NCC sanctions telcos, bars 750,000 numbers for call masking, others

NIGERIAN Communications Commission (NCC) has sanctioned three companies and barred 750,000 numbers found to be connected to call masking.

Call masking is a technique used to hide numbers when making calls or sending messages.

In some cases, international numbers are masked with local numbers which are not charged, because the caller’s identity is completely hidden on the network.

In a statement signed by Tony Ojobo, director, public affairs of NCC, the commission said the sanctioned entities were found to be directly and indirectly involved in several infractions.

“Including covertly allowing organisations with expired licenses to transit calls, failure to undertake due diligence on parties seeking to interconnect, deliberately turning a blind eye to masking infractions by interconnect partners, and using a licence issued to another organisation to bring-in and terminate international calls which were masked as local calls to other operators.”

NCC had previously warned that it would suspend the licensees of companies suspected of call masking.

After investigations with the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Department of State Services, NCC imposed the following sanctions:

-a. Suspension of the Interconnect