Unified Subscriber Registration System (USRS)

ABSTRACT

A Unified Subscriber Registration System (USRS) was designed due to the absence of a single
platform for subscribers with different SIMs to register, this leads to vigorous process in
registration for subscribers with different SIM cards and multiple registration due to difficulties
in status verifications. A top-down approach was adopted using tools such as PHP and Apache
server in a single web service pack (XAMP) to design the system. The system was tested using
subscribers’ details and the result indicates high level capability of holding different subscribers
details from different networks. The project work is highly recommended for deployment using a
parallel integration modality within Minna metropolis.

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INTRODUCTION

1.0 Background of the Study

The advent of Mobile communications systems has revolutionized the way people communicate.

By joining together communications and mobility, the world is rapidly turning to a global village

as such an inevitable instrument for this mechanism is communication of which

telecommunication serves as the main competitor. According to Diana (2008), around two thirds

of the world’s populations are connected with mobile phone as of 2008, while statistic from The

International Telecommunication Union (ITU) shows an estimated value of 6.8 billion mobile

subscriptions worldwide as of February 2013, which directly represents 96 percent of the world

population (ITU, 2013).

The measure of development in the telecommunications sector worldwide is often quicker as

ideas take the place of another in a just few weeks. A serious advance is the cordless cellular

system categorized into Global System of Mobile Communications (GSM) or fixed wireless

mobile phone lines. Communication in the absence of uncertainty is the main driver of an

economy. The unfolding drifts relating in social and economic development indicate over an

average charge lay down on information and communication by individuals, homes,

organizations, and nations.

Varna (2004), identifies subscriber identity module (SIM) card registration policy, acts as a

wonderful method of bringing out truth, peace and reconciliation to the nation and world as a

whole. Thus, forcing countries to embrace policies that check excesses of crimes using mobile

phones.

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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 fully

in 2001.

According to Ajala (2005), after the first GSM call was made, the era of GSM technology has

completely changed the face of doing business in Nigeria. Despite the aforementioned changes,

there still remain some big challenges, such as service quality and hideous crimes committed

using mobile phones.

The Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) serves as the regulatory body of

telecommunication operators in Nigeria; So far, it has issued various licenses to private

telecommunications operator. These include 5 GMS operators, 4 CDMA operators and more

than 10 fixed/wireless telephone providers that have activated more than 110million lines as of

December, 2012

More than 100 Internet service providers with a customer base of more than 40million and

above. Various Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) service providers are in operation, with a

better financial intermediation by giving on-line banking services access to most banks in

Nigeria. With the acquisition of licenses, private telephone operators (PTOs), can roll out fixed

wireless telephone lines or digital mobile phones, and both if necessary (NCC, 2012)

According to NCC (2011), after a failed attempt in 2002 by commission to enforce ‘subscriber

registration’, less emphases on the documentation of telephone line that are in use against the

name and full identity of those who purchase them for use has geometrically risen. Security

implications has surface as a result of these negligence, The commission and several other

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partners as ever rolled out compulsory registration of mobile line to check some of these hideous

crimes in the society and also to improve service delivery to proper collation of subscribers

information. Therefore the quest to review the existing registration system and provide unique

general platform for cost effectiveness and personnel authenticity begins

1.1 Statement of the Problem

A careful survey around Minna metropolis in Niger State shows that there is no general platform

for subscriber line registration. Thus non availability of single platform such that subscriber with

two or more mobile line are forced to go through several platforms to register.

This present mode of registration is thus time consuming and carries along with a high cost

burden on the part of the subscriber also, the non availability of a single platform for registration

of SIM implies the absence of central database for registration and hence poses security issues.

This project therefore incorporated the shortcomings of the current system to provide a robust

system capable of meeting the demands stated above

1.2 Aim and Objectives of the Study

The main aim of the project is develops a unified web based subscriber registration platform.

This will ensure better ways of getting, gathering and storing mobile phone users’ details with a

single platform registration system for proper implementation and usage.

The objectives of the project are stated below.

i. To investigate the present method of SIM registration.

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 ii. To develop a general platform system for collation and preservation of accurate

and useful data of mobile phone subscribers.

iii. To design a system that will avoid multiple registrations of subscriber details.

iv. To develop a system that is efficient, fast, secure, reliable and cost-effective

LITERATURE REVIEW

REVIEW OF RELATED WORKS

This chapter is a formal assessment of relevant research made on web-based registration used by

different organisations. It contains important aspects in web-based registration like online

registration system, online subscriber verification system and voters’ registration system. This

chapter includes collective views and ideas of different authors.

According to Morris Wall (1990) web-based registration systems are portals that permit users to

sign up for a task by providing necessary information in a form. An online registration system

replaces tedious manual processes, such as registering by mail telephone, or at events using

paper forms

A more lucid explanation of a web-based registration is that of student online registration,

Johnson (1996) said the system is conscious of all the courses that are available each student in a

semester. It makes sure that course load is strictly followed, it involves that no repetition of

courses, courses with prerequisites are checked. The registration portal has many users. Students

are provided with limited privileges. It includes courses registered, time allocated, credit load

and personal profile editing. Accessibility of the system to know other students that signed up for

specific course is only granted to the teachers or administrator.

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Subscriber Registration is a documentation of the mobile lines that are actively in use against the

names and full identity of those who have purchased them for utilization. (Omo-Ettu, 2011).it

implies getting good details of all the things that happen in the network such as the identity of all

users of all amenities. Such information is needed to manage today, and to strategize for the

future. To utilize the aspect of it that can help combating cases of kidnapping, terrorism, social

harassment and to also to serve as a larger whole part of planning the national life, education,

health, transport, and so on.

Though telecommunication services began in Nigeria in 1886, the colonial headquarters in

England, it serves a communication medium for administrative reasons. The installation of cable

link between London and Lagos was the main impetus (Nigeriafirst, 2009), fortunes smile on the

citizens after over a century, the sector was partly deregulated to certain extent/degree and the

restrictions was loosen in 1992 and 1999 in the order already mentioned (Mawoli, 2009).

After the inauguration of GSM services in 2001, Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) cards

were offered to mobile users without the proper requirement for registration, to aid

identifications of the users.

SIM card registration threatens telecoms sector growth, according telecommunication operators

they generate high revenues from sales unregistered SIM cards from street to street and in busy

market places, but expressed that such hawking is no longer lucrative as it were with the

execution of SIM cards registration, Nigerians were no longer ready to patronize street hawking

for fear of activation.

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According to BBC (2002), news publications, the location and manoeuvring of a cellular phone

user can be followed by the carrier, the security and other governmental agencies. The mobile

phone and the SIM can be precisely followed.

In other to assist security agencies in dealing with crimes perpetrated by the use of mobile

phones in which criminal components cannot be recognized with the appropriate number of the

phones that was used, NCC held an advisory memorandum with various telecommunication

operators, the media the Nigerian Identity Management Commission, National Population

Commission, National Census Commission, consumer groups, security agencies, telecoms

associations, and dealers, and the general public.

Industry watchers anticipate that Subscriber registration will finally make a distinction in the

number of active telephone lines and actual number of subscribers He also said it will help in

creation of job opportunity in the nation at large (Ekemefuna, 2010),

He added another group that has found the regime of unregistered subscriber lines profitable is

advance fraudsters, otherwise known as 419ners. They dupe their victims into believing that they

are who they are and not for the reason of depriving belongings. It involves use of multiple SIM

cards as often as needed, to avoid being tracked down. These acts easily evade identification

through SIM cards as a result of an unregistered SIM. But provided a subscriber SIM card is

correctly registered with a justifiable documents, photographs and biometrics data is capture, it

will be a bit easier to track down anyone who uses it criminal activities. The registered SIM can

be tracked, it would discourages a particular action to use for a criminal or action recognized by

law or rules

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Upon reviewing the recommendations of the committee, NCC officially agree to start the

registration of all phone subscribers in Nigeria. NCC (2012), the registration commenced March,

2011. However the registration of existing SIM cards officially ended in January 2012. Service

providers will continue the registration new Subscribers SIM cards, after completing the process

of the validation, adjustment of differences and scrubbing of the records of all registered

subscribers SIM cards, network operators will be disconnect unregistered SIM cards from the

networks.

In a more convincing approach, (Tony, 1997) said, Mobile phone Subscriber card

registration exercise will act as the best means of keeping an accurate statistics method of the rise

and fall of the number of SIM card subscriber in the telecommunication operators in the world.

According to Clinton Sanders’s (1998), SIM registration exercise brings about a specific number

of people living a particular nation. And also, said, it is a means of crime reduction.

Varna Michael (2004), however, agreed and supported the subscriber identity module

(SIM) card registration policy, as a wonderful method of bringing out truth, peace and

reconciliation to the nation and world as a whole.

According to Etisalat Nigeria, subscribers are required to make available for use full

names, residential address, age, date of birth, state of origin, occupation, photograph, nationality;

religion, Subscriber SIM MSISDN, SIM serial and bio-metrics information like thumb print

The result of the above is that upon the acquisition of a new SIM card, outbound calls and

SMS services will not be accessible by the subscriber until the SIM is fully registered. However,

subscriber can receive calls and SMS that are inbound on an unregistered number for 30 days

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period starting from the when the first call from the SIM card was made. Deactivation of SIM

card occurs after 30 days if the SIM remains unregistered at the end. (Etisalat Nigeria, 2012)

2.2 Mobile Phone in Nigeria

Online search engine, Wikipedia (2013), defined mobile phone as a device that has the

ability to make and receive telephone calls without a physical connection to a network over a

radio link while walking around a particular geographical region.

It does so by connecting system that uses a number of close-range radio stations to

envelope the geographical area that it serves made available by a mobile phone operator,

permitting access to the public telephone network. By variation, a wireless telephone is utilized

only within the close range of a single, private base station.

In a more lucid way, Michael (2007), defined mobile phone as a portable, handheld

communications device bridged to a cordless network that permits users to make audible calls,

send SMS and run applications.

Shiels (2003) Argues that April 1973 marks the beginning of an era, as Martin Cooper

made the first call on a handheld mobile phone. Though the first mobile telephone calls were

made from vehicle in 1946, the new invention was named "the brick" due to its weight and was

sold for about N639, 200. In a documented quote, Martin Cooper said:

“As I walked down the street while talking on the phone, sophisticated New

Yorkers gaped at the sight of someone actually moving around while making a

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 phone call. Remember that in 1973, there weren't cordless telephones or cellular

phones. I made numerous calls, including one where I crossed the street while

talking to a New York radio reporter - probably one of the more dangerous things

I have ever done in my life.” (Marples, 2012)

A mobile phone is a full-duplex device. It involves the use of one frequency for talking

and a separate frequency for listening. Both users on the call can talk at the same time. A city is

divided into small cells that permit extensive frequency reuse across the whole city, such that

millions of people can utilize cell phones at the same time. Mobile phones operate within cells,

and they switch cells as they move within a geographical location. Cells give cell phones

powerful wide area of coverage. It implies that mobile phone can be use while driving hundreds

of miles and still maintain a conversation the entire time due to the cellular method. A cell has a

base station that is be composed or made up of a tower and a small-scale building holding the

radio equipment.

Cordless phone receives its signals from towers. A towers typically consists of cell which

is typically the area around a tower in which a signal can be received. Mobile handheld provides

powerful array of so much functions. The various functionalities depends on the mobile-phone

model

 Receive and send e-mail

 Store contact details

 Make to-do lists

 Send text messages

 Play games

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  Built-in calculator math

 Set reminders and keep track of appointments

 Connects other devices likes MP3 players, PDAs, and GPS receivers

Though the first system offering cellular services (car phone) were made known in the 1940s

in the United State and the early 1950s in Europe after the discovery of electromagnetic wave

were first known as communication medium towards the end of the 19th century. The single cell

systems were severely forced by low capacity, limited mobility, restricted service, and lack

speech quality. In addition the equipment was difficult to move, expensive, bulky, and open to

interference. (Ashiho, 2003)

Mobile phones have built-in low-power transmitters. Generally phones have two signal

powers, (0.6 and 3 watts). In addition base station saves energy by transmitting at low power.

The two advantages offered by Low-power transmitters are:

 Frequencies can be reutilized covering most of the city due to the fact that the base

station and mobile phones within its cell do not make it very far outside that cell, which

implies both can reutilize the same 56 frequencies.

 The portability of mobile phones is due the power consumption of the phones, since it is

battery-operated. Low energy consumption means small batteries.

The cellular point of view needs a large number of base stations in a city of large size.

Classic city of any size can have hundreds of towers. But as a result of so many mobile users,

costs remain low per person. Each network provider in each city also requires a centralized office

called the Mobile Telephone Switching Office (MTSO). It handles all of the mobile phone

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connections to the usual land-based phone system, and powers all of the base stations in the

geographical area.

All mobile phones are designed with special codes. These codes are used to single out the

phone, the owner and the network provider. The numerous mobile Phone Codes used are stated

below:

 Electronic Serial Number (ESN): A 32-digit number that is unique and programmed into

a mobile phone when it is made.

 System Identification Code (SID): it contains a distinctive 5-digit number, allocated to

each service providers by international regulatory body the Federal Communications

Commission.

 Mobile Identification Number (MIN): it is obtained from the mobile phones number, not

necessary unique and it is a 10-digit number

MIN and SID codes are stored into the mobile phone and become active when a service plan

is bought while the ESN code is a permanently programmed to the phone

All cellular phones have most features in common, though some of manufacturers try to

metamorphose their products by executing extra functions to make it more appealing to the

users. These have led to great changes in mobile phone evolution over the past 21 years.

Miller (2009) said cell phone tracking can locate terrorists but only where it's legal. Location

data are commonly collected by mobile phones. Provided the mobile phone is turned on, the

exact location of a mobile phone can be discovered easily (even when it is turned off), through

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an approach called multilateration, to calculate the differences in time for a signal to proceed

from the mobile phone to each of the various cell towers close to the mobile phone user.

The common features seen on virtually all mobile phones are:

 A battery, serving as the power source

 The circuit board which serves as the brains of the mobile phone

 The Liquid Crystal Display screen

 Keyboard

 Microphone

 Speaker

 An antenna

 Sim slot, Individual Carrier have it Customized SIM card

Feature mobile phones are regarded as Low-end mobile phones, it gives basic telephony while

those with advanced calculating capability through the use software applications are regarded as

smartphones.

2.5 Subscriber Identity Modules (SIM)

SIM card is a type of chip card that is plastic and contains an implanted programmed chip

that reliably reliable keep the international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI), the related element

used to recognize and authenticate subscribers on mobile telephony devices

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 According to a telecommunication factsheet released US Embassy (2011), SIM card is an

integrated circuit that reliably stores the IMSI used to know a mobile subscriber on cellular

devices.

The report also shows that the Nigerian market experienced its most notable drop in SIM

card price in 2004, when the price of a card went from N11,000 to N1,000

According to smart cards manufacturer, CardLogix (2010), the SIM is the most

prominent application of smart card technology, utilized by all phone systems under the GSM

standard. Each phone uses unique identifier, programmed in the SIM, to run the rights and

privileges of each mobile subscriber on networks. Thus the utilization represents more than half

of all chip cards consumed every year. The Universal Subscriber Identification Modules (USIM)

is being deployed to bridge the identity space as mobile phones technologies transition between

GSM, UTMS, and 3G network operators continues.

A SIM circuit is implanted into a detachable plastic card. The plastic card is referred to as

the SIM card and can be swapped between different mobile devices. Each SIM card obeys

unequivocal smart card standards. The initial size of SIM cards were the same size as a credit

card. The growth of visibly smaller mobile devices brought about the evolution of smaller SIM

cards such that the quantity of card within the integrated circuit is lessen.

SIM cards have been turned to a smaller size over the years; the format doesn’t determine

the functionalities. The following formats exist; full-size SIMs, mini-SIMs, micro-SIMs,

embedded-SIM and nano-SIMs but not limited as technology continue to expand

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Figure 2.1 A chart showing the numbers of subscribers and the teledensity data from January –

December 2013 (NCC, 2014)

2.6 Mobile Phone Operator and Nigeria Market

Mobile services were introduced to the Nigerian market in 1993 with NITEL serving as

the national service operator while Mobile Telecommunications Services (MTS) operated a

smaller region in Lagos. Both companies with a subscriber base about 12 500, provided voice

services using an analogue E-TACS network, with other value-added services like paging and

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voicemail from three switches located in Lagos, Abuja, and Enugu. M-Tel eventually became

NITEL’s mobile service provider, After MTS stopped its operations due to non-performance

which led to failure remit interconnection charges to Nitel in 1995. (MBendi, 2014)

In Africa, the Nigeria telecommunications market is the largest and rapidly increasing

after overtaking South Africa in 2008. Due to several factors such as; total liberalisation of the

telecoms sector, with a dynamic regulatory body that is independent and who exhibit growth

ideologies.CGI (2010).

In a telecommunication factsheet, US Embassy Nigeria (2011) placed telecoms sector as

the most viable and fastest industry of the Nigerian economy, creating directly jobs and

indirectly.

According to corporate-Nigeria index (2010), the NCC became a stronger independent

regulatory body after the Nigerian communications drastically minimized the function of the

ministry of information and communications in poly-marketing. Though the effort of both were

visible in 2006 when NCC initiated technology neutral Unified Access Service Licenses

(UASL), giving network carriers to install mobile and data services with available technology of

choice with limitations.

According to report by Research and Markets (2010), the Nigerian telecommunications

industry is one of the markets that is mostly characterized by competition in Africa, the network

regulator is tightening price limit and forcing more reductions of interconnect rates. After years

of set back, mobile number portability (MNP) finally started in 2013, encouraging more market

competitive.

Major attainments include:

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  Major network infrastructure outsourcing deals

 Investments worth Billions per year, to carter for new base stations to be built

 Regulator sanction against on poor quality of service

 New price limit and reduced interconnection rates

 Introduction of number portability

 Acquisitions and mergers among smaller operators

 Various LTE networks getting ready to launch

According to Okereocha (2008) network carriers have reduced the entry barrier to their

networks, such that a SIM card is sold as low as N200. Fierce competition and market forces

brought about by GSM revolution forcing price reduction which ranges from almost 12,000 to

200,000 for a mobile line.

The government has identified several key policy areas to be addressed; these include the

purchase adoption of sustainable energy in telecoms to counter the high energy cost that are

adding to operating expenditure are being passed on to subscriber, other policy directions include

the emerge of the NCC with rural areas and to improve broadband capacity across the country.

The wire Nigeria (WIN) initiatives has made numerous approach in moving out fibre optic

cable across the Nigeria, and the completed State Accelerated Broadband (SABI) access to all 36

of Nigerian state capital.

2.7 Mobile Market Advances in Nigeria

The telecommunication sector has significantly grown since the three companies were

awarded licenses to operate the GSM in January 2001, (Akinkuotu, 2008), though operations

started in August of the same year. According to the NCC, network operators attained 350,000

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connected lines within six months of their inauguration. The network operators continue to

record high usage with exponential growth, reduction in their tariff continues, though customers

are still sceptical and often query the high tariff plans available.

According to Akintuotu (2008), the pioneer GSM operators met a subscriber base of about

800,000 lines, National operator, NITEL, had a monopoly in the telecoms sector from its

establishment in 1995 until the award of the first mobile telecoms license in 2001 with five years

exclusivity period, the licence were given to NITEL’s mobile arm M-TEL, South African

operator MTN and a consortium led by Zimbabwe’s ECONET wireless. The new technology

effect was immediate within a year, there were over 1.5million mobile subscribers in the country,

as compared to just 702,000 fixed lines subscriber.

In 2002, Globacom was awarded a second national operator license making the end of

nitel’s sole occupation of the fixed line market, and the company received a GSM licence, bring

the total number of GSM to four, econet wireless subsequently sold out African conglomerate

celtel, which became zain group in 2008; after MTN and GLOBACOM’s glo mobile, ZAIN

Nigeria, which is now transferred its African business to Indian telecoms company, Bharti Airtel,

currently third GSM operator in the country in terms of active subscribers.

According to the Evans (2009), Arab telecommunication giant, Etisalat, was issued GSM

licence in 2007 but started operating in 2008. Making it the fifth operator and fourth largest

GSM operator.

Companies using CDMA technology also operate in the Nigerian mobile market. Four

CDMA companies currently provide mobile service, namely; VISAFONE, STARCOMMS,

MULTILINKS and ZOOM MOBILE

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 Competition in Nigeria’s fixed-line market has increased since the entry of the second

national operator, GLOBACOM. The introduction of Unified Access Services licences saw a

boom in the amount of companies offering fixed telephony services through wireless

infrastructure.

Nigeria is seen as the most competitive markets in Africa, with five GSM mobile

operators. This has resulted in lower tariffs, a wide variety of innovative services, attractive

offers and improvements in service quality in order to differentiate and set the brands aside.

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SYSTEM ANALYSIS AND DESIGN

3.1 Analysis of the Current System

The configuration of the current system varies from one network provider’s system to

another, the analysis of the systems used are divided into two parts; analysis of current network

providers’ system and the problem or limitations of the inherent in the existing system. The

system is designed as desktop application using java programming language, customized to suit

particular network providers’ data collection. It has a single interface which houses the bio-data

field, the SIM details, the photo identification, and the biometric. Each subscriber fills a pre-

registration form to give quicken the process, after a successful process the system pop up

message. The subscriber SIM gets activated within 4hours to 24hours of a successful registration

With the specification given by the regulator, each network has individual java based/

Visual Basic programmed software installed on customized mini-laptops distributed to registered

and non-registered agents to capture subscriber’s details.

The system avail the operators’ opportunity to register exiting and new customers to its

database and likewise forward to Nigerian communication commission and other relevant

agency if needed.

The shortcoming of these systems includes; time wastages, duplication of data from

different locations, financial waste due to multiply registration outlet on individual platform,

fraudulent act due to unregistered agent. The system is designed as desktop application using

java programming language, customized to suit particular network providers’ data collection. It

has a single interface which houses the bio-data field, the SIM details, the photo identification,

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and the biometric. Each subscriber fills a pre-registration form to give quicken the process, after

a successful process the system pop up message.

3.2 Limitation of Existing System

The limitation of the current system includes;

a) Multiple registration: the inability of the existing system to verify the status of subscriber

SIM registration at any registration point within Minna metropolis, subscribers with

unknown SIM status tenders to re-register the same SIM which directly leads to multiple

registration entry at the network providers end.

b) Agent loop holes: According to survey carried during data collection, the current system

is operated by agents, most not registered. Since the authentication of most agents

handling the existing cannot be verified, loop holes are therefore created. These loop

holes can lead to criminal and fraudulent activities like hoax calls, terrorism and

kidnapping

c) Cost Implications: the absent of a unified registration system adversely results into

individual platform for all network providers to avail the subscriber chance of registration

to enable SIM activation, it directly lead to high cost of buying individual platform to

reach millions of subscribers.

d) Delayed Registration: the current system uses an end-to-end retransmission strategy to

make sure that data arrives correctly at the service providers end, which directly leads to

delay activation and multiple registration by subscribers.

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 3.3 The Proposed System

The web based unified subscriber registration system is a single platform portal that will

serve all the network providers, the system is interactive and user friendly. It will be menu-

driven, allowing access privileges to admin and agents with valid login details. The system will

be heterogeneous user application designed to serve many users at the same time.

3.4 Justification of the New System

The new system will serve as a unified system, which will enable subscribers SIM

verification status, it will authenticate agent login details, thereby closing any loop holes created

by agents. It will be an online server which grant agent direct access for quick and fast

registration and thus, the implementation will ease cost on the network provider side.

3.5 Methodology

The project is to enable network regulator create unified registration portal, accessible by the

network providers and agents registered by each network providers. Therefore, the proposed

system is a web based client and server architecture in which the users interface, data storage and

data access are developed and maintained.

The tools used for the project will be classified into two parts; back end and front end. At the

back end, I have XAMP server while we will have browser based HTML at the front end.

XAMP: It consists mainly of Apache HTTP server, MySQL database, and PHP and Perl

programming languages for scripts written in those languages. XAMP is a free and open source

cross platform web server solution stack package.

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Browser Based HTML is at the front end, and this is what user will be able to interact with, all

registration tasks will be performed through the browser.

The Top-Down model as shown in Figure 3.1, was adopted for the new system design,

the approach serves as the cardinal point in the development of the unified registration system.

This method leads to modular programming in which the entire program is divided into some

modules. It enhances simplicity and clarity of the program and for easy interaction.

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Figure 3.1: Top-Down Model.

3.6 DATA COLLECTION

Minna metropolis serves as my case study, therefore, I narrowed down my data collection and as

such I had to make use of few data collections methods easily accessible, of which are:

a) Observation method

b) Interview method

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OBSERVATION METHOD

Due to the relevance attached to the collection of accurate data from the right and reliable source,

I set out on observing registration procedures t MTN customer shop and Etisalat shop at Tunga,

Airtel shop located at stadium road, various registration agents’ shop at Obasanjo Complex in

Mobile and Uche communication limited local at Bosso. This method was utilized for the

following rationalities:

i. To have first hand information about the network providers and agents carrying out the

registration at various points without embellishment

ii. To avail me the chance of observing the whole system, its structures and requirements

iii. It allows the studying of procedural manuals easy and comprehensible

INTERVIEW METHOD

It involves questioning and evaluation, face-to-face interaction occurred between the system

operators and me. The personal consultations seem to be the most compelling tool in the methods

used for data collection. It gave a bigger understanding of the system problems. The method also

gave insight to certain operational activities that cannot be accessed by absolute watching.

To conclude the interview, registered subscribers and potential subscribers were asked in order to

know the level of acceptability, efficiency, and privacy

i. Why do you register your SIM

ii. How many SIM do you have

iii. How long does it take you to register each of you SIM

iv. Can you register all your SIM at one point

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 v. Can you register all SIM with one system

vi. How do you feel about the proposed system

3.7 DESIGNING THE NEW SYSTEM

The new system being proposed does not differ by broad margin from the current system as

regards mode of operation, the proposed system will have MySQL and Apache server at the back

end.

INPUT DESIGN

The input design is an open table that carries input data, these data are required to perform

desired task. The entries are displayed by a list of the attributes which gives description of each

entity, Password, Username, Name, Address, SIM number, SIM serial number, Sex, Date,

Religion, Age.

OUTPUT DESIGN

The output from the system design is generated from the proposed system inputs. The subscriber

details, agents details and administrators statistics are generated in hard and soft copy for

management analysis and decision.

Total number of registred SIM

Total number of registered agents

Totalnumber of registered adiminisrators

Total number of each network providers’s SIM registered

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Subscriber’s details

3.8 DATABASE DESIGN

The proposed system consists of registered subscribers database, administrators database, and

agents database, the database was designed using MySQL. The structures of tables in the

database files include:

Table 3.1 Subscriber Table

FIELD NAME DATA TYPE DATA SIZE

Name Varchar 300
Mobile number Int 25
SIM serial number Int 30
Gender Varchar 100
Occupation Varchar 300
State Varchar 200
LGA Varchar 300
Religion Varchar 200
Address Varchar 500
Email Text 300
Date Date Time
Table 3.1 is the subscriber table. It contains information of the full subscriber details that is the

name, age, gender, mobile number, email, state etc.

Table 1.3 Administrator Table

FIELD NAME DATA TYPE DATA SIZE

Admin name Varchar 300
Username Text 100
Password Text 50
Table 3.2 is the administrator table. It contains information of the full subscriber details that is

the admin name, username and the password

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Table 1.4 Agent Table

FIELD NAME DATA TYPE DATA SIZE

Agent name Varchar 300
Username Text 100
Password Text 50
Table 3.3 is the agent table. It contains information of the full subscriber details that is the agent

name, username and password.

THE SYSTEM FLOWCHART

The flow chart is the diagram showing step by step processes accompanied by user to carry out

any task that solve a problem. User access to the system start from login, the system has to

validate to determine valid and non-valid login before access is granted to either admin or

lecturer’s home page to perform any task and quit from the system. The process is illustrated in

the below flow chart diagram.

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 START

LOGIN

VALIDATE USER LOGIN

IS USER
VALID INVALID LOGIN

IS USER
ADMIN AGENT MENU

A A

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 A A

VERIFY SIM
ADMI
STATUS
N REGISTER SIM
MENU STATISTIC
EDIT PROFILE

ADD
AGENT/VIEW
ADD
ADMIN/VIEW ENTER
EDIT PROFILE
S
STATISTICS IS NUMB
SEARCH CHOI
CE =
ER
1 FOR
SEARC
H
SHOW
STATUS

IS SELEC
ADD/V CHOI IS
IEW CE = CHOI T
AGENT 1 CE = NETW
2 ORK
RECORD

RECORD
UPDATE

UPDATE

A A A A

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A A A A

ENTER DISPLAY
IS
AGENT IS
LOGINS CHOIC
CHOIC STATISTIC
E=3 S
E=2
RECORD
UPDATE

EDIT IS
PROFIL CHOIC
E E=3 IS
EDIT
CHOIC PRO
E=4 FILE
RECORD
UPDATE

RECORD
UPDATE

DISPLAY
IS
SIM CHOIC
STATISTI E=4
CS

A A A

Page | 31
A A A

ENTERS SEARCH IS
CHIOCHE
EXIST
WORD
=1 CURRENT
AGENT

DISPLAY
RESULTS

EXIST
CURRENT
ADMIN

STOP

Page | 32
SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION, TESTING AND INTEGRATION

4.1 CHOICE OF PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE

The major choice of programming language for this project is Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP)

while Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) which embedded the former and Structured Query

Language added dynamism to the project. PHP is an open source language compared to others

programming languages, making it easy to get. The language has database management system

feature, such that it can control bunch of database.

Php is very user friendly compared to others like Asp.NET, C, Perl, Python, C++ and more, its

grammar can easily be understood, it has a very creative and resourceful environment.

In addition, the language easily connects with most servers as well as operating system like

window, Mac and Linux. Furthermore, PHP platform work extremely fine with database server

like MySQL with various supporting functions. The language also makes portal navigation fast

and smooth.

4.1 THE SYSTEM MAIN MENU IMPLEMENTATION

The system main menu is a Graphical user interface that appears upon user interaction, it usually

offers limited set of choices that are available in the whole program. Figure 4.1 shows the system

main menu below

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Figure 4.1

The system main menu shows the main page where both administrator and agent can use the

system.

4.2 IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SUBSYSTEM

The implementation of the subsystem displays snapshots of all the activities performed by the

administrator and agent

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Figure 4.2

The subsystem above shows Administrator menu after a successful login.

Figure 4.3 Agent home menu after a successful login.

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Figure 4.4 Administrator can add new admin with limited privileges

Figure 4.5 Administrator can creates new agent after clearance from network providers

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Figure 4.6

The subsystem allows an agent to verify SIM status first before proceeding to registration.

Figure 4.7

The subsystem here shows fields to be filled by the agent, if SIM status cannot be verified or not

registered.

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4.4 QUERY SUBSYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION

The query subsystem shows how the user communicates with the system and how the system

responds to the user. Thus, database is very important due to its ability to give the system

reliability, consistency and efficiency.

The administrator can search for a particular subscriber using keywords like; date, mobile

number, agent, and network provider while agent on the other hand can verify subscriber SIM

status by searching the database. Snapshots are illustrated below.

Figure 4.7

The query subsystem allows the admin to search for subscriber using name as keyword as shown

above

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Figure 4.8

The above query shows statistics of registered subscribers, each subscriber can view.

4.5 SYSTEM TESTING AND INTEGRATION

System testing follows a very strict set of rules and guidelines to make sure each individual parts

of the system is thoroughly checked before it is given OK. It makes sure that there are no errors

and the system runs perfectly.

Requirements for Unified Registration System

For effective, there must be certain hardware and software requirements which have to be met.

The requirements are enumerated below:

 Server
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  Computer system(s)

 Network connection between systems

 Human user(s)

 Cloud software

 Database

 Suitable web browser(s)

System integration adds value to the system. It is the process of integrating subsystem according

to their functionalities. Therefore, parallel integration will be adopted. This will enhances the

implementation of the new system while the current system fades out gradually.

5.1 SUMMARY

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The project provides network regulator a unified subscriber registration portal, each network

providers are assigned limited privileges while registered agents can effectively register

subscriber with more than one SIM with the system.

The project work began with a detailed system investigation of the existing system. A new

system was proposed and designed after proper data collection, after the design procedures, it

was tested and implemented for use

5.2 SUGGESTION FOR FURTHER WORK

Web based system is vulnerable malicious attack due to the facts that some subscriber data have

market value.

Data encryption at the highest level should be worked upon by interested researcher while

modification to make it more user friendly.

5.2 CONCLUSION

The new system introduced a unified subscriber registration system, it avoids multiple

registration by first verifying SIM status, thus, making the process of registration fast and stress

free.

The system was tested for reliability and efficiency, in all conclusions, the implementation prove

high measure of affirmative that the viability of its general application holds.

5.3 RECOMMENDATIONS

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Based on the achievement made on this project work through the design and implementation, the

following recommendation will be beneficial should there be need to carry on this project to the

next level:

i. The system is better implemented with a server that support PHP and MySQL

ii. It should be adopted for use within Minna metropolis and expanded accordingly

iii. Agent loop holes should be avoided by proper identification before issuing login details

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