Change GSM operator - keep your old number

[george]

Push for cell-phone number portability

Published on Aug 30, 2003

Advanced Info Service, the leading cellular operator, has come under pressure to go with the flow as momentum builds to allow mobile-phone users to keep their number when switching operators.

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Minister Surapong Suebwonglee first sprang the possibility of introducing the feature during his visit to the U Chu Liang Building headquarters of the No-3 cell-phone company TA Orange on Wednesday.

Yesterday Surapong showed he was serious about mobile number portability (MNP) during a visit to Total Access Communication (DTAC), the second largest cell-phone player, saying MTN would be launched in six months.

DTAC and TA Orange gave their full support to joining the MNP project, but AIS has held back.

A source at AIS saw no reason to adopt MNP because there is no shortage of numbers.

"Thailand has a population of 60 million compared to 90 million numbers available. So the country still has not reached the critical level in terms of its numbering plan," the source said.

AIS is also concerned about the cost to all mobile players in gearing up for MNP, which could eventually be passed on to consumers in the form of higher service charges.

However, Sigve Brekke, DTAC co-chief executive officer, said consumers would benefit greatly from MNP, as it would remove a barrier to jumping to a cheaper or better operator. Competition would become even fiercer, forcing telecom operators to try harder to retain their customers.

AIS has nearly 12.5 million subscribers while DTAC and TA Orange have around 6 million and 1.6 million users respectively.

Surapong wants to make Thailand the third market in Asia to offer user number retention. Hong Kong implemented telephone number portability in January 1997 and MNP in March 1999. Singapore mandated MNP in April 1997 and ordered its mobile operators to upgrade their MNP systems to cater to SMS portability by October 1.

"Number portability will be on the agenda for the first telecom CEO Forum held by the ICT next month bringing all telephone and mobile phone service providers together to exchange ideas on further telecom industry development," Surapong said.

Six months would be sufficient to start up MNP because no concession amendments were needed, although it would require cooperation among all mobile network operators, Surapong said.

The plan would not be applied to home telephone numbers because making it work would be more difficult.

"Currently, TOT Corp has authorised a total of 90 million numbers, of which 60 million are assigned to mobile phone numbers and 20 million to telephone numbers, while 10 million are left. This indicates that we aren't maximising the use of numbers," Surapong said.

The national numbering plan stipulates that TOT will give additional numbers to carriers if they use up 70 per cent of their allocation.

Surapong said he would transfer responsibility for the numbering plan from TOT to the Post and Telegraph Department, which will act as the interim National Telecommunications Commission (NTC).

Usanee Mongkolporn

--THE NATION 2003-08-30