MTN, a major mobile telecommunications provider in Africa, has disclosed that a network freeze will be implemented during the 2023 elections.
This was made known on the teleco’s Twitter handle. The first network freeze, according to the telco behemoths, will start on February 24 and last until March 3, while the second freeze would start on March 10 and last until March 15.
Network freezes keep services stable and prevent unnecessary outages#MTNCares pic.twitter.com/OEMcMLsQAG
— MTN Nigeria (@MTNNG) February 23, 2023
Nigerians are concerned about the announcement, and some are puzzled by the timing of the freeze on election day.
Yet, the business provided a justification for its choice to implement a “network freeze” for Saturday’s presidential election.
In order to reduce the likelihood of an outage, the company noted in a notification that they don’t make improvements to its network during these times.
“Keeping the network as is, is a common practice in telecom referred to as Network Freeze”, MTN said.
Here are some explanations of the network freeze’s causes and what its users might expect after it goes into action.
An occasional practice among telecommunications providers is a network freeze.
The procedure aims to reduce the likelihood of long-term network burnouts or disruptions.
These disruptions typically occur because upgrades, maintenance, or unforeseen work could interfere with consumers’ experiences.
Telcos frequently use network freezes to guarantee optimal service for a predetermined time.
During special occasions like Easter, Christmas, and other holidays, several mobile network companies freeze their networks.
MTN’s choice to take this action during the elections will guarantee network stability because the operators are expected to halt any operations that might result in disruptions.
Recall how MTN’s users were really irate when there was a network outage on Valentine’s Day.
According to a Nairametrics report, MTN said, “About the network freeze, we don’t implement changes on our network during critical times to minimize the chance of an outage.”
Network freeze is a term used to describe a frequent telecom practice of maintaining the network in its current state.
With more than 89 million active customers, it is the biggest telecom provider in Nigeria.