In telecommunications, a lot rides in a number. A numbering
plan is a telecommunication scheme through which telephone numbers are assigned
to subscribers and telephony endpoints. Each telephone number is an address
assigned to an endpoint in a network through which a designated subscriber can
be reached. Depending on the local telephony requirements and network, a numbering
plan can follow a number of strategies. Generally, operators are differentiated
by a prefix (the digit their number range starts with. Well this is rapidly
changing due to the introduction of number portability. Number portability
implies that a subscriber of telephony services can move from one network to
another by maintaining a unique number. This clearly is a break through in
telecommunication as numbers are a national resource that needs to be
efficiently and effectively managed.
In the case of Gambia, our number plan is not only poorly
managed by the regulator but it is frivolously allocated without due concern to
future needs of this scare resource. As at today, our number plan has 9 ranges
1-9 and each series has a possible combination of One Million numbers thereby giving
our telecommunications sector 9 million numbers. Generally, the 1 series is
reserved for public service etc. 2 and 7 are allocated to Africell, 3 and parts
of the 5 series are allocated to Qcell, 6 is allocated to Comium, 9 is
allocated to Gamcel whilst 4,8,5 are allocated for the various services offered
by Gamtel.
There are talks to introduce a new number plan. This has
adverse effects to destination Gambia as it will take time for callers reaching
the destination to be aware of the changes on the additional digit(s) added on
our existing numbers. In addition, there is a financial cost associated with
migrating the number plan. The cost of such a migration will ultimately be
passed on to the subscribers by the operators. Now the million-dollar question
is Should Gambia Migrate to a NEW Number
Plan? The answer is an emphatic no because the Gambia is yet to exhaust the
9 million potential numbers within our existing plan. The 4 and 5 series are
used by Gamtel for their land lines and it’s a known fact that nationally
Gamtel doesn’t have more than 75,000 lines and this figure is even on the high
side. This implies that within the 4 and 5 series we have a surplus of
1,925,000 possible numbers to use. It is also noteworthy to mention that the 8 series
is used for the CDMA (Jamano) service and no more that 40,000 clients subscribe
to that service nationally. That leaves us with a surplus of 960,000 numbers not
in use. This therefore implies that there is an inefficient use of our scare
resource (number range).
I therefore called on our regulator PURA to look into the
rationalization and effective use of our scarce resource rather than adding
additional cost to an already over burden subscribers who pay one of the highest
tariffs in the region for data. PURA must concentrate on making the sector more
innovative by rewarding investments into the sector. The Quality of Service (QOS)
Model to be adopted by PURA must reward innovation and investments. It baffles
me that a 2.5G Network (Comium) is still allowed to sell data to Gambian
subscribers. This is not only appaling but must be halted. Alternatively, Comium
must be charged a hefty SPECTRUM FEE to discourage the use of such technology.
In a nutshell, PURA is aiding COMIUM to milk their dilapidated infrastructure
that is not in line with the technological advances Gambian subcribers deserve.
An investor in the Gambian Telecommunication sector must avail the Regulator
(PURA) with a 5 year roll out plan per their capital expenditure to make their
networks efficient and responsive to the needs of the subscribers.
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