Speedy MNP promised

Johannesburg, 15 Sep 2006

A vehicle facilitating the movement of subscribers across cellular networks has been built, and new GM Clive Fagan says it will be ready to go in time for the revised portability implementation date of 10 November.

The Number Portability Company, previously known under the working title of PortCo, "will operate as an independent entity", said Fagan on the sidelines of the Independent Communications Authority of SA press conference yesterday.

"We have the simple mission of essentially allowing people to keep their cell number [when moving from one network operator to another]," he noted.

Fagan said the company will run the porting databases, supplied by Saab Grintek, and analyse porting requests. He promised all porting applicants would be notified within two hours of whether they are allowed to port.

Those with existing 24-month contracts will have to wait for the contract to expire or pay the relevant penalties if they wish to port to a competing operator immediately.

The Number Portability Company`s board will comprise two members from each of the three operators, he said, adding that much of the technical support work will be outsourced.

Fagan places moderate estimations on the amount of people who will port. "Considering worldwide trends, it won`t be as dramatic as some people here expect."

About 3% of expiring-contract customers will likely port, in any given period, he predicts.

He also dismissed reports that Saab Grintek had been late in supplying the infrastructure, saying the company delivered exactly as requested. He cited the Irish example where that nation took two years to implement portability - and this was one of the more successful portability projects, he added.

Fagan, who was at Business Connexion for five years in the roles of group information manager and senior project manager, has been involved in IT for about 40 years, holding the position of group IT manager of the Argus group for a decade.