MTNN Terminate The Legendary *556# Shortcode And Adopts The NCC’s HSC Policy

MTN Nigeria has reportedly heeded the Nigeria Communication Commission policy that regulates inland telecom providers to comply with the Harmonised Short Codes (HSC) policy. The HSC policy mandate network service providers such as MTNN to ditch their respective USSD short code and adopt the shortcodes the NCC drafted for the local telecom landscape.

MTNN has taken the lead to transition its USSD codes — especially the legendary *556# short code for checking airtime balance no longer active. Yet the 556 MTNN short code currently responds to displaying a list of significant shortcodes NCC drafted per the HSC policy.

MTNN users should dial *310# to determine their airtime balance while the previous 556 shortcode is a gateway to access other shortcodes to access data balance, airtime recharge, data plans, etc. However here is the list of changed shortcodes the legendary *556# pops up when attempting to check the airtime balance.

• Dial *312# for Data Plans
• Dial *311# for Airtime Recharge
• Dial *303# to borrow airtime.
• Dial *310# to check account
• Dial *323# for data balance
• Dial *321# to share data
• Dial *305# for VAS.

An average Nigerian knows the MTNN short code for checking airtime balance which clarified why the telecom giant chose the legendary short code as the gateway that prompts users on the list of modified codes to access self-help queries via dialling *556# short codes on the mobile network.

I am an MTNN subscriber and I noticed the shortcode to check the data balance was unavailable in line with the prompts message that pops up after I dialled *131*4#. The prompt memo instructed I dial the legendary MTNN short code for detailed information. It currently displays the same memo as the legendary shortcode does.

Users can check their airtime account balance through the prompt, you’ll need to enter the number 4. However, to directly check your MTN airtime balance with USSD, you may have to dial the new USSD *310#. This update commenced on May 17, the date the NCC scheduled the HSC policy to be effective.

What you should know about the HSC policy

The NCC regulated the inland telecom landscape by enacting a policy that centralizes mobile network providers’ access to network services. The NCC’s policy draft commune local mobile network operators to subscribe to the prompt Harmonised Short Codes (HSC) policy debut on May 17.

The HSC policy implementation denotes all mobile network providers in Nigeria are obliged to the NCC’s universal network access code to either check data balance, data purchase, airtime balance credit, airtime balance check, voice call customer center, Voice Mail Retrieval, Voice Mail deposit,

Observe the HSC network access shortcode;

• Call Center/Help Desk – 300
• Voice Mail Deposit – 301
• Voice Mail Retrieval -302
• Borrow Services – 303
• STOP Services – 304
• Check Balance – 310
• Credit Recharge – 311
• Data Plan – 312
• Shared Services – 321
• Data Plan Balance – 323
• Verification of SIM Registration/ NIN – SIM Linkage – 996
• Porting Services (MNP) – 2442