Airtel Nigeria has said the introduction of Smart Number service, an innovation that allows Nigerian subscribers to use an additional line on their already in use Airtel SIM card, yet maintaining a single mobile phone is unique.
The new package is designed to empower owners of small businesses, entrepreneurs, top executives and professionals who wish to improve productivity as well as separate their professional/social and personal mobile lines while maintaining the use of a single phone and SIM card.
The Smart Number is a virtual number mapped to customer’s primary mobile line so that both lines can be used on a single phone. With this service, customer can define and determine the period when the Smart number is made active and reachable in order to make or receive calls and send or receive SMS.
Commenting on the new package, Enterprise Director, Airtel Nigeria, Tawa Bolarin, said the telco is intensely interested in defining new path and innovative ways of empowering and improving the productivity of professionals, top executives and business owners.
“The Smart Number service is intended to make life better, simpler and more enjoyable for business professionals. It is an innovative way of boosting productivity and driving business performance. Airtel will continue to pioneer new initiatives that will empower entrepreneurs and business professionals,” she said.
Apart from the user-controlled option, other features of the Smart Number include voice mail, call transfer, and value-added services such as conference call, group SMS, etc. Also, Airtel customers using Smart Number can conveniently maintain privacy and security by screening unwanted calls.
The Airtel Smart Number, which comes in two different packages – Basic and Plus – is available on monthly subscription for both pre-paid and post-paid customers on the network.
To subscribe for the package, customers can send ‘SUB’ as text to 619 and reply with either 1 or 2 to choose either the ‘Basic’ or ‘Plus’ package. Customers can also call the IVR on 618 and listens to the menu option to subscribe and manage the service.
The Smart Number can call/send text to all networks except international calls/text. To make calls or send through the Smart number, the subscriber is required to dial/text 66 before dialling the recipient’s number. Inbound call on the Smart Number is identifiable as 66 prefix appears before the eleven digits of the caller’s number.
The Smart Number, however, cannot be directly recharged with airtime so the airtime is drawn from the customer’s primary line.
According to Airtel, customers will also need to register the Smart number to ensure full KYC compliance.
