RESOLVING NETWORK CONGESTION IN A TELECOMMUNICATION SYSTEM

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.00      BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The world is fast becoming a global village and a necessary tool for this process is communication of which telecommunication is a key player. The quantum development in the telecommunications industry all over the world is very rapid as one innovation replaces another in a matter of weeks. A major breakthrough is the wireless telephone system which comes in either fixed wireless telephone lines or the Global System of Mobile Communications (GSM). Communication without doubt is a major driver of any economy. Emerging trends in socio-economic growth shows a high premium being placed on information and communication technology (ICT) by homes, organizations, and nations.

Nigeria is not left out in this race for rapid development as the nation’s economy has been subjected to years of economic reversal via mismanagement and bad leadership. The Nigerian telecommunications sector was grossly underdeveloped before the sector was deregulated under the military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida in 1992 with the establishment of a regulatory body, the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC). So far the NCC has issued various licenses to private telecommunications operator. These include 7 fixed telephony providers that have activated 90,000 lines, 35 Internet service providers with a customer base of about 17,000. Several VSAT service providers are in operation, and have improved financial intermediation by providing on-line banking services to most banks in Nigeria. These licenses allowed private telephone operators (PTOs), to roll out both fixed wireless telephone lines and analogue mobile phones. The return of democracy in 1999 paved the way for the granting of GSM license to 3 service providers: MTN Nigeria, ECONET Wireless Nigeria which is now called ZAIN and NITEL Plc which is now called ZOOM in 2001 and later GLO.

1.01   STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

It has been observed that calls across different networks are always difficult to connect, at times diverted and also attract more cost. This creates room for users to be confused as how much is deducted from their call credits or are compelled to having multiple GSM lines. As the network increases, more users makes call across different networks and there is need to record the call time, call network, and line identification and be able to put calls across the networks without much congestions.

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