Why there will be telecom ‘network freeze’ during the 2023 general elections

Many Nigerians have become panicky following a notice from MTN Nigeria informing its customers that there will be a network freeze during the forthcoming general elections. 

MTN specifically said that its planned network freeze during the presidential election this weekend would start on the 24th pf February 2023, and end on March 1st, 2023. The second freeze is scheduled to start on the 10th of March and end on the 15th of March. 

It’s important to note that there is no reason to be alarmed by this announcement. Let’s explain why below.

Understanding network freeze: Network freeze is a common practice in the telecoms industry intended to minimize the chances of network outage during a particular time. During a network freeze, the operators suspend any maintenance work that could disrupt the network or affect the customer experience. 

• It is a period where the network is expected to be stable as there will be no changes on the network. The operators will only interfere when there is an emergency.  
• During a network freeze, there will be no core works, upgrades, or maintenance as these may cause changes on the network and disrupt service. The aim is to restrict non-essential activities on the network for a critical period like the elections.  

What it means: The network freeze to be implemented by MTN and possibly by other network operators during the 2023 elections means there will be network stability during the period as the operators will suspend all their regular upgrades or maintenance, which usually causes service disruption. This does not mean network shutdown or service outage is being misconstrued by many.  

The network freeze will ensure non-interruption of telecommunication services and continued digital connectivity of election-related communications during the election period.  

MTN’s explanation: Reacting to the concerns of Nigerians who expressed fears of outage over the course of the network freeze, MTN buttressed the point that it is a common practice in telecoms to keep the network stable.  

• “About the network freeze…we don’t implement changes on our Network during critical times to minimize the chance of an outage. Keeping the network as it is, is a common practice in telecoms referred to as a Network Freeze,” the telecom operator stated.