo also called on the operators to address the rampant challenges posed by unsolicited calls, as well as that of unsolicited Short Messaging Service (SMS).

Meanwhile, many subscribers told Infotech that they are still receiving unsolicited calls and SMS despite the warning from the NCC and called on the regulator to make scape-goat of such operators.

For instance, Mr Jude Ogah, a subscriber from Owerri, said the NCC has refused to act by placing sanctions on erring operators in this regard. He said he still receives calls and SMS from all the operators he subscribes to in spite of the DND he sent to them.

Mr Ajewole Oluyemi was really livid when he responded to a question on the issue, saying the NCC was not serious about the whole issue, wondering why it is taking the regulator so long to impose sanctions. He said it is disheartening that the operators are disobeying the NCC by still sending unsolicited calls and messages despite subscribers activating the DND.

NCC had given directive to telecommunications service providers to activate their DND facility to give subscribers the freedom to choose what messages to receive from the various networks.

NCC further directed the operators to dedicate a common Short Code (2442) to enable subscribers take informed decisions.

NCC Public Affairs Director, Mr Tony Ojobo, said that the action was taken to protect subscribers from the nuisance of unsolicited text messages.

He said that the move was a direct response by the regulatory body to meet the yearnings of subscribers.

Ojobo said that the commission had taken cognizance of the broad range of services, which include banking/insurance/financial Products, real estate, education, health, consumer goods and automobiles in taking the decision.

”In fact, a full DND which to SMS is “STOP” to 2442, does not allow the subscriber to receive any unsolicited message from the operators at all,” he said.

Ojobo, however, said that the decision of NCC DND did not affect personal messages or person to person messages which meant private communication by individuals.

He urged the operators to comply with the directive of the commission ”and never again harass subscribers with unwanted messages.”