Number portability is a competition enabling tool whereby a subscriber has freedom to choose a network operator whilst retaining his or her telephone number. The objective of this process is to promote consumer choice.
On 25 September 2005 the authority published in the Government Gazette the number portability regulations. These regulations set up three types of number porting; block geographic number porting, individual geographic number porting and mobile number porting.
The three types of porting were implemented in phases. Mobile number portability was implemented in November 2007 Geographic number porting was scheduled to be implemented in two phases.
The first phase of geographic number portability was mainly intended for corporate users and dealt with the porting of blocks of numbers (blocks of one thousand and blocks of 10 000. It was implemented in May 2009.
Today we are officially announcing the implementation of the second phase which will be implemented on 26 April 2010. This is worth celebrating as a final phase of implementing number portability regulations.
It must be noted that at the time the regulations were promulgated, there were only two players in the fixed line market, Telkom and Neotel. Neotel was the new competitor as Telkom was a sole licensed fixed line operator. At that time it was not practical to implement geographic number porting based on one single player in the market.
This resulted in the regulations being implementation in phases. It was acknowledged that the regulations catered for both mobile and geographic number porting. Therefore, in order not to delay implementation of mobile number portability as well, the implementation was thus made in phases.
This feat is worth celebrating as a final phase of implementing number portability regulations. Finally individual customers and households are free to port their geographic numbers based on their needs and benefits. Telkom and Neotel have confirmed their readiness to implement the much awaited phase.
We emphasise that the 26 April 2010 is the launch date for individual number porting. The implementation will continue onwards based on demand and readiness to port by all eligible operators.
We also emphasise eligible operators in that since the promulgation of the regulations the landscape has changed with the authority's licence conversion process of January 2009. This resulted in former value added network service licenses (VANS) being converted into individual electronic communications network service licences and some of which also have electronic communications services licences (ECS) who now also qualify for geographic numbers.
These new licensees have been allocated with geographic numbers which makes them now eligible for geographic number porting as well. (This list will be continuously updated based on geographic number allocations).
Altonet (Pty) Ltd
Amatole Telecommunication Services (Pty) Ltd
Amobia Communications (Pty) Ltd
Asixhumane Communications (Pty) Ltd
Dira Ka Thata Computers (Pty) Ltd
Dow Networks
ECN Telecommunications (Pty) Ltd
Frogfoot Networks
ICSA Telecommunications (Pty) Ltd
Ilizwi Telecommunications
Internet Solutions
Levin Global Commodities
Liquid Telecommunications Operations SA (Pty)
Neotel (PTY) LTD
Nyakatho Telecommunications (Pty) Ltd
Platitel (Pty) Ltd
Switch Telecom (Pty) Ltd
Talkworld Communications
TelFree Communications (Pty) Ltd
Telkom South Africa Ltd
Thinta Thinta Telecoms (Pty) Ltd
Vox Telecom Limited
Wireless Business Solutions (Pty) Ltd
Wireless Dimensions (Pty) Ltd
Zinandi Communications (Pty) Ltd
The "three consecutive beeps of not more than two seconds" will be used as a common notification method to customers that the geographic number dialled has been ported to a different network operator. This is the same notification method used for mobile number portability.
Detailed geographic number portability consumers guidelines will be posted on our website. The authority will also be embarking on public awareness programs to this regard.
It is our obligation as the regulator to ensure that all those who are required by the regulations to offer geographic number portability are able to do so effectively and efficiently. The overall aim is to promote consumer choice.
Issued by: Independent Communications Authority of South Africa
22 April 2010
Source: Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (http://www.icasa.org.za/)
