SA is Africa`s number portability pioneer

By Damaria Senne, ITWeb senior journalist

Johannesburg, 08 Nov 2005

South Africa is a pioneer of mobile number portability (MNP) in Africa, but its impact on the market is still unclear, says Independent Communications Authority of SA (ICASA) councillor Nadia Bulbulia.

Bulbulia was speaking in Midrand this morning at an MNP in Africa conference organised by the Institute of International Research.

She noted that MNP`s ability to encourage competition, give customers choice and help lower the price of telecoms is not yet clear. Bulbulia pointed out that it had been hoped that the introduction of more mobile operators in SA would significantly enhance competition, but this had not been as successful as was hoped.

"This is a huge challenge, but it is also an opportunity to learn," she said.

Bulbulia also commented that ICASA is moving into a new era in which customers are most important. Even if complaints are not generated, ICASA will ensure the quality of the service once implemented and that consumers are aware of their rights, she noted.

Salvynus Ehikioya, director of technical research and standards for the Nigerian Communications Commission, told delegates that although a country`s regulator had to play a role, it should be up to service providers to ensure subscribers are adequately educated on MNP.

Although communications minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri was scheduled to address the delegates, the Department of Communications failed to send a representative to the event.

The long-awaited regulations regarding number portability were promulgated and published in the Government Gazette last month. The regulations provide for all network operators that terminate calls to subscribers identified by geographical numbers (landline operators) to provide for number portability within a geographical area, as well as portability to another network.

Mobile operators have to begin implementation of MNP by June 2006.