NUMBER PORTABILITY KNOCKS
...@ Nigerian Mobile Operators’ Doors

Number Portability to Usher in Quality Service Delivery  
This August, GSM operations in Nigeria will clock 10 glorious years. Despite the giant strides that have been made in those odd 10 years however, quality of service delivery remains one ingredient desired by both operators and subscribers; but which the one party has not been able to fully deliver nor has the other fully experienced. So, are there no ways of arm-twisting operators, albeit using regulatory fiat aided by technology, to deliver quality telephony services to the consumer? SAMSON AKINTARO and CHIMA AKWAJA present the possibilities, the challenges and the inherent gains of Mobile Number Portability, which is now more imminent than ever.

MNP: Awaiting the new phase of telecom revolution
One of the toughest decisions that can be taken by any mobile phone user in Nigeria today will be to discard a line because the user is not enjoying the best quality of service from the operator. It becomes more difficult if you have been using the line for say five to six years and it is your officially recognised line by business associates, family and friends both at home and abroad.
But is it possible to change your service provider and still retain your number for the new service? The common cliché goes: you cannot eat your cake and have it. But this definitely is not the case with Mobile Number Portability (MNP). Of course, with mobile number portability, you can eat your cake and still have it, which means that you can change your service provider without changing your number.
The above scenarios underscore the vitality and desirability of MNP to enhance service quality and promote healthy competition among telecom operators in Nigeria. The wind of the MNP, which started blowing in Europe and America over a decade ago, is now spreading across the African continent with Kenya joining South Africa and Egypt to roll out in April this year.
In Ghana, the telecommunications regulator, National Communications Authority (NCA) has also announced that by July 1, 2011, mobile phone users in the country would have the luxury to migrate their entire phone numbers to any network of their choice.
Here in Nigeria, there has been pressure from various quarters on the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to implement its number portability roll out plans, although the regulator has said it could only commence after the ongoing Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) card registration.
With the liberalisation of the telecommunication industry in 2001, the story of Nigeria’s teledensity ratio, which was put at 0.4 per cent by the NCC and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in 1999 changed dramatically. The teledensity ratio had tripled within just one year of GSM operation.
By May 2005, Nigeria with an estimated population of 128,771,988 had more than nine million GSM subscribers, making the country one of the fastest growing GSM markets in the world.
That explains the rate at which Nigeria’s subscriber base has been growing to get to the current level of over 89 million lines. This explosive growth has brought huge revenue to both the operators and government through tax and licence fees.
 But amidst this growing figure and telecommunications industry boom is the challenge for quality service from the operators.  These range from inter-network connectivity problems, network congestion and dropped calls. Many Nigerians today carry three to four phones as a way of escaping from poor telecommunications service from either of the operators. This has also fuelled the rush for dual SIM handsets in the county.
Truly, competition does exist among the various operators in the country. However, rather than competition based on quality of service, the operators are enticing subscribers with promos and price wars. Coming under different packages, Nigerians now have access to an avalanche of freebies from the operators ranging from free night calls to free SMS and free weekend calls among others. All these were being rolled out on daily basis at the expense of quality.

Ensuring Quality Through MNP
One major advantage of Number Portability is that it opens the door for stiff competition in quality of service. Number portability tends to act as stimulus/incentive for service providers to improve their quality of service and customer care operations and enter into more roaming agreements by reinvesting some of their profits.
With mobile number portability, telecommunications operators have to satisfy their customers with the service or lose them to their competitors without any problem to the customer. According to Nigerian Communications Commission, typically, number portability rewards those service providers having better customer services, network coverage, service quality and/or pricing.
The most interesting aspect of it is that under mobile number portability, the subscriber becomes a king because no operator will be happy to lose subscribers to competition. Hence, they cannot afford to toy with their quality service because they know that subscribers have other choices at their beck and call.

Reasons for Number Portability
Users of mobile phones in Nigeria, 10 years after its debut, still have a number of causes to complain about their network providers. In fact, over these years, Nigerian subscribers have been at the mercies of the telecoms operators. One major factor that affects every subscriber in the country is the poor quality of service.
 It has been a common phenomenon to dial a number and get error messages such as ‘Network busy’, ‘Network error’, ‘Your number cannot be completed at the moment’, ‘the number you are calling is incorrect, among many other disturbing and frustrating error messages from the operators. Today, many are condemned to bear the burden of carrying two to three phones around, in case one network interconnection failure at a crucial moment a call is to be made.
Besides, the issue of unfriendly tariff regime has surfaced as part of the need for the revolution. It is believed that with mobile number portability, competition will drive tariffs lower than its current position.
As a matter of fact, subscribers who had had a nasty experience from Customer Care Service of the telecoms operators would not but wish for freedom through MNP. Many subscribers are complaining bitterly about unfriendly manner at which some Customer Service agents attend to them. And that is even if their calls get through to the agents.  In most cases, customers’ calls are not picked, while in some cases when the calls are picked, the agents would not be able to find solutions to the subscriber’s problem. Of course, with MNP, no telecom operator that wants to retain its subscribers will toy with them.

Benefits for Subscribers
Number Portability offers immense benefits to subscribers, allowing them to easily change service providers without having to notify their friends and colleagues of a number change. With number portability, a subscriber who is unhappy with a mobile services provider can switch to a provider of choice while retaining his existing mobile number.
In short, what this means is that if a user moves to another mobile network, the new network operator would issue him a SIM card that has the same telephone number (including original network code) as his original network. The user's number is then said to have been "ported", in MNP parlance.
Mobile number portability reduces the complaints of poor quality of service on the network of certain operators, as subscribers would have the opportunity to change operators at will. Besides quality assurance, MNP also has the tendency of engendering tariff reduction as competition gets stiffer.
Another benefit to mobile phone users is the fact that even customers who do not choose to port their numbers to a new network would benefit from the new tariffs, promotions, features, and quality of service improvements that are likely to roll out under the MNP environment.
Moreover, with number portability, subscribers can save money by having the best plan they like: while some people hardly leave the city they live in and want more features, others might travel a lot, especially to remote areas and need better signal reception. Mobile Number Portability allows both types of users to have the same number without having the additional headache.
For the mobile subscribers, porting number means no more endurance for poor  quality of service and a tariff regime that is not very pocket friendly for the majority of consumers. It is a form of empowerment for the consumers to demand their rights from the operators and they express this by switching to where they would be served right.
And for once, many Nigerian subscribers would be eased off the burden of carrying many phones around, although many are used to it already. Number portability avails subscribers opportunity to switch to the most reliable network at any time without losing their number.
Again, with number portability, users of mobile CDMA can switch to GSM network using the same number and at the same time GSM user can switch to CDMA if they so desire while still using their mobile number. Indeed, it is a win-win situation for the subscribers under the new regime as all operators work assiduously to ensure they are satisfied.

Why Operators May Not Welcome MNP Now
It is a common phenomenon in many countries operators are not favourably disposed to Number Portability regime where its introduction had been attempted; or where it has fully been introduced. Reasons being that it exposes them to stiffer competition and pushes them into higher marketing expenses, which in some cases may affect their profitability. Of course, this is a fact that has proven itself in countries that are number portability compliant.
For instance, in India, telecoms operators like Bharti Airtel, Reliance Communications and Idea Cellular, were said to have recorded lower profits for the first quarter ended March 2011, as an aftermath of adoption of number portability in the country on January 20, this year.
However, any operator worth its onions would know that number portability is a challenge to get the best out of it. Certainly, operators with best services enjoy the benefits of number portability. Naturally, everybody wants the best; therefore, any operator offering less in service quality and tariff plan is expected to see a massive exodus, provided the subscribers could not endure it.
The irony of the situation is that while subscribers are enthusiastic and anxiously awaiting the kick off of number portability in Nigeria, the operators have continued to ask for more time under the guise of building a robust network so as to have a strong and dependable interconnect system in place.
Of course, for the operators in Nigeria, implementation of number portability should be delayed further because it took countries that have implemented it several years of GSM operation before considering porting numbers. They are quick to cite examples like South Africa taking 12 years to implement number portability, after the lunch of GSM in 1994, and that the United Kingdom which introduced number portability in their telecom sector decades after the launch of its first GSM network.
But whether the operators are ready or not, Nigeria as the fastest growing telecommunications market in Africa cannot afford to lag behind in the new revolution to liberate subscribers.

MNP and National Communications Act 2003
The NCC by virtue of the provisions of section 128 of the National Communications Act 2003 is vested with exclusive powers to regulate number portability in Nigeria, among other things. This is in line with the objectives of removing barriers to free choice of mobile network by a subscriber; ensuring further increase in the level of open competition among network operators; acting as stimulus for service providers to improve on quality of service and consumer satisfaction; and making it easier for the last mobile entrant to gain market share.
First raised in 2007 through a public forum organised by the Nigerian telecommunications regulator, number portability has remained in the pipeline as GSM operators asked for time to enable them settle issues of interconnectivity, robust infrastructure and billing methods before the implementation.
However, the issue came to the front burner again early this year when the Executive Vice-Chairman of NCC, Dr. Eugene Juwah, disclosed to the media that the new revolution would begin immediately after the ongoing SIM registration. Juwah, who linked the implementation of mobile number portability with the actualisation of the SIM card registration in Nigeria, explained, that there is no need awarding number portability if you don’t know the users of phones and how to identify them.
“That is why we want to quickly do SIM card registration before we go into number portability because it would be a nightmare for security agents to identify them if they can move easily from one service provider to another. What we have done is to get a grasp at SIM cards registration first. We are finalising arrangements to commence registration of existing SIM cards from February this year,” the regulator.
 The NCC boss asked the GSM operators to shape up in quality of service provisioning believing that number portability will play role in opening up more competition, stimulating improvement in quality of service and expanding coverage in the Nigerian telecoms market.

How NCC Will Implement MNP
For over four years now, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has been on Mobile Number Portability, giving impression that the implementation is imminent. But the regulator’s body language is showing lack of commitment or unwillingness to go ahead with the implementation.
Indeed, some observers could not but deduce that the regulator is dancing to certain tunes from behind. This feeling is rife among some subscribers who now doubt the sincerity of the NCC on the issue of MNP.
Whether this is true or not could only be explained by the regulator on why until 2011, the much touted plans in 2007 still remain on the drawing board. Even at the current planning stage information at the level of preparedness of the regulator and the operators remains sketchy.
Although the Executive Vice-Chairman of the Commission, Dr. Eugene Juwah, told the media in February this year that the implementation would commence immediately after the ongoing SIM registration, the modalities are still remain unclear. Industry observers still wonder if the regulator is afraid of wielding the big stick on the operators, who are known to be averse to MNP.
However, the NCC Head of Media and Public Relations, Mr. Reuben Mouka, in reaction to the issue said the commission was only waiting to get a sizable number of SIM cards registered before MPN implementation would kick off.
According to him, the implementation would start before the end of this year. Already, he said the regulator has commenced the selection process of a third party firm that would hand the implementation, adding that this is being advertised in the international media.
The Nigerian telecommunications regulator has also appointed a consultant to handle the selection process for firms jostling to handle the porting process for Nigerian subscribers. This end process means that for any firm that would be eventual selected, experience in managing number portability in emerging markets would be of great advantage.
 In some of the countries like Ghana and Kenya, their regulator appoints a third party to handle the porting process as it may be difficult for competing operators to agree on reason to port subscriber lines. The eventual third party processor will be ably equipped with the technology and technical-know-how to coordinate and port telephones numbers for Nigerian subscribers desirous to move their numbers to other operators.
Be that as it may, the Nigerian operators’ attitude towards the MNP implementation has also become a source of concern. Just few months to the commencement of the process as promised by the NCC, none of the operators seem to show any sign of preparedness. In fact, they all display a tell tail sign of unwillingness.
Some of the operators who were contacted could not comment on the issue. However, a spokesperson of one of the big mobile operators, who spoke on confidence, said MNP is an industry-wide  issue, as such, he could not comment on it as they are still awaiting the regulator to release the details.

How Number Portability Works
Mobile Number Portability (MNP) enables mobile telephone users to retain their mobile telephone numbers when changing from one mobile network operator to another. MNP is implemented in different ways across the globe.
The international and European standard is for a customer wishing to port his/her number to contact the new provider (Recipient) who will then arrange necessary process with the old provider (Donor). This is also known as 'Recipient-Led' porting. United Kingdom (UK) did not implement a Recipient-Led system, where a customer wishing to port his/her number is required to contact the Donor to obtain a Porting Authorisation Code (PAC) which he/she then has to give to the Recipient.
Once having received the PAC the Recipient continues the port process by contacting the Donor. This form of porting is also known as 'Donor-Led' and has been criticised by some industry analysts as being inefficient. It has also been observed that it may act as a customer deterrent as well as allowing the Donor an opportunity of 'winning-back' the customer. This might lead to distortion of competition, especially in the markets with new entrants that are yet to achieve scalability of operation.
In India, mobile number portability which was launched on January 20, 2011 is Donor Led. Only the terminology is changed from PAC to UPC (Unique Porting Code). A significant technical aspect of Mobile Number Portability is related to the routing of calls or mobile messages (SMS, MMS) to a number once it has been ported.
There are various flavours of call routing implementation across the globe but the international and European best practice is via the use of a central database (CDB) of ported numbers. Network operator makes copies of CDB and queries it to find out which network to send a call to. This is also known as All Call Query (ACQ) and is highly efficient and scalable.
Majority of the established and upcoming MNP systems across the world are based on this ACQ/CDB method of call routing. One of the very few countries to not use ACQ/CDB is the United Kingdom where calls to a number once it has been ported are still routed via the Donor network. This is also known as 'Indirect Routing' and is highly inefficient as it is wasteful of transmission and switching capacity.
Because of its Donor dependent nature, Indirect Routing also means that if the Donor network develops a fault or goes out of business, the customers who have ported out of that network will lose incoming calls to their numbers. The United Kingdom telecoms regulator Office of Communications, Ofcom, completed its extended review of the UK MNP process on November 29, 2007 and mandated that ACQ/CDB be implemented for mobile-to-mobile ported calls by no later than September 1, 2009.
Prior to March 2008 it took a minimum of five (5) working days to port a number in the United Kingdom compared to two (2) hours only in the United States of America (USA), as low as 20 minutes in the Republic of Ireland, three (3) minutes in Australia and even a matter of seconds in New Zealand. On 17 July 2007, Ofcom released its conclusions from the review of UK MNP and mandated reduction of porting time to two (2) working days with effect from 1 April 2008.
On 29 November 2007, Ofcom completed its consultation on further reduction to porting time to two (2) hours along with recipient led porting and mandated that near-instant (no more than 2 hours) recipient led porting be implemented by no later than 1 September 2009.
In a decentralised model of MNP, a FNR (Flexible Number Register) may be used to manage a database of ported out/ported in numbers for call routing. In India as MNP is recently launched, number porting process takes seven (7) days as of now. Customers are facing problems in getting portability to work as envisaged.
The donor network is wary of letting customers go and find improper number of reasons to reject portability requests. The customer keeps getting calls asking them not to switch and even after refusing some of the tempting offers made, the portability does not get done timely.
Service providers and carriers who route messages and voice calls to MNP-enabled countries might use Home Location Register (HLR) query services to find out the correct network of a mobile phone number, a number of such services exist, which query the operator's home location register over the SS7 signalling network in order to determine the current network of a specified mobile phone number prior to attempted routing of messaging or voice traffic.

Number Portability Laid Bare
Though it was introduced as a tool to promote competition in the heavily monopolised wireline telecommunications industry, number portability became popular with the advent of mobile telephones, since in most countries different mobile operators are provided with different area codes and, without portability, changing one's operator would require changing one's number.
Some operators, especially incumbent operators with large existing subscriber bases, have argued against portability on the grounds that providing this service incurs considerable overhead, while others argue that it prevents vendor lock-in and allows them to compete fairly on price and service. Due to this conflict of interest, number portability is usually mandated for all operators by telecommunications regulatory authorities.
 In the United States of America, local number portability (LNP) was mandated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 1996 with the First Report and Order on LNP and Number Pooling. The mandate required all carriers in the top 100 MSAs (Metropolitan Statistical Areas) to be "LNP-capable" and port numbers to any carriers sending a BFR (bona fide request).
This was followed with Singapore implementing the MNP (limited) functionality in 1997 followed by United Kingdom in 1998, Hong Kong in 1999, Spain in 2000, Australia, Denmark, Italy, Norway - 2001; Belgium, Germany - 2002; Austria, Finland, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal - 2003 and list continues to grow.
The ability to keep a number while switching providers is thought to be attractive to consumers. It was also a major point made by CLECs (Competitive Local Exchange Carriers) preventing customers from leaving ILECs (Incumbent Line Exchange Carriers), thus hindering competition. Details regarding the reasons for LNP and how it is to be implemented can be found in the First Report and Order referenced above.
Also in the United States, the FCC has mandated this in order to increase competition among providers. As of late November 2003, local number portability was required for all landline and wireless common carriers, so long as the number is being ported to the same geographical area or telephone exchange. This latest mandate included carriers outside the top 100 MSAs that theretofore enjoyed a rural carrier exemption.

MNP Fact Sheet
Mobile number portability means you can keep your existing mobile telephone number when you change your service provider. Mobile number portability is simply keeping your mobile phone number when moving from your existing service provider to a new provider. It means you will use the services and features offered by your new provider and not take your existing service and its features with you.
 Before changing service providers, you should check with the selected new provider to ensure it can provide the services and features you need (such as voicemail, SMS or related services such as fax and data).
Contractual Obligations
When you use mobile number portability, your mobile service (and associated services for example data or fax services) with your existing service provider is cancelled. However, it is important to note that although your existing service is cancelled, your contract with your existing service provider may or may not have been cancelled.
This means that you may still have to payout your contract or pay an early termination fee. It also means that you will be required to pay all call charges. Alternatively, you may choose to wait for your existing contract to expire before changing providers, but you should make sure that you still have an active service.
Authorised Customers
You can only change providers and move an existing mobile number if you are the authorised customer--that is the person who has the mobile service account with the existing provider.
Handsets purchased as part of a pre-paid package
Since the introduction of mobile number portability, a mobile number issued to a customer as part of a pre-paid service can also be moved to a new provider. However, handsets sold as part of a pre-paid service are often 'SIM locked' to prevent customers using a SIM card in the phone other than the one issued for the pre-paid service. If you wish to use the same handset you may need to make arrangements with your existing service provider to have your handset unlocked. A fee may be charged.
Personal SIM Locking
Handsets can also be 'SIM locked' by the customer as a security precaution. This involves setting a special code in the phone that must be dialled before the phone can be used. Personal SIM locking must be de-activated before you change to a new provider.
Moving Between Different Technologies

MNP FAQs
1. What is mobile number portability?
Mobile number portability (MNP) is the ability to take your existing mobile number to a new service with a new provider. i.e. it will now be possible to move from say MTN to Airtel or Glo to Etisalat or Visafone, while keeping the same phone number, provided there are no contractual obligations. Mobile number portability is not a service feature or a product; it is the removal of a barrier to choosing the provider or service that suits you.
2. What is 'porting'?
'Porting' is the act of transferring your number to a new service, either with a different network or a different service provider, or both.
3. What are the benefits of porting?
The main benefit of mobile number portability is freedom of choice. You are free to choose a new mobile service provider without losing your existing number. If you are not satisfied with your existing provider, you don't have to stay just to keep your number.
If you are in business, keeping your number when changing phone companies means you will avoid missing calls, reprinting stationery and having any signage redone. For individuals, it means avoiding the inconvenience of having to notify friends and associates that you've changed your number.
4. Can I switch providers if I'm still on contract with my existing provider?
Yes, you can, but you will still have to pay out your existing contract, just as you would if you simply cancelled your service. Moving to a new provider may cancel your existing contract, but the obligations you may have to your existing provider remain. You will be required to pay all outstanding call charges.
If your existing service is cancelled during a minimum term contract, you will also have to pay out your contract or an early termination fee. You will need to find out from your existing provider exactly what is required in your case.
5. Can I keep my number and change providers if I'm on a pre-paid service?
Yes, you can, but your handset may be locked. Handsets sold as part of a pre-paid service are often 'network SIM-locked' to prevent customers using a SIM card with the handset other than the one issued for the pre-paid service.
If you want to use the same handset you may need to arrange with your existing provider to have your handset unlocked. Some carriers may charge to unlock your handset. This does not apply if you already owned the phone when you obtained the pre-paid service, or if you are prepared to get a new handset with the new service. But remember that new handsets may increase the cost to you.
An important point for mobile phone users on a pre-paid service is that you will lose any credit you have on your service at the time of the change. That is something to take into account in the timing of a change.
6. Can I change providers and go to a pre-paid service?
Yes, if your chosen new provider offers you that service. This will not cancel any contractual obligations you may already have. Check the details of what the new provider is offering and make sure that it suits you. Be aware that you may have to shop around to find a service that suits you.
7. Does MNP mean that any provider I approach must accept me as a customer?
No, it doesn't.
Your current provider has to let you go, but a new provider is able to make a commercial decision about whether to accept you as a customer.
8. If I can't tell what network somebody is with from the number, how will discounts for calls on the same network operate (on-net calls)?
The providers will know who their customers are, so they can still offer the discounts, but callers won't necessarily know if the people they call have switched to a new provider. To avoid unexpected charges, mobile users should confirm with their friends and their associates that they are using the same mobile network. It is therefore generally always better to use the service of the largest network, with the most subscribers to enjoy the cheapest calls.
9. I've decided to port. Who do I approach, my current mobile provider or the one I'm planning to move to?
Go to your prospective operator’s store and you will be connected to your new provider. Contact will be made with your existing provider as part of the porting process and inform it that you are porting. Your new provider will also announce to all other network providers that your number has been ported. This is to ensure that callers to your number are successfully connected to your new network.
10. Can my number be ported without my permission?
This is unlikely with mobile services; you will often need a new SIM card or handset. It is unusual for your service to be switched without you knowing about it. Furthermore mobile phones tell you which network you are connected to on the screen. If an unauthorised port does occur, contact your normal service provider as soon as possible and the port can be reversed.
11. Will I get a bill from my former provider?
Yes, you are likely to get a final account or a number of accounts to settle your contractual obligations or to pay for the calls and network access you used between your last bill and the time of the switch.
12. What are the steps involved in porting and how long will it take?
The first step is to choose your new provider.
•You will be asked to give authorisation to make the change in writing.
•Being advised that you may have obligations to your existing provider is part of the authorisation. It is up to you to follow this up.
•Your new provider will ask your existing provider to check that you are the authorised customer, and make sure that your personal information is correct. Personal information includes the account number for post-paid accounts and a reference number or date of birth for pre-paid accounts.
•Your new provider may conduct a credit check (i.e in countries with credit rating). When these procedures are complete, new operator will advise the former provider and the number will be moved to the new provider. The new provider must inform other carriers of the port so that they can correctly route calls to your new provider, not your former provider.
•The telecommunications industry has set up automated processes and electronic interchanges between carriers to enable porting to take place in around the same time that it would normally take to provide you with a new mobile phone service (if you were not porting). In the vast majority of cases, this is a couple of hours.
However, the provision of wrong information, system malfunction, or other practical considerations may cause your port to take slightly longer. Your new provider will advise you how long the process is expected to take.
•You will receive with your new service a new SIM card. If you have put a PIN or other security device to prevent unauthorised use of your phone, you will need to remove or deactivate that security.
13. Can I nominate the date and time at which my service is ported?
Yes, you can and it may be helpful to choose that date-and approximate time-carefully. If you are moving from a pre-paid service, you may want to use up your credits before you move. If you receive a lot of calls you may want to time the port for a non-busy time. Note that porting is only available during business hours. If you have to wait for the new SIM card to arrive by post, you may want to postpone the activation of the new service until it has arrived.
14. I travel overseas and roam onto other networks. Will international roaming be affected?
Availability of international roaming is dependent on bilateral agreements between your network operator and network operators overseas. The new provider might not have the same agreements as your previous provider. This will only matter if it does not have any agreements with operators in the countries you visit.
You should ask the new provider to which you are considering porting if it has agreements with network operators in the countries which you visit.
15. If I'm considering porting to, how can I find out reliably whether that carrier has adequate coverage for me? Your new operator can issue you coverage maps on request, for both GSM and 3G services.

Before you decide to port your (change providers and keep your mobile) number, ask these questions:
1. When does my existing mobile service contract expire (for post-paid subscribers)?
2. Will I have to pay an early termination fee or ongoing costs (access charges) under my existing mobile service contract if I move my number to a new provider?
3. Is my handset SIM locked, and will I have to pay a fee to have it unlocked before moving my number?
4. Am I the authorised customer?
5. What do I want from my mobile service? Which provider best meets my needs?
If the new provider fails to warn you that you may have existing contractual obligations or you do not properly authorise the transfer of your existing mobile number you do not have to proceed with the move.
What will I have to do to keep my existing mobile number?

The following processes have been introduced by the telecommunications industry to make porting your number as quick and easy as possible. They are designed to avoid the need-in most cases-for customers to have to contact their existing provider when changing to another provider and keeping their existing mobile phone number.
When you contact a new provider for a mobile service and you want to keep your existing mobile phone number, the prospective provider is obliged to: advise you that you may still have outstanding charges payable or unfulfilled obligations with your existing provider; and ask you to give authorisation confirming your request to change providers and retain your existing mobile number.
Confirmation of authorisation may be: written (for example, where you sign a form) electronic (for example, where you agree to certain conditions on the Internet before proceeding); or voice (for example, where you agree to certain conditions described to you over the telephone by an operator or a voice recording).
The prospective provider will also: make sure your personal information is correct, which helps to ensure that you are authorised to take the mobile number to your new provider. Personal information includes your mobile number as well as your: account number or date of birth for post paid contracts; or reference number or date of birth for pre-paid contracts and send messages to your existing provider to confirm: you have the mobile service and mobile number with that provider; and you have requested to change providers and retain your existing mobile number.
When notified by your new provider, your existing provider will arrange for your mobile phone number to be moved to the new provider. The new provider will make arrangements with other carriers for you to receive calls on that number with your new service.
If the new provider fails to warn you that you may have existing contractual obligations or you do not properly authorise the transfer of your existing mobile number you do not have to proceed with the move. If you believe your mobile number has been moved to another provider without your authorisation you should contact your existing provider.
Can I get a new handset when I move my number to a new provider?
Certainly. In most cases you will be entering into a new relationship when you move to the new provider and that is often the point at which people decide to get a new handset. However, if you are getting a new handset, and therefore entering into a contract during which you will be paying for that phone, it is particularly important to check any existing contract in case you are required to make payments.

Other factors to consider
Existing contractual terms and conditions
You are advised to check all terms and conditions of the contract with your existing provider before deciding to change. If you are unsure of your contractual obligations, including whether a cancellation fee applies, contact your provider. Service providers have to provide information about contract terms and conditions quickly and free of charge to their customers. You are also advised to carefully check and consider the terms and conditions of your new mobile service contract.
Reliance on prefixes to determine to which network a number belongs
Prior to MNP, mobile phone users may have known by looking at the prefix of a mobile number whether the number belongs to the same network. Some mobile providers offer special low call rates between same network connections, making these calls very attractive. As more users change service providers but keep their existing numbers, the ability to recognise a mobile network by the number prefix will be lost. To avoid unexpected charges, mobile users should be careful to check which network provides service for the number called.
Inclusion of mobile numbers in directories

How IT & Telecom Digest Broke the MNP Story in Nigeria
(Run here, the story from the 2004 edition on this topic)

The Case for Mobile Number Portability in Africa
(WHO WROTE THIS? IT’S PERSONAL OPINION, AND MUST BE ATTRIBUTED)
With increased competition by mobile service providers in our African telecom markets, and millions being spent on advertisements by carriers to lure consumers, the desire and sometimes need to change to other mobile networks with better services heightens each day.
But most consumers and businesses place value on retaining their telephone numbers, and are as such reluctant to change mobile networks. Imagine the administrative, marketing, and goodwill costs associated with changing telephone numbers for a business, and even for individual phone users.
I have been using my personal mobile number for the past 6 years. Almost every one of my friends living in the country and abroad knows they can reach me on that number. Admittedly, the quality of service delivered by my mobile carrier is crap, but I am reluctant to move to another network as it would involve getting a number pretended by the new carrier's network code (which means a new telephone number). But there is a solution: Mobile Number Portability.
MNP enables mobile telephone users to retain their existing telephone numbers when they change from one mobile network operator to another. In short, what this means is that if a user moves to another mobile network, the new network operator would issue him a SIM card that has the same telephone number (including original network code) as his original network's. The user's number is then said to have been "ported", in MNP-speak.
Frankly, this technological facility has been available and implemented in several countries for almost 10 years now. But only about 5 countries in Africa have successfully deployed MNP in their telecom markets.
In Ghana, several mobile service operators (with the exception of the biggest mobile carrier) have been pushing for the implementation of MNP in the country, with recent cries coming from Vodafone Ghana. These operators realise the obvious that many customers are reluctant to change to their networks because of losing their existing numbers.
As implied in the previous paragraph, not all mobile carriers love the sound of it. Usually the biggest-subscriber networks, who often have poor network services do NOT want Number Portability implemented as it would mean losing subscribers to the smaller networks.
The implementation of MNP is enforced by the regulatory body for that industry (the FCC in the US and NCA in Ghana). The regulator typically defines procedures, implementation dates, charges on consumers if any, etc, for the carriers, along with arrangements for customers to 'port' their numbers.
Less I forget, with number portability you can move your mobile phone number across technologies--from GSM to CDMA or from CDMA to GSM - but you will need a new handset :-) When well-implemented with appropriate mechanisms and procedures in place, it would take just a few hours for a customer to "port" or change to another network.
It could take about 2 hours (as in USA), or as low as 20 minutes (as in the Republic of Ireland), 3 minutes (in Australia) or even a matter of seconds (in New Zealand).
The ability of end users to retain their telephone numbers when changing service providers gives customers flexibility in the quality, price, and variety of telecommunications services they can choose to purchase.
Number portability promotes competition between telecommunications service providers by, among other things, allowing customers to respond to price and service changes without changing their telephone numbers. The resulting competition will benefit all users of telecommunications services.
Indeed, competition should foster lower local telephone prices and, consequently, stimulate demand for telecommunications services and increase economic growth.
The National Communications Authority has fixed MNP implementation to 2011 for Ghana. I wish it was now!
Understandably, MNP implementation requires expensive software and hardware upgrades to the infrastructures of mobile operators. Who bears the cost of these systems upgrades, and the cost of setting up a number portability clearinghouse - Is it going to be the operators, the regulatory body, the customers, who?

MNP Developments in Africa

Ghana to begin Porting Subscribers from July 1, 2011
Beginning from July 1, 2011, mobile phone users in Ghana would have the luxury to migrate their entire phone numbers, including the network code 024, 027, 020, 026, 028 or Glo’s 02X to any network they choose. 
This would be made possible by a system called Mobile Number Portability, which, for instance, allows customers with a 02X number to migrate their number to another network with 02Y code, and vice versa. The network losing a customer is called the donor and the one gaining the customer is called the recipient. 
The National Communications Authority (NCA) and the various network operators have completed more than 90 per cent of the technical work that needed to be done to ensure that MNP takes off smoothly. Mr. Joshua Peprah is the Director, Regulatory and Administration at the NCA, and he told Adom News that “all is set for the take off of the MNP on July 1, 2011.”
“What this means is that from July first all mobile phone users who have registered their SIM cards but are not happy with their network service provider can migrate to another network but maintain their original phone number including the prefix of the original network,” he said.
He said the NCA has awarded a contract to a private joint-ventureship called Porting Access Ghana (PAG) to establish a central database of all ported numbers and also to facilitate porting within 24 hours. “The system is such that if you want to port, you go to the new network you want to migrate to (the recipient) and tell them you want to join them and they would inform PAG and PAG would inform the network that you are leaving (the donor) so they can deactivate your number from their network.
“The recipient would then give you a new chip with the same number and pay PAG a standard fee of about $2.5 (equivalent to about GHC4) and you become their customer even though your network code is still that of the donor,” he said.
He says NCA expects that the various networks would absorb the charges, adding that NCA would ensure that there were no overcharges.
Mr. Peprah said during porting, the donor would be given 15 minutes to deactivate the migrated number, but if it doesn’t, PAG would still go ahead and inform all networks that the number in question now belongs to another network so all calls and text messages to that number should be routed to the new network.
He said at this stage all the engineers and technical staff of the various telecom service providers have been trained in how to do smooth porting.
“We paired Tigo and Expresso; MTN and Airtel, and Vodafone and Glo to undertake dummy porting exercises and it worked fine – I must say that the various network operators have some of the finest engineers in the industry and they worked hard to make the system very smooth,” he said.  But Mr. Peprah noted that mobile phone users would need to necessarily register their SIM cards before they could participate in MNP because they would require the ID of very individual before his or her number can be ported.
He therefore urged all mobile phone users to register their SIM cards before the June 30, 2011 deadline to avoid losing their phone numbers, saying that “you can’t port a number that has been rendered invalid.”
Currently the NCA is checking the veracity of the ID cards people used in registering their SIM cards to ensure the authenticity of the IDs. He said other reasons for which porting can be denied include if the phone number is reported stolen, inactive on the original network, fraud reported about that number or lack of enough ID.
Meanwhile some of the telecom operators have said they are not perturbed by the MNP because in countries where it had happened previously not more than two per cent of phone users ported their numbers. It is also expected that MNP would reveal the actual numbers of active cell phone numbers in this country, as more than 17 million are being reported and yet not all are active.
Network operators are also expected to start offering lots of freebies between now and July 1, to lure their customers to stay with them when the MNP takes off.

…Initial Pre-Testing Successful
Initial test runs on the mobile number portability (MNP) process chalked up a resounding success on May 4, 2011, custodians of central database of all ported numbers, Porting Access Ghana (PXS), has said.
Mr. Saqip Nazir who is the Managing Director of PXS, told Adom News Editor Samuel Dowuona that in March all the manual pre-testing between the central database and all the five operator networks were completed, and in April the networks connected their Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to the central database.
 “On May 4, 2011, the first end-to-end porting was done and it took between 10 to 15 minutes out of a possible 24 hours,” he said. He said that may not mean the system is absolutely full-proof but it indicates how committed and cooperative the operators have been in the process so far.
“I must say the operators here have been pretty fantastic – they’ve all been very cooperative – everyone has mostly done their work – there may have been few hitches here and there, but everyone has played along and they are working very hard to make sure everything is successful,” he said.
Mr. Nazir said PXS has invested more than a million dollars to set up two redundant data centres where a database of all ported numbers would be kept, adding that PXS would serve as a routing centre, dealing strictly with the telecom operators and not subscribers.
“Our roles is mainly technical and never regulatory – all regulatory matters would still be handled by the NCA so if any customers has issues they need to report to their network provider and the network would then have to report to NCA and not to us,” he said.
He explained that PXS would manage the whole porting process by receiving requests from recipient networks and carry on requests to donor networks and when the process is complete, PXS would then broadcast to all the networks and stakeholders which network the ported numbers now belongs to.
PXS also manages MNP in Kenya where it has been accused by one operator, Safaricom, of favouring another operator, Airtel, but Mr. Nazir said PXS Ghana is on good terms with all operators in Ghana and would not favour one operator against others.
“We are on good terms with all operators and we have visited each of them and informed them that we have a job to do in Ghana and we will do it without fear or favour – we invested our own money and we will not favour anyone at our own detriment,” he said.
But he was also quick to add that the problems in Kenya was because MNP was launched when not all the operators were ready, but in Ghana everything is being done to ensure that by the time of launch every operators would be ready.
MNP Consultant for the National Communications Authority (NCA), Mr. Bob Palitz said some NCA staff are being trained to man an NCA desk at PXS and over the porting process and ensure everybody, including PXS are playing by the rules. He said there are still layers and layers of testing that need to be done to ensure that the operators are fully ready before the launch.
Mr. Palitz said each of the six operators need to do pre-testing with five others so there would 30 exercises in all and just a few have been done so far. He noted there is need for the operators to also test calls from and to ported numbers for billing purposes so they would not bill numbers wrongly because of the network prefix.
“Vodafone also needs to configure their fixed line network to be able to recognize calls from ported 020 numbers as outside network calls, and also recognize calls from 024, 026, 027, 028, 023, 054 and 057 which may have ported to Vodafone as on-network calls and bill them as such,” he said.
He said all that need to be pre-tested, including even calls from overseas to ensure that the international gateways would be able associate ported numbers with the new networks in spite of the network prefix, and bill them accordingly.
“It is important to note that when MNP starts networks will no more be identified with their prefix because you can have numbers with different prefixes on all the networks – but porting is likely to start with a sharp rise to a point, for a while and start rising gradually as subscriber numbers increase,” he said.

Kenya Launches Mobile Number Portability
April 8th, 2011
The Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) has confirmed that mobile number portability (MNP) was successfully implemented in the country on 1 April 2011, making Kenya the 63rd nation to allow mobile phone users to retain their existing phone numbers when changing service providers.
The long-awaited introduction of MNP follows a series of extensive public consultations that took place between 2004 and 2008. Those wishing to switch operators while retaining their numbers will pay a one-off fee of KES199.80 (USD2.36). However, Airtel Kenya, the country’s second largest cellco by subscribers, has declared its intention to waive the MNP fee for anyone porting their number to its network.
Bob Collymore, CEO of market leader Safaricom, commented: ‘We are not afraid to lose customers. Other networks have always been after Safaricom subscribers anyway. It is good that consumers now have a choice, I think each network should be left to deal with MNP in its own way’.

…Mobile Portability Yet to Excite Subscribers
One month after the launch of Mobile Number Portability, significant headway in the number of subscribers moving across networks is yet to be made. Statistics released towards the end of last week by Porting Access Kenya showed only about 45,000 porting requests had been made since inception which is less than 5 per cent of the entire 22 million mobile subscribers.
 The low enthusiasm about MNP is made worse by the fact that only about 10 000 customers have successfully ported. Even though the Communication Commission of Kenya says the progress is satisfactory, the war it sparked between mobile operators, Airtel and Safaricom has been more visible than actual movement.
Porting Access Kenya, the company in charge of the porting platform has singled out Safaricom saying it is derailing MNP. "The problem is with Safaricom," said Porting Access Managing director, Patrick Musimba.
The report he released however showed the problems were across the board. According to the figures, up to 24 per cent of those who made requests to port to Airtel were successful compared to only 10 per cent who managed to move to Safaricom. Porting to Orange showed the highest rate of success by 62.5 per cent while YU had 38.6 per cent.
The number of customers authorised by their original network to port were at a comparative 7.9 by Airtel and 5.5 per cent by Safaricom. Musimba alluded sabotage by Safaricom on grounds that some problems reported after the porting process was not technical in nature. "Those who manage to move port out Safaricom to Airtel, are able to contact all other networks apart from Safaricom," said Musimba, echoing Airtel past comments. "There are up to 14,760 SMS waiting for consumers requesting to move to Airtel from Safaricom," he said.
CCK is however yet to take any action on the accusations between Airtel and Safaricom. The director general, Charles Njoroge, said they were verifying the numbers and doing investigations before taking any action. "So far there have been complains and accusations from all sides, but this do not warrant jumping to conclusions without all facts on the table," said Njoroge.
On the accusations of sabotage, Safaricom admits there are a few technical hitches but it is not undermining the portability process. Safaricom's company director of regulatory and corporate affairs , Nzioka Waita said it is only aware of about 1,700 pending requests as opposed to over 10 000.

Egypt’s Regulator Selects Firms for MNP Implementation
June 2007
Egypt is the latest country to give its consumers and businesses more telecom choices by the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority's (NTRA) selection of the Telcordia(R) Number Portability Clearinghouse as the centralized repository for number porting.
The NTRA selected the consortium of Giza Systems and Telcordia to carry out the project following a competitive bidding process. Egypt's NTRA acts as a guiding force within the telecom sector, building the capacity and the reputation that allows it to be an independent and prudent arbiter among the different stakeholders in the sector; the industry, the state and the consumer.
The NTRA provided number portability as part of the incentive for mobile operators bidding for the third mobile license in Egypt. This latest number portability clearinghouse contract with Egypt's NTRA-- Telcordia's 9th implementation and Giza Systems' 2nd -- reinforces Telcordia's position among service providers and regulators worldwide as the leader in wireless and wireline number portability.
Telcordia was the first company to introduce number portability in the world in 1994 and is the number one provider of number portability solutions worldwide. Giza Systems has successfully supplied NTRA with other integrated solutions and has extensive expertise in the telecom sector.
Under NTRA's contract, Telcordia is providing its Number Portability Clearinghouse solution and implementation services. Meanwhile, Giza Systems is providing its implementation and integration services coupled with help desk and support services. Additionally, Telcordia is working with Giza Systems in offering number portability readiness consultation and solutions to mobile operators in the country and the team successfully concluded consultation for one of the mobile operators.
Number portability is scheduled to begin soon. Telcordia's market leading number portability solutions are deployed in nine countries and process 50 million transactions annually for more than 160 service providers who serve fixed and mobile subscribers.
"Number portability is becoming increasingly sought after in Africa and the Middle East, and Telcordia's software and expertise are helping ensure seamless, equitable, third-party administration of number porting between all service providers in a country," said Richard Jacowleff, President, Interconnection Solutions, Telcordia. "In Egypt, Telcordia combined its elements of success -- innovation, experience and reach -- with those of Giza Systems to bring forth a proven, market-leading solution to the citizens of Egypt."
As the systems integrator, Giza Systems brings a wealth of market expertise and understanding of the region, and a proven track record of delivering pioneering solutions in the region. The contract with Egypt represents the latest EMEA-based carrier to benefit from the combined innovative solutions brought to market by the Telcordia and Giza Systems team.
"The implementations of number portability in Egypt and KSA are pioneer projects in the region that demonstrate Giza Systems' capabilities as a leading systems integrator in the Middle East," said Mohamed Sedeek, Telecom General Manager, Giza Systems. "Giza Systems strives to enhance the telecom sector in Egypt and the Middle East by enabling service providers to achieve their goals of improving profit margins through provision of both existing services and new revenue generating services, while complying with regulations."
"Telcordia's unrivalled experience in the field of number portability has enriched our cooperation on this project, which will transform the telecom services in Egypt," Sedeek added.

MNP to heat up Competition in SA Mobile market
January 2005
South African operators should brace themselves for an increase in customer churn and the possibility of a price war when mobile number portability (MNP) becomes a reality.
That's the word from Gopal Govinder, management consultant at Ericsson SA. He says that cellular operators should start positioning themselves for MNP by aligning it with their service offerings in such a way that it makes a positive difference for their subscribers.
“MNP is all about increasing subscriber choice and maximising competition. The introduction of MNP in many other mature cellular markets has increased churn rates since it gives consumers the ability to change service providers without changing their cellphone numbers,” says Govinder.
The threat for African operators is that regulators may use it as a tool to force tariffs down in a low income-earning continent and create opportunities to licence more operators.
"South Africa will probably be the first market and the benchmark for MNP on the African continent. We may see a marketing frenzy take place in South Africa as operators seek to outmanoeuvre each other with cheaper and more innovative packages, forcing tariffs down," adds Govinder.
Many subscribers in countries where handset subsidies are prevalent are likely to form part of a "grab and go" trend, joining one operator for a new, trendy phone and then migrating to another that offers the best pricing or most attractive services.
In Africa, however, voice remains the killer application and only two things matter to the average consumer - lowest tariffs and trendiest handset. While handset grab and go may take off among contract subscribers in South Africa, most subscribers in Africa are on prepaid packages and will follow the operators with the cheapest tariffs.
According to Govinder, MNP strategies based on defensive or negative tactics are likely to fail. Instead, operators should simply regard MNP as a new addition to their service portfolios.
Subscribers usually churn if they are unhappy with an operator's customer care, service portfolio or unattractive tariff rates. For that reason, building a strong brand and forging close relationships with existing customers are the fundamentals in overcoming churn.
“Ericsson's best practices and international experience with MNP suggest that operators undertake a stringent network optimisation exercise and develop an updated marketing plan with emphasis on customer retention and value-added services for the enterprise and mature segments,” says Govinder.
He adds: "Operators will need to assess their strategy as their markets start to saturate and the importance of customer retention increases. To overcome market demands and the impact it will have on the service layer, operators are advised to look deep into traffic and revenue growth, focusing on segmentation and VAS portfolios as a means to subscriber retention."
“The key to MNP is to align it as a service for advanced subscribers and business users and to augment the specific GSM/GPRS traffic with, and in some markets, aggressively encourage fixed-mobile substitution,” Govinder concludes.

Number Portability in South Africa Takes Off
 Jan 23 2007
No numbers have yet been released about the effect of mobile number portability introduced in SA in November 2006. What is known though is that only few South Africans have "ported". CellC and Virgin Mobile (owned 50% by CellC) trumpeted MNP, saying that users fed up with Vodacom and MTN were coming over to them. Virgin Mobile and Cell C together have around three million users.
South Africans activate about 800 000 new SIM cards each month at as little as 99c per SIM. This means that porting using SIM porting is easier for prepaid users than going through the whole porting process.
For contract users, their networks will force them to first buy out the remaining terms of their contracts for a year before they are allowed to port. Month to month contract users are free to port if they don’t owe anything. Vodacom says they might release their MNP results in six months.

Mobile Number Portability: Challenges and Solutions
By Atiya Faiz Khan
Mobile Number portability (MNP) enables mobile subscribers to change their service providers or their location without having to change their existing phone numbers. If the subscribers are not satisfied with the services of their service provider, they can change their service provider while retaining the existing phone number.
This infuses competition among service providers and forces them to improve their service standards to check subscriber churn. Many countries have made number portability mandatory to liberalize competition. Many others are in the process of implementing it.
A significant technical aspect of implementing number portability is related to the routing of calls or mobile messages (SMS, MMS) to a number once it is ported to some other network. Number portability is essential to maximize the benefits of a competitive telecommunications market. For example, Number Portability of the type that allows users to keep their telephone number when changing operator provides significant benefits:
1. To the porting user, it eliminates the cost of informing other parties of the number change, changing stationery and other signage and, in the case of business users, of lost business.
2. To callers, it eliminates the need to consult directory enquires and/or change entries in their address books or computer systems.3. It increases competition, with significant benefits for all users, by lowering the cost to users of switching operator implemented by both wire line and wireless service providers, number portability will remove one of the most or service provider. It is believed that when fully and nationally significant switching costs for consumers and will encourage competition in the telecommunications industry.
This paper discusses: Types of number portability. various call routing schemes for service provider number portability, comparisons among various routing schemes, challenges of implementing number portability, best solution in terms of complexity of implementation, use of network resources, and scalability.
Types of Number Portability
The various types of number portability are: A. Provider Number Portability: Subscribers can change the service provider while retaining the same phone number. It is also called operator portability.
1. Local Number Portability: -The subscriber retains its number when changing from one operator/service provider to another. E.g. the porting of existing directory number between fixed operators.
 2. Mobile Number Portability:-Porting of mobile telephone numbers between wire less operators.
3. Non-geographical Number Portability:-Porting of ‘service’ numbers, e.g. ‘800’-numbers.B. Location Number Portability: Subscribers can change their service location while keeping the same telephone number.
Service Portability: Subscribers can change the subscribed services while retaining the same telephone number. Service portability allows the subscribers to enjoy the subscribed services in the same way when they roam outside their home networks. The subscriber retains its number when changing service type. E.g. from POTS to ISDN, mobile to fixed, fixed to mobile.
This paper discusses service provider number portability (SPNP), as SPNP is the primary form of number portability that promotes competition among the mobile service providers.

Service Provider Number Portability Call Routing Schemes
The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) has defined four flavours of call routing that support number portability. These schemes are: A. All Call Query (ACQ) B. Query on Release (QoR). C. Call Dropback. D. Onward Routing (OR).
Before we discuss the technical aspects and various call routing schemes in detail, let us understand some terms in the context of mobile network and number portability.
• Donor Network: It is the network that first assigns a telephone number to a subscriber. • Recipient Network: It is the network that currently serves the ported number. A recipient network is a network that a subscriber’s number is ported to when the subscriber switches the service provider.
 • Old Serving Network: The old serving network is the network that previously served the ported number before the number was ported to the new serving network. Since a subscriber can switch service provider any number of times, the old SP is not necessarily the same as the donor network.
• Participant: A Participant is a service provider who is not related to the porting process in any way and still needs the routing information for call routing and various other activities.

1. All Call Query (ACQ)

The Originating Network receives a call from the caller and sends a query to a centrally administered Number Portability Database (NPDB) also called central database (CDB). Network operators generally keep local copies of the CDB, which is hosted on either a network element within their network or a third party network element.
The NPDB returns the routing information of the dialled number. The Originating Network uses the routing information to route the call to the new serving network.
       B    Query on Release (QOR)
The Originating Network receives a call from the caller and routes the call to the donor network. The donor network releases the call and indicates that the dialled number has been ported out of that network. The Originating Network sends a query to its copy of the centrally administered NPDB. The NPDB returns the routing information of the dialled number.
The Originating Network uses the routing information to route the call to the new serving network.
C   Call Dropback
This scheme is also known as “Return to Pivot (RTP).” The call steps are as follows. The Originating Network receives a call from the caller and routes the call to the donor network. The donor network detects that the dialled directory number has been ported out of the donor switch and checks with an internal network-specific NPDB.
The internal NPDB returns the routing number associated with the dialled directory number. The donor network releases the call by providing the routing number. The Originating Network uses the routing number to route the call to the new serving network.
       D   Onward Routing (OR)
             The Originating Network receives a call from the caller and routes the call to            the donor network. The donor network detects that the dialled directory number has been ported out of the donor switch and checks with an internal network-specific NPDB.
The internal NPDB returns the routing number associated with the dialled directory number. The donor network uses the routing number to route the call to the new serving network. This method of routing calls is also known as Call Forwarding

Comparisons of the Number Portability Schemes
Of the four number portability call routing implementations discussed above, the ACQ is the only implementation that does not involve the donor network when routing the call to a new serving network.
Thus, the ACQ scheme is the most efficient in terms of using the network resources for routing the call to a ported number. The OR scheme requires to setup two physical calls - one from the originating network to the donor network and the other from the donor network to the new serving network. This increases the usage of network resources and hence is the least efficient in terms of using the network transmission facilities.
The QoR and Call Dropback schemes set up calls to the donor network first but release the call back to the originating network that then initiates a new call to the Current Serving Network. 
In the QoR and Dropback schemes, dedicated signalling circuits are set up between the originating network and the donor network when the originating network sets up the call towards the donor network. This complexity increases the signalling between the networks and hence the cost of the call to a ported number increases.
Implementation
There are two fundamental issues that need to be considered in implementing number portability in a country.
• Number Porting Process: This applies to the policies and processes for porting the numbers.
•Call Routing: This applies to the scheme of routing a call to a ported number.
Number Porting Process: Procedure and Considerations
Number porting process involves a set of parties, which includes donor (or current serving SP), recipient (new SP) and many participants (other service providers not related to the number that is being ported). The basic requirement of the porting process is that a subscriber needs to initiate a request to the service provider.
The request can be initiated to either of the service providers (current serving SP or the new SP). This depends on the regulatory policies of the country. There are two approaches by which the number porting database can be maintained and implemented.
• Peer-to-Peer approach
• Centralized approach 
Peer-to-Peer approach
In this approach, there is a bilateral agreement between two service providers. The two service providers agree on the implementation of number portability based on proprietary interface.
With this non-standard approach, there can be multiple commercial agreements between the service providers, which make it difficult to manage the terms of each agreement, and track the porting requests. This approach is very complex, and the complexity is further increased with increasing number of service providers.
Centralised approach
In this approach, the regulatory authority of the country sets up the guidelines, policies and processes for number portability. All the service providers in the country have a shared and well-defined interface with a centralized NP administration centre for processing the porting request of a number.
This adheres to a clear set of service level agreements for each of the steps involved in the process and it is mandatory for the service providers to follow them.
Any porting request from any of the service providers is sent to the NP administration centre first, to which all the service providers’ number portability solutions are integrated with. A request that comes from the new SP to the NP administration centre is sent to the present serving SP for clearance and once this is done the central NP administration centre broadcasts the porting information to all the service providers in the country.
As specified above, the porting request can be initiated by either of the current serving SP or the new SP (recipient).This is decided by the regulatory body of the country.
The centralized approach is the most preferred solution and is widely used across the globe. This is a highly scalable implementation.
Call Routing
As discussed earlier, All Call Query (ACQ) scheme is the most efficient in terms of using network resources. The advantages of using ACQ to implement number portability are: No dependency on other network for routing the call. Easy billing for calls to the ported numbers. Call set-up time for calls to ported numbers is minimal. Minimal impact on signalling. Impact on network complexity is very less.
 Factors Influencing the Success of Number Portability
• Subscriber Awareness: Subscribers needs to be aware of Number Portability (NP), its advantages, and how to go about it.
• Simplicity: NP success mainly depends on the simplicity of the process. There could be many rules that the regulator may impose. For example, a number can’t be ported in the first 6 months of the subscription. Such forced conditions hamper the success of NP.
• Speed: Speed is one of the major factors that affect the success of NP. Service level agreements should be stringent enough to minimize the time taken to port the number to other network. This increases the level of customer satisfaction
• Cost factor: NP success also depends on the cost of porting the number. The lower the cost, the higher will be the rate of porting. The cost here refers to the amount that the subscribers need to pay to port their number to some other service provider’s network.
This all depends on the regulatory authority that decides who bears the cost of porting. For better success and market competition, it is recommended that the new service provider, who is getting the subscriber, bear the cost of porting.
• Handset subsidies and fixed-term agreements: NP has been a great success in the countries like Finland where there are no subsidies on mobile handsets. Subsidies given by the service providers lead to fixed term agreements and hence limit the option for the subscriber to switch to a different service provider. There can be other agreements, which can hinder the success of NP.

Challenges of Implementing Number Portability
The major challenges of implementing number portability are: Cost involved in upgrading the network infrastructure to support number portability. Cost involved in maintaining the upgraded infrastructure. Cost involved in the usage of network resources to route the calls to the ported number

1. Number Portability Setup Costs

This is one of the major deterring factors for NP implementation in any country. There are many expenses involved in NP system setup. The setup costs include the cost of setting up the central NPDB, which maintains the complete information on the porting details, providing a well-defined interface for the service providers to interact with apart from adhering to the policies setup by the telecom regulatory.
Apart from these all the service providers need to have NP gateway server capable of interacting with the central NPDB using the defined application programming interface (API). The NP gateway should, apart from maintaining an internal NPDB, provision the routing information to the respective network elements.
Apart from these, upgrading the network adds to the cost. The service providers are supposed to bear these costs. The setup costs includes: -Central NPDB setup cost, Software development or upgrade, Network upgrade, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) upgrade. Cost involved in upgrading the billing system.

1. NP Maintenance Costs

Once the NP system is deployed, there are many other costs involved in maintenance of the system. The maintenance cost includes the following: Cost for the agreed procedure involved in the porting process, activating the ported number, provisioning the routing information, and informing all the service providers of the ported number.

1. Call Routing Costs

Routing the call to a ported number is one of the major    issues in NP. In case of ACQ, the originating network needs to make a query to the NP database irrespective of whether the called number is ported or not. Even the other schemes of NP implementation has their own impacts on the network signalling, database queries, and other network resources, which directly influence the network traffic adding on to the cost.
Solution
Many countries have their own guidelines on how to share the costs incurred in NP implementation. Regulatory bodies can consider the following points in arriving at a better model for cost sharing to implement number portability. Number of subscribers per service provider should be the base at the time of setting up the NP System.
 The service providers can incur the annual maintenance costs for using the service of the central NPDB. This can be for the services used such as NPDB system and customer help desk usage. These costs should be based on the usage of the central NPDB or based on the quality of service such as the bandwidth for accessing the central NPDB.
Recipient service provider can pay for the costs incurred by the centralized NPDB for any subscriber that ports to its network. Recipient service provider can pay for the costs incurred by the donor for each ported number. The central NPDB should be a non-profitable or at most a reasonable profit making organization and there should be a policy to share the profits with the service providers to lower their burden. Service providers can be made stakeholders in the central NPDB, though the regulatory body shall have the sole discretionary powers to control the NPDB.
Number Portability in India
The service providers are not keen on its introduction, as that would require substantial investment in upgrades to the routing and the billing mechanisms. Service providers are already operating with very low margins; they feel that instead of spending more money on upgrading, the existing resources could be utilized for providing better voice quality and services.

Table 1 Approximate Implementation Cost

Conclusion
To implement number portability, the best solution is to implement the centralized system, maintain a common number porting database, and use the All Call Query (ACQ) call routing scheme to route the calls to a ported number. A trusted 3rd party, which typically reports to the telecom regulatory authority, can maintain the centralized number porting database.
The number portability gives freedom to subscriber to choose best service provider. Also service provider has to be competitive to attract the customer. This will encourage competition among the service providers, and in turn will reduce the tariff. From subscribers point of view it reduces cost, time and money. From service providers point of view specific network maintenance activities need to be done to ensure proper operation of the number portability service over time.

Implementation of Mobile Number Portability in Nigeria
Initial Consultation Paper; 2nd February 2009 Office of the Executive Vice-Chairman/CEO Nigerian Communications Commission

Introduction
Number Portability (NP) allows subscribers to change their service provider without changing their telephone number. Number Portability offers immense benefits to subscribers because they can more easily change service providers without having to notify all of their friends and colleagues of a number change.
This is particularly important to business subscribers. NP is another tool to further increase in the level of open competition, amongst Telecoms service providers, on issues of concern to the subscribers viz quality of service, customer care, value added services etc.
Usually NP is shunned by service providers who fear their subscribers will churn due to their poor quality of service or customer care. Thus NP tends to act as Stimulus/incentive for service providers to improve their quality of service and customer care options and entering into more roaming agreements by reinvesting some of their profits. Typically, NP rewards those service providers having better customer services, network coverage, service quality and/or pricing.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) sees NP as one of the important tools it has at its disposal to foster open competition, stimulate improvements in Quality of Service and expand coverage in the Nigerian Telecommunications market.
NP will be implemented by all operators in Nigeria including fixed exchange operators, VoIP, Next Generation Networks operators and mobile operators. Transit or interconnection operators will also implement NP as it relates to direct routing of calls to the proper serving or terminating network as calls traverse their network avoiding unnecessary rerouting of calls.
NP will be deployed between mobile operators (MNP) and between fixed line operators (FNP). Bimodal NP (mobile to fixed or fixed to mobile) will not be implemented at this time. NCC is also considering including the porting of Toll- Free/Free Phone as well as Premium Rate Numbers and seeks comments from the industry regarding its implementation and timing. Mobile NP will be implemented first in Nigeria allowing mobile customers to port their TN between mobile operators however, fixed and interconnect operators will implement within their networks the ability to perform direct routing of calls originating in or transiting through their networks to the proper terminating mobile network.
Background
2.1 The Nigerian Telecommunications Act
The Nigerian Communications Commission is vested with exclusive powers to regulate number and number portability in Nigeria, among other things. By virtue of the provisions of section 128 of the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003:
2.2 Objectives
The objectives for implementing MNP include to:
Remove barrier to the free choice of mobile network, by a subscriber
· Ensure further increase (boast) in the level of open competition among network operators
· Act as stimulus (incentive) for service providers to improve on quality of Service and consumer satisfaction
· Make it easier for the last mobile entrant to gain market share.
3. Number Portability: Nature, Types and Routing/Query Responsibilities
3.1 Nature of Number Portability
· Location Portability:
This is the ability of a subscriber to retain his number when changing from a physical location to another within the same calling area. This type of portability may not be required in the existing mobile services which are offered nationwide.
· Service Portability:
This is the ability of a subscriber to retain his number as he changes from one service to another, example from mobile to fixed services or from PSTN to ISDN services. This type of portability will not be implemented immediately in Nigeria because of the cost implication of upgrading the embedded fixed switches that still exist in the network.
· Service Provider Portability
This is the ability of a subscriber to retain when changing from one service provider to another. Service Provider portability can be introduced in three ways: geographic, mobile and non-geographic. They relate to the numbers in the National Number Plan thus
• Geographic Number portability or fixed Number portability refer to portability involving fixed geographic numbers
• Mobile Number Portability refers to portability involving mobile numbers
• Non-geographic Portability refers to the portability involving special services such as:
- Toll free services
- Premium rate services (shared revenue)
- Etc.
This paper focuses on mobile service provider portability; NCC may consider introducing the special services provider portability.
3.2 Conditions for successful Service Provider Portability
The conditions that will facilitate effective service provider portability include:
• Stakeholder are adequately informed of the benefits of MNP
• Porting period is short and the process is painless to consumers
• Subscribers are not charged for porting their numbers to network of their choice or any fee that may be charged to the subscriber is minimal so not to impact their decision making process.
• The process of porting is simplified e.g. one stop point of contact for the subscriber wishing to port his number etc.

3.3 Routing/query Responsibilities
The responsibilities of the originating and the donor networks are summarized below:

4. Technical and Operational Aspects of MNP Implementation
The technical and operational aspect of implementing MNP can be quite challenging. If not properly designed from the onset can act as bottlenecks and may impair successful implementation of MNP. Constant clear communication and coordination between all affected parties prior to, during, and after implementation is crucial to the success of the MNP platform.
Port Request Intervals: Port durations vary from country to country and range from minutes to 30 days. Over the past years, the tendency has been to move to shorter port durations. According to a study conducted by Analysis in 2006, the majority of consumers would prefer port durations of no more than 5 days.

A study conducted in the UK in the same year even suggests a consumer preference of no more than 2 days.

From the above International best practices, NCC wishes to accommodate these general consumer desires for NP in Nigeria as follows:
Mobile Number Portability - Two (2) working days from the initial customer request Fixed Line Number Portability – five (5) working days from the initial customer request if or when FNP is implemented by NCC.
Number Management:
The number portability system/process shall:
Ø Store the entry of reference data for the Numbering Plan, specifically the number blocks assigned to each service provider. The system shall support configurable number block sizes.
Ø Support entry of reference data for new routing information so that calls to ported numbers can be routed successfully.
Ø Support the uploading of new number ranges and modification to existing number range allocations.
Ø Only have a single service provider (the Recipient) associated with each ported number at any given point in time.
Ø Not affect the assignment of number ranges based on the National Numbering Plan. If a number is ported to another service provider, that number shall remain assigned to that service provider until the customer’s service is disconnected. Once the customer’s service is disconnected, the number will be returned to the original owner based on the National Numbering Plan.
Tariff Transparency
Generally, telephone consumers are interested to predict the price of calls they place, for this singular reason it is important that NP should not undermine this capability.
In some countries this is accomplished by the originating network providing a beep or voice alert through the use of recorded announcements before routing or completion of the call or commencement of billing for all calls to a number which has been ported “off net” to another operator or if the call is going to incur a different cost than it would have been charged before it was ported. Another option for maintaining this capability is for service providers to implement a web page on their public web site which will display the tariff or service information for relevant ported calls. A third option would be to implement a public web site associated with the NPC which would allow users using the public internet to query whether a particular number has been ported or not and if ported, which operator now serves the number. The way in which these websites are usually implemented in the industry is that they only provide enough information to tell the user whether the number in question is an on-net or off-net call. They generally do not provide tariff information because tariff information is often dynamic, depends upon non-NP related public policy issues and is made available to consumers with other mechanisms.
Call Routing
One of the most important decision to make before MNP implementation is the method to be used in routing calls from originating network to the mobile network associated with the mobile number. The system must provide information necessary to allow for the routing of calls to ported numbers in a manner that has a minimal impact on call performance compared to that offered to non-ported numbers.

Indirect Routing is not failsafe and is associated with increased traffic congestion and extra conveyance costs, which, in the end may be passed down to the consumers. Direct Routing as described in ETSI 123.066 is based on All Call Query or the Signal
Relay Function that avoids these extra conveyance costs and in addition is failsafe.

Number Portability Database
The use of databases is very vital in MNP, to store information on the networks associated with ported numbers. This information is in a form of a routing number which makes it possible to route a ported number to the correct mobile terminating network.
The number databases are either managed in a centralized or distributed manner.
The centralized model consists of a single reference database containing data for all mobile numbers especially the ported numbers. While the distributed model involves multiple databases containing subsets of the total mobile ported data. In either case, most Operators are expected to maintain their own local copies of the data base for ACQ by downloading MNP data periodically from the master or centralised database.
The centralised model is considered more efficient and cost effective for the industry overall and it acts as a single database of record (or point of truth) and thus is the approach NCC is recommending for MNP implementation in Nigeria.
Privacy and Use of Information
Information relating to port requests will be kept confidential at all times by the service providers. Information provided in port requests can only be used for porting, the routing of calls or the delivery of other telecommunications services, for fault management and complaint handling.
Good Faith
All parties will act co-operatively and in good faith to facilitate porting requests. Generally operators recognize the benefits of industry cooperation, however in some hyper-competitive markets regulators have implemented more direct problem dispute resolution procedures and some regulators have even implemented punitive measures if operators are found to be engaging in anti-competitive behaviour or habitually violating industry NP guidelines or processes which generate non-trivial consumer complaints. NCC is still considering alternatives at its disposal and seeks comments from the industry and consumers.
Consumer Awareness
NCC in concert with the operators will establish plans to provide consumers with an adequate awareness of number portability including:
Bad Debt Policy - The fact that a customer has a bad debt or unpaid invoice with another service provider is not in itself sufficient grounds to reject the porting of that customer’s number.
Contract Lock-in Period - The fact that a customer has an existing contract with another service provider is not in itself sufficient grounds to reject the porting of that customer’s number. A customer ending a contract with an operator before its lock-in period is ended shall be handled the same way with NP as it is without NP.
Service and Porting Availability
Availability of number portability has several aspects and varies from country to country where portability has been implemented. NCC endeavours to strike balance between availability and costs.
For one, availability refers to the hours and days in a week when a subscriber can request the port of a number from a service provider or its point of sale. Typically, these are the standard or extended working hours.
Secondly, availability refers to the availability of the central NP solution, meaning the time frames within which a recipient operator can enter a port request into the system. From a technical perspective, 99.99% uptime measured on a monthly based on 24x7x365 excluding scheduled maintenance hours is possible. However, such high availability adds costs and does not provide more convenience to consumers or operational expense to the operators.
NCC will allow porting during normal and extended business hours and weekends and some holidays when operator retail outlets are open for customer business. NCC requires that the NPC be available to process port requests within the required time frames during these times of business. Specific guidelines, requirements and porting process procedures will be announced after agreement is reached by further the interaction with the operators in focused working groups.
Finally, availability refers to help desk support hours. Even if the central NP solution was to be available 24x7x365, the supporting helpdesk will be staffed only during standard business hours. Outside these hours, helpdesk personnel will be on call and will only address major problems (e.g. system outages).
Subscriber Verification
Prior to submitting a Port Request for each Number, the RECIPIENT must verify that the customer has the authorisation to request the port. Service providers shall only initiate a Port Request for a Number where the person requesting the port has made a representation to the Recipient Operator that they are the Customer for that Number and that they have the authority to request the port.
Minimum Port Request Data:-
· System generated Port Request ID: a transaction ID to identify all messages related to this port request.
· Telephone Number: the telephone number being ported
· Port Date: date the port is requested for
· Recipient ID: the ID of the participant who initiated the port request
· Donor ID: the ID of the participant who currently owns the number being ported
· Route: the routing prefix that will be associated with the numbers as a result of the port
· Subscriber Data: additional information regarding the subscriber (e.g. Name, ID
Number) shall be provided for verification purposes.

Maintenance of Records
The service providers are responsible for maintaining appropriate records to satisfy the routing, billing and audit requirements.
Maintenance of Interface to NPC
The service provider is responsible for maintaining an interface with the NPC for the
NPC porting process through which they can request ports, respond to port requests, and receive broadcast data including call routing information.
Right to Refuse a Port Request
Donor service providers will have the obligation to accept a request from a Recipient
Operator for any customer wishing to port their numbers from that service provider expect as specifically stated by NCC. NCC reserves the right to change this list of valid reject reasons with consultation with the industry. Bad debt and/or an existing contract with another service provider ARE NOT valid reason to refuse a port request.
As reference, INTUG points out in a Position Paper (INTUG 2001/05):
“A telephone number signifies an individual or an organisation and is therefore their property, under the custodianship of an independent national authority. Numbers do not belong to operators. Numbers are regarded as scarce resource and must be used appropriately, including the promotion of competition through an adequate and non-discriminatory supply of numbers and codes.
The most common Port Request refusal reasons include:
1. Data required for subscriber verification/validation wrong or missing (e.g. name, ID number, phone number)
2. Port data does not conform with regulation
3. Subscriber suspended of service
4. Wrong type of connection (e.g. mobile instead of fixed)
5. SIM card number does not match MSISDN (for mobile)
6. Number has been deactivated
7. Number does not belong to the donor service provider
8. Number is a secondary number (e.g. fax) and no primary number was included in the request for a mobile port.
NCC will define allowable port refusal reasons after receiving comments from all stakeholders. It is NCC’s desire to limit refusal reasons to the minimum needed to operate a valid and efficient NP process and minimize potential abuse.
Porting Facilitating
The Donor service provider will not initiate any activity associated with the numbers in the port, including customer or service provider initiated changes that adversely impact the port process once the donor service provider has accepted the port request.
The donor service provider will use all reasonable efforts to minimize the amount of time for the porting process and to facilitate the porting of the number.
Porting Single and Multiple Numbers
The NPC shall support porting of a single number, a single continuous number range and a list of single numbers and/or ranges within a single port request.
Porting a Single Number - The Recipient shall be able to create a number porting request identifying:
· The single number
Porting a Single Continuous Number Range - The Recipient shall be able to create number porting request by identifying:
· The first number in the range
· The last number in the range
Porting a List - The Recipient shall be able to create a number porting request by identifying:
 A list of numbers and/or number ranges

Port Processing Phases
Porting of numbers must be performed via a set of processes where each process is done via a predefined set of transactions between the donor service provider and the recipient service provider. The NPC shall enable the porting of numbers through an automated exchange of messages using the following processes:
Port Initiation
Initiation is the exchange of messages between the donor service provider and recipient service provider to initiate the porting process. The Port Initiation Process starts when the recipient receives a request from a subscriber to port their number.
The recipient, NPC and donor operator then exchange messages to validate the porting.
Port Validation
Validation is the process of validating the message as well as the subscriber identity.
The Port Validation Process starts when the donor receives a request to port a number. The NPC validates the request for required information. The donor then validates the subscriber data. If the data is valid, the donor may accept the request. If the data is not valid, the donor may reject the request.

Port Activation
Activation consists of the messages that are required among all key parties to provide the service to the subscriber. The Port Activation Process starts after a Port Request Accept is received by the recipient. In this process, the recipient, NPC and donor exchange messages communicating the ability to activate the port.
Port Cancellation
Cancellation allows the recipient service provider to cancel the porting request. The Port Cancellation Process starts after a Port Request is sent by the recipient. In this process, the recipient, NPC and donor exchange messages communicating the request to cancel the port.
Port Disconnection
Disconnection consists of the messages required when the subscriber requests to terminate service for a ported number. The Port Disconnection Process starts after a Port Request Activation is sent by the recipient. In this process, the recipient, NPC and original number range holder exchange messages communicating the request to disconnect a ported number.
Port Synchronization
Synchronization is the process of synchronizing a service provider’s local database of ported number routing information with the centralized NPC database. The Port Synchronization process may be requested by a service provider who feels the data in their local database of ported number routing information is not synchronized with the centralized NPC database.
Porting Numbers Multiple Times:
NCC will not implement restrictions on the number of times a customer may port their numbers to other service providers or how soon after porting their number customers may port again.
This ability to port numbers multiple times and port without lock-in periods is not meant to dictate, circumvent or supersede relationships or service contracts between services providers and their customers. Customers will still be bound by the legal and contractual requirements with their service providers including early termination fees if applicable. (For reference purposes, this is also an EU policy which is credited as one of several contributing factors which helped focus service providers and regulators on consumer oriented public policy issues.) A Customer must be able to port their number more than once to different service providers. That is, an initial port from the donor service provider to a new service provider (recipient) may be followed at later dates by subsequent ports from that new service provider to other service providers.
Subsequent portability should be handled as if it was a first port. It is possible that eventually a subscriber number could be ported back to the original number range holder however the porting history must be retained.
Others aspects to be considered:
These will not be limited to the following:
· Change of SIM cards or phones (MNP is technology neutral)
· The role of traders or retailers
· Roaming issues (for futuristic)

5. Summary of Issues for Comments
1. MNP is targeted for introduction in last quarter of 2009 and will allow subscribers to port their numbers from one Mobile Network to another Mobile Network. NCC believes that the Nigeria’s Mobile market has the newest generation of networks, that competition is already introduced; and that MNP will indirectly improve QoS as the market competition matures.
2. FNP is targeted for introduction thereafter will allow subscribers to port their numbers from a fixed network to another fixed network provider (regardless of whether the telephony service is provided by TDM or VoIP technologies)
NCC believes that the FNP will facilitate the fixed market to grow quickly and leapfrog technologies. FNP will stimulate competition and indirectly stimulate growth of service offerings. Bi-modal porting (porting between fixed and mobile networks) is not planned at this time.
3. The implementation of a National Number Portability Clearinghouse (NPC) which will contain a national NP database (repository) that will host all ported telephone numbers in Nigeria is considered as a global best-practice, least expensive in the long term; fastest to implement in the short term. It avoids operators’ bi-lateral problems and delays and also minimizes costs.
4. The NPC will include all inter-operator NP processes needed to initiate, reject, accept, complete and terminate a ported number between Operators.
5. Both MNP and FNP will be implemented on the same NPC infrastructure to cut down on cost and confusion.
6. All service providers will have access to and use the data in the NPC database as the official Nigerian ported number “database of record”. Operators must maintain their own local copy of this database, which will be periodically updated and used for call set -up, and routing queries in their networks. International, transit and content service providers which are not assigned Nigerian numbering resources will have controlled access to the ported number data by the NPC administrator who will vet requests for validity and security purposes. Service providers must maintain NP and related routing data in a secure manner and must not re-distribute this data.
7. NCC will have read-only access capabilities to the NPC to allow monitoring and generating reports to assess processes and industry trends. This is because in extremely dynamic and competitive markets, it is important for the regulator to monitor and control the NP processes for the good of the general consumers
8. The NPC and related Systems will be owned and operated by a neutral third party either under the license of NCC or in contractual agreement with NCC for a 5-year duration and be under NCC’s direct oversight. No licensed operator shall have an interest in the NPC, its vendor/provider, etc. to forestall any industry anti-competitive problems.
9. NCC will make the NPC vendor/provider selection based upon its current policies and procurement guidelines. This will offer a faster approach as opposed to delays caused by forming an industry consortium for selection and contraction of such to meet all accepted goals
10. NCC will form an industry NP Steering Committee to solicit input and assist in the development and refinement of Inter-Operator NP Business Rules and processes as a way of securing better industry buy-in and support; better understanding of Operator needs and concerns, and better process engineering to reveal more realistic issues and capabilities.
11. The direct routing with All Call Query is considered as the most efficient mid and long-term solution for Nigeria. The reason is that all calls are routed directly to their final destination without involving the original donor network. Thus, avoiding further network congestion and QoS degradation, it is also least expensive in the mid and long term by eliminating unnecessary transmission costs. Call forwarding or other routing methods will not be used as interim solutions due to the added costs of migration at a later time.
12. MNP will be completed in 2 days maximum following a bona-fide subscriber request. It is well known that both current and future Mobile network capabilities can accommodate this otherwise enhancements are readily available from manufacturers. Ideally, porting process can happen as fast as a SIM card can be provided to the customer.
13. FNP will be completed in five days maximum following a bona-fide subscriber request. This is because some Fixed networks generally have an older infrastructure requiring more time and labour; physical connections must be scheduled manually by technicians instead of through logical/software work.
14. MNP & FNP will be Recipient Operator led, i.e. subscribers will first contact their new (the Recipient) operator, not the donor network/operator. This global best practice avoids anti-competitive behavior and simplifies the consumers’ procedures. NCC will not implement restrictions to customer win-back by service providers during or after the porting request process.
Again, this policy is not meant to dictate, circumvent or supersede relationships or service contracts between services providers and their customers which may have been signed at the time of initiating a porting request. Customers will still be bound by the legal and contractual requirements with their service providers including early termination fees if applicable and bound by relevant Nigerian consumer laws.
15. NP will be one-stop shopping for the subscriber, to make it painless to achieve a smooth experience for the subscribers, the recipient service provider will initiate all porting requests, and manage all aspects of the process through to successful activation of the service on the new network.
16. The subscribers may not be charged any fee for successfully porting their numbers. This will ensure that both physical and psychological barriers are removed for subscribers thus making it more convenient for them.
17. NP will include pre-paid and post -paid subscribers both following substantially equivalent processes, which will encompass tariff transparency.
18. Tariff transparency shall be provided in real time by a beep, a display of the tariff or service information on the subscriber’s terminal screen or voice recorded announcement before ported number is going to incur a different cost than it would have been charged before the number was ported.
19. Customers will not be denied the right to port, for billing or non-payment reasons since these are normal business reasons not created because of NP.
20. As a starting point, the following reasons for denying a port will apply:
§ Data required for subscriber verification/validation wrong or missing (e.g. name, ID number, phone number)
§ Port data does not conform with regulation
§ Subscriber suspended of service
§ Wrong type of connection (e.g. mobile instead of fixed)
§ SIM card number does not match MSISDN (for mobile)
§ Number has been deactivated previously (e.g. normal disconnect)
§ Number is a secondary number (e.g. fax) and no primary number was included in the request for a mobile port
21. Identification of customers for authenticating a porting request may be limited to: Pre-paid – TN/SIM card ID, not in Stolen-Handset database or reported to authorities while Post -paid will be on validation of account ownership, TN, address validation and/or the same as required with non-porting service change requests. All operators, including Interconnection and international Operators, content providers and other telecom service providers will pay a fee to access the NPC for database downloads for their use within their networks even if they are not initiating port request transactions. Per port fees for successful ports may be charged to Mobile and Fixed Operators because they benefit from the acquisition of new customers. This hybrid model is considered the most ‘fair and equitable’ approach to spread cost recovery fees across the various industry users based on value or use. NCC in collaboration with the NPC vendor / financial consultant will determine proper NP transaction fees paid by the Operators that are both fair and equitable.
22. Ported numbers shall revert to the original donor for proper aging and subsequent use by the donor operator, only after such number has been disconnected by the ported subscriber.
23. Operators will bear the cost of upgrading their networks in preparation for NP implementation. This upgrade will include maintaining relevant interfaces with the NPC.
24. Operators and regulator will collaborate in creating adequate consumer awareness of NP. The telecoms industry must be educated on the benefits of MNP to the mobile subscribers. Means of raising awareness shall include press campaigns, road shows, and advertising through TV, web and the radio.
25. NCC is interested in the implementation of an effective NP system and processes that will ensure appropriate routing of both voice calls and non-voice services after subscribers have ported their numbers. The non-voice services include:
a. Video-telephony
b. SMS, MMS and other mobile messaging
c. Logo, game downloads, ring tones etc.

Mobile Number Portability
 One Mobile Number Through All the Networks.
Imagine that you got a number for one network: one month later you are dissatisfied with its services. But you are stuck with it: you have so many people you’ve already given the number to and fear having to go through the process of getting back to all of them to give a new line were you to discard the one with which you currently dissatisfied. Now, imagine that once you acquire one number, you only need to give your number information to any network you wish to migrate to at will once fed up with your existing provider. Imagine how the network will run after you in order to retain you. Just imagine! And this is now a possibility- Only a matter of time before you begin to enjoy it. By Mkpe Abang.

Did you know that with one telephone number you can switch networks as you wish when dissatisfied with any service provider and still keep the same number? That you can actually maintain the same number for either mobile or fixed line phone with operator at any time your desire to move/ this piece of news is the icing on the cake for another chapter that will open soon in Nigeria’s telephony industry. The technology already exists in largely the GSM networks: all that remains to be done for what is globally now know as mobile Number Portability (MNP) to be unleashed on the Nigerian society is the say-so of the regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission.
How nice will it be that with your 0802, 0803, 0804 0r 0805 number you can if you choose or feel the operator is not serving you well, switch to another operator, say 0803 or 0804 or 0805 for that matter. You can in fact, a few months later move on to yet another network or back to the original one if you wish. The network will be required by law to release you from or connect you to their networks once the customer desires it.
Not only will you not have to go through the horrors – for that is what it is- of getting used to a new number simply because you get dissatisfied with one network and therefore have to obtain a new number entirely, thereby having to give this new number to all business associates, family and friends, you have this number, if you wish for life.,
The MNP fad already operational in many countries in Europe and in the United States of America eliminate any network’s claim to a certain number as its subscriber as at any point in time .in fact, when MNP is introduced in a country, it changes the whole horizon of competition. The battle moves from just acquiring the numbers or increasing subscriber base hungrily, to quality service in order to retain existing subscribers and attract others from other networks who may wish to retain their existing numbers to your network because of better service, better response to customer complaints, better tariff. Once that happens, it becomes difficult for any network to boast of its subscriber base. The moment a subscriber is dissatisfied with a network, the next month, he is free to move to another network, using the same number: he just walks up to or calls the network, and asks for his number to be entered into their network: the data are entered, and he is on with that network. All that is required now for the operators to begin offering the service is the NCC ruling on the subject, which is already being seen as the networks’ albatross, “Once the NCC rules in favour of number portability, the arrogance of any network on subscriber base will disappear and all networks will sit up,” says a telephone expert. “in fact, I tell you once we begin to discuss this subject, the mere mention of it will send signals to all GSM operators, that soon indeed, the party could be over,” the expert added.
Mobile Number Portability
What it is; what it is not: points to note
Mobile number portability (MNP) means you can keep your existing mobile telephone number when you change your service provider. By keeping your existing mobile number when you change providers, you can avoid missed calls and unnecessary costs such as printing new stationery because your number will not change.
You can now move from one mobile service provider to another even if it results in a change in mobile technology (for example, GSM to CDMA) and keep your existing mobile phone number. Portability means keeping your mobile phone number not your mobile service or the provider.
Mobile number portability is simply keeping your mobile phone number when moving from your existing service provider to a new provider. It means you will use the service and features offered by your new provider and not take your existing service and its features with you. Before changing service providers, you should check with the selected new provider to ensure it can provide the services and features you need(such as voicemail, SMS or related services such as fax and data)..
You should not cancel your existing mobile service arrangements before changing providers because a cancelled service will prevent your existing number from being used.
Current contractual obligations
 When you use mobile number portability, your mobile service (and associated services for example data or fax services) with your existing service provider is cancelled. However, it is important to note that although your existing service cancelled, your contract with your existing service provider may or may not have been cancelled. This means that you may still have to payout your contract or pay an early termination fee. It also means that you will be required to pay all charges.
Alternatively, you may choose to wait for existing contract to expire before changing providers, you should make sure that you still have an active service. Your existing provider cannot refuse or delay your request to move your existing mobile number to a new service provider because of any outstanding debt.
Authorized customers
You can only change providers and move an existing mobile number if you are the authorized customer- that is the person who has the mobile service account with the existing provider.
Handsets purchased as part of a pre-paid package
Since the introduction of MNP, a mobile number issued to a customer as part of a pre-paid service can also be moved to a new provider, However, handsets sold as part of a pre-paid service are often ‘SIM locked’ to prevent customers using a SIM card in the phone other than the one issued for the pre-paid service. If you wish to use the same handset you may need to make arrangement with your existing service provider to have your handset unlocked. A fee may be charged.
Personal SIM locking
Handsets can also be ‘SIM locked’ by the customer as a security precaution. This involves setting a special code in the phone that must be dialled before the phone be used. Personal SIM locking must be deactivated before you change to a new provider.
Moving between different technologies
The two digital mobile technologies in use in Australia, for instance, are GSM and CDMA, each requiring a particular type of handset to connect to the network. CDMA handsets can only be used on a CDMA network and GSM handsets can only be used on GSM handsets. You can move your mobile phone number across technologies- from GSM to CDMA or from CDMA to GSM- but you will need a new handset. When moving between different GSM providers you will need a new SIM card but in most circumstances not a new handset. This is the situation in the Australian networks.
Moving from on CDMA provider to another
If you wish to port from one CDMA to another, you will need a new handset. This is because CDMA handsets do not currently have SIM card type technology. In GSM handsets the carrier or network specific information is programmed into the SIM card and not the phone. This means that you can keep you GSM phone (if you wish) when you port and your new provider will issue you with a new SIM card (retaining your number). However, for CDMA handsets, the carrier or network specific information is programmed into the handset at the factory and cannot be changed.
Before you decide to change providers and keep your mobile number, ask these questions;
When does my existing mobile service contract expire? Will I have to pay an early termination fee or ongoing costs (access charges) under my existing mobile service contract if I move my number to a new provider?
Is my handset SIM locked and will I have to pay a fee to have it unlocked before moving my number/
Am I the authorized customer?
What do I want from my mobile service? Which provider best meets my needs/
If the new provider fails to warn you that you may have existing contractual obligations or you do not properly authorize the transfer of your existing mobile number you do not have to proceed with the move.
What will I have to do to keep my existing mobile number?
The following processes have been introduced by the telecommunications industry to make porting your number as quick and easy as possible. They are designed to avoid the need –in most cases for customers to have to contact their existing provider when changing to another provider and keeping their existing mobile phone number. When you contact a new provider for a mobile service and you want to keep your existing mobile phone number, the prospective provider is obliged to:
Advise you that you may still have outstanding charges payable or unfulfilled obligations with your existing provider: and ask you to give authorization confirming your request to change providers and retain your existing mobile number.
Confirmation of authorization may be:
Written (for example, where you sign a form)
Electronic (for example, where you agree to certain conditions on the internet before proceeding): or
Voice (for example, where you agree to certain conditions prescribed to you over the telephone by an operator or a voice recording).
The prospective provider will also:
Make sure your personal information is correct, which helps to ensure that you are authorized to the mobile number to your new provider.
Account number or date of birth for post paid contracts; or reference number or date of birth for pre-paid contracts and, send messages to your existing provider to confirm: you have the mobile service and mobile number with that provider: and you have requested to change providers and retain your existing mobile number.
When notified by your new provider, your existing provider will arrange for your number to be moved to the new provider. The new provider will make arrangements with other carriers for you to receive calls on that number with your new service.
If the new provider fails to warn you that you may have existing contractual obligations or you do not properly authorize the transfer of your existing mobile number you do not have to proceed with the move.
If you believe your mobile number has been moved to another provider without your authorization you should contact your existing provider.
How long should it take to move my number to a new provider?
Most changes should be made within a few hours. The processes are designed to make moving your number to a new provider as timely and straightforward as possible, but delays may be caused by system interruptions or periods of high demand.
Can I get a new handset when I move my number to a new provider?

Other factors to consider
Existing contractual terms and conditions:
You are advised to check all terms and conditions of the contract with your existing provider before deciding to change. If you are unsure of your contractual obligations, including whether a cancellation fee applies, contact your service provider. Contract terms and conditions quickly and free of charge to their customers. You are also advised to carefully check and consider the terms and conditions of your new mobile service contract.
Reliance on prefixes to determine to which network a number belongs:
Prior to MNP, mobile phone users may have to known by looking at the prefix (code) OF A MOBILE NUMBER whether the number belongs to the same network. Some mobile providers offer special low call rates between same network connections, making these calls very attractive. As more users change service providers but keep their existing numbers, the ability to recognize a mobile network by the number prefix will be lost. To avoid unexpected charges, mobile users should be careful to check which providers service for the number called.
Inclusion of mobile numbers in directories;
Mobile phone numbers are included in directories on an opt-in (customer choice) basis, free of charge. Many customers have not requested that mobile numbers be included for various reasons, including privacy. The benefit of being listed will increase now that users are able to keep their mobile phone number when changing providers. You can arrange directory listing with your mobile phone service provider.

Global experiences in MNP
Mobile number portability (MNP) is recognised by regulators as a key facilitator for competition. For example, research conducted by the Singapore regulator in 2005 indicated that 64 pert cent of consumers considered it critical to keep their number when switching mobile service providers and a 2005 survey in Canada found that 80 per cent of mobile subscribers want the option to keep their number. Without MNP, consumers are forced to change their number if they change service providers – a fundamental barrier for new entrants trying to capture market share.
Australia’s success story
Since the introduction of MNP in September 2001, Australian consumers have embraced the ability to keep their mobile number when they change providers. According to the Communications Alliance – the industry group that administers MNP in Australia – since inception there have been over five million successful ports with an average of 85,000 ports per month.

Australia is seen as one of the world leaders in implementing MNP, in contrast to some markets where consumer use of MNP has been relatively modest. These models of both successful and unsuccessful implementations provide valuable lessons for countries still to introduce MNP – such as New Zealand and Canada, which will both launch MNP during 2007.
Annual volume of mobile number ports, Australia [Source: Australian Communications and Media Authority]

So, why is MNP a success in Australia? Quite simply, from the consumer’s viewpoint it is a quick, seamless, low-cost experience.
The process in Australia relies on a high level of industry co-operation and well-defined procedures, involving interfaces between the processes and systems of every mobile provider – operators and resellers. Industry performance is monitored by the regulator, the MNP Code requiring participants to complete 90 per cent of ports within three hours and 99 per cent within two days. The Australian regulator ACMA notes that when all systems are operating efficiently, switching a number takes only minutes. A retail dealer we contacted said the whole process usually ran like clockwork.
MNP implementation in selected countries [Sources: regulators, European Commission, Ovum, Network Strategies estimates]

Markets with low levels of porting activity have less consumer-friendly processes than those in Australia. Warning signs include:
Ineffective regulators/uncooperative service providers
Where rules are not enforced, or are too lax, service providers can delay switchover or create other consumer barriers such as high charges. In some countries, it can take up to 30 days to port a number, however three to five days is more usual. While delays certainly inconvenience the consumer, they also provide an opportunity for the original service provider to ply the consumer with inducements to remain. Without effective regulatory intervention, service providers may be reluctant to improve processes, as there is often a belief that MNP will increase customer churn. However the FCC (US regulator) noted that churn did not increase significantly with the introduction of MNP in the United States, and there was a positive impact for consumers as operators engaged in aggressive customer retention strategies, including better deals on upgrade handsets, incentives for longer contracts, better customer service and higher network spending.
High charges
It is not uncommon for the originating service provider to charge one-off administrative fees, however in some countries these are absorbed by the recipient service provider rather than passed onto the consumer. Countries in which there are no user fees include Finland, Ireland, Spain and the United Kingdom. In Germany, consumers are charged EUR24.95-30.72 (NZD41.25-50.79 based on purchasing power parity rates) – around five times higher than the AUD8.00 (NZD8.46) charged by some Australian operators. Research has found that higher porting fees leads to lower levels of MNP.
Poor consumer awareness
Lack of consumer awareness in some markets has limited the use of MNP. Market research conducted for the UK regulator in 2001 found that 3 out of 10 consumers were being told by retailers that it was not possible to keep an existing number when changing provider, despite MNP being introduced two years earlier. When the research was repeated in 2003, this proportion had fallen to 1 out of 10 consumers.
Technical issues
Singapore introduced MNP via a Call Forwarding solution in 1997, which requires two numbers (the original ported number and a second number) to support a ported customer. This method of porting has a number of shortcomings, including inefficient use of number resources, consumer confusion due to Customer Line Identification showing the second number rather than the original number, and the original numbers not being able to utilise MMS and IP-based services. The Singapore regulator found that these technical issues were discouraging customers switching providers, and directed that a new solution be implemented by fourth quarter 2007.
Denmark appears unusual in that it has a relatively high porting rate, but lengthy time to port. The porting system does operate with few, if any, problems. However given that the maximum commitment or contract period in Denmark is only six months, and with a wide range of attractive service options readily available from competing providers, the Danish regulator suggests that consumers may feel little commitment to a particular operator and perceive MNP as an easy way of acquiring a new handset.
It has been said that MNP does not affect the underlying reasons for churn – rather it frees the dissatisfied consumer so that they may seek a better service. MNP enables consumers to reap fully the benefits of competition via increased choice and more compelling retention strategies. Service providers also benefit through increased opportunities to gain market share and to target high spend subscribers. These benefits can only happen through industry co-operation and effective control.

MNP: Experiences from other countries of the world
Globally, Singapore was the first country to implement MNP in 1997, followed by Hong Kong in 1999 and Australia in 2001. Of late, many countries have adopted the MNP model to prevent market doldrums and putting pressure on service providers to furnish more services at a competitive price level. However, it has not been able to produce any significant results in these markets.
“Around the world, MNP has been a mixed bag of success and failure. It has been there in several parts of world but has not taken off in a big way. However, we are ready and believe that it allows more and more customers to come to our network and enjoy the services,” says Dr Jai Menon, director (customer service and IT), Bharti Airtel and group CIO, Bharti Enterprises.
While it has worked in markets like Hong Kong and Australia, it failed to bear fruit in the UK, France, Germany, Pakistan, Ireland, Malta, among others. MNP worked in Hong Kong due to the speedy porting process and the availability of already implemented solution (for fixed-line services). In Australia, the regulator effectively promoted number portability and was able to maintain the maximum porting time of just under three hours.
“The turnaround time for a number getting ported could become a bone of contention for subscribers. It is stipulated that in India the maximum time required will be three working days but its efficacy will need to be tested given the fact that human responsiveness to a query or clarification process is much slower in India,” says Siddhartha Kataki, associate vice president, Patni.

Furthermore, in Finland, where initially the implementation was viewed as a success due to dearth of minimal contract periods and high migration incentives, operators failed to sustain the momentum.
“The quicker and seamless the porting process of MNP implementation, the higher is the likelihood of churn. Consumers would feel it to be too much of a pain if porting process takes weeks and hence, may not opt for MNP,” says Phani Nagarjuna, founder & CEO, Nuevora.
The failure in most markets where MNP was implemented is attributed to factors like half-hearted implementation, issues related to contract, lack of consumer awareness, overboard of paperwork, technical difficulties and poor customer service.
Consider the case of UK. The regulator had initially pushed for MNP to boost competition but failed to play a substantial role during the implementation phase. In addition, there was only a single operator who was in favour of portability at that point of time. These factors coupled with low awareness level and high porting time span contributed to the failure of MNP in this market.
“It's difficult to say if the big service providers would go for intensive campaigning, however, it would be the responsibility of greenfield operators to drive this initiative,” says Atul Agarwal, senior GM, IT, Datacom.
 “It is more of an opportunity than a threat. However, looking at the experiences of global markets, the influence on the change in the market shares is not very dramatic,” says Vsevolod Rozanov, President and CEO, Sistema Shyam Teleservices
 According to experts, MNP implementation is expected to be more productive for markets that have reached at least 50 per cent cellular penetration level. The reason being that at this level, service providers can attempt to compete better due to a smaller untapped pool.
Pakistan, the first country in Southeast Asia to introduce MNP in March 2007, experienced less than one per cent portability. One of the reasons for such poor response is the pitiable customer service and time consuming process during porting the number. Pakistan has over 90 million cellular subscribers with approximately 95 per cent of them pre-paid.
“It is usually the post-paid customers who opt for MNP. So MNP has not impacted the Pakistan telecom industry in a big way,” says Nagarjuna of Nuevora. The lesson here is that MNP alone is hardly sufficient to expand end-user options and make markets more competitive.
“If a market is not competitive to begin with, MNP will have a limited impact. Indeed, the markets in which MNP has driven up churn rates are markets that already exhibited high churn and low subscriber loyalty; MNP just made the switching process easier. To be effective, MNP should therefore not be used in a vacuum, but along with other regulatory tools,” says Neeraj Vyas, AVP, Arcient.