Mobile number portability to officially roll out in September 2021

MINERVA BC NEWMAN

CEBU CITY – The major telco operators in the country namely DITO, Globe and Smart Communications through their joint venture company, Telecommunications Connectivity Inc. (TCI) successfully concluded the initial tests of their technical capabilities and interoperability to officially launch on September 30, 2021 the full implementation of RA-11202 or the Mobile Portability (MNP) Act.

TCI general manager Melanie Manuel, in a virtual webinar cum press conference Thursday, July 22 said that it took them 22 months and more than P120Million investments to configure, develop all the necessary solutions to integrate all mobile network operators to finally bring to the fore mobile number portability with Syniverse as the MNP solutions provider that would manage and serve as the clearing house of all MNP operations in the country.

Telecommunications Connectivity Inc. (TCI) has successfully concluded the initial tests of their technical capabilities and interoperability on July 14, 2021 which yielded positive results, Manuel added.   

She said that the joint effort will soon allow customers the option to keep their mobile numbers permanently, even when they change network providers or switch subscriptions. The telcos said that the outcome of these initial technical tests is ‘within expectations’.

According to DITO chief Administrative Officer Atty. Adel Tamano that the next steps will be to streamline the external porting process, implement fraud and security safeguards, optimize systems and backend business operations in time for a smoother and faster porting experience for customers by September 30, 2021.

By conducting a successful actual porting test, DITO, Globe and Smart secured initial insights and details on how to address remaining concerns and possible challenges, before making the service available to all customers, Tamano said.

“As the newest player in the industry, we truly are excited to provide this service to Filipinos wherever they may be. When we entered the industry, it really was to encourage competition and innovation,” Tamano added.

With the Mobile Number Portability Act, the mobile network operators (MNOs) have broken down barriers and have given the Filipinos the power of convenience to finally switch to their preferred service provider, he said.

According to Globe Chief Commercial Officer Issa Guevarra-Cabreira that DITO, Globe and Smart have worked diligently to meet the July commitment with the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to achieve initial technical readiness, before the actual inter-porting demonstration with the telco regulator, a key milestone in the MNP process.

“The initial tests gave us a clearer view of the customer experience when they avail of the MNP, including the experience of customers as they inter-port to Globe numbers from other networks and vice versa.  We learned a lot in the process, and we will apply them to make the transition easy and seamless for our customers once the MNP becomes available to all,” Cabreira said.

Smart Senior Vice President and Head of Consumer Wireless Business Jane Basas said that they are working doubly hard with its counterparts from Globe and DITO to comply with the requirements.

“We have always been at the forefront of using technology to create better experiences for everyone, and the successful initial tests will help us understand and recalibrate our systems and processes, so we can make the MNP experience simple and easy for our customers,” Basas stated.

Republic Act No. 11202, also known as the Mobile Number Portability Act, ensures that mobile phone users can keep their numbers even when they transfer to another service provider, or when they switch their subscription from postpaid to prepaid, or vice-versa.