Mobile Number Portability takes off in Ghana
Ghana's has six mobile phone operators
Mobile Number Portability (MNP), a system that allows mobile phone users to move from one mobile network to another and still retain their original number, is expected to take off in Ghana today.
This comes after long term tests of the system conducted by the National Communications Authority (NCA) , Porting Access Ghana and the six mobile phone operators in the country proved an overwhelming success.
Forthwith, phone users will be able to change their service providers anytime they deem fit and still retain their numbers.
Assuming Vodafone and Airtel are the only mobile phone operators in Ghana, what MNP means is that a Vodafone subscriber with the number 020222222 can join Airtel and still maintain the number 020222222. The Vodafone network prefix 020 will not change to 026.
In the same way, an Airtel subscriber with a number 026222222, can switch to Vodafone and still maintain the number O26222222. The Airtel network prefix 026 will not change to 020.
The launch of the MNP today marks an end to a long and anxious wait for a service that is expected to empower mobile phone users and engender competition in the mobile telecoms industry.
The introduction of MNP to Ghana was fast tracked by the Minister of Communications, Haruna Idrissu, who first affirmed his support for the implementation of the system in 2009, during his vetting in Parliament.
“With as many as six mobile operators in Ghana, it has become necessary for MNP to be implemented to give customers the choice and flexibility to be on any network they want and I can assure you that I am fully committed to its implementation”, Mr Idrissu told the Appointments Committee of Parliament.
Despite the reservations of some mobile operators on the introduction of MNP in Ghana, Mr Idrissu went ahead to set July 2011 as the deadline for the implementation of the system.
Reaffirming his commitment to the implementation of MNP, The Communications Minister noted at the launch of Airtel Ghana in November 2010, that MNP would “serve as punishment for non-performing operators who may not be delivering on their minimum quality of service standards.”
Consequently, phone users who had endured bad services from their network operator because they did not want to lose their number and contact with family, friends, and business associates, can now move to networks that provide better services and still keep their numbers.
The process which is called porting, will allow subscribers who want to switch to other networks go to the customer care centre of the network they want to join and request a switch. Based on that information, the network will facilitate porting of the number onto their network within 24 hours, though porting can be done in as little as fifteen minutes.
After a successful switch, the subscriber will be able use, make and receive calls as well as send and receive messages on the new network using his old number.
Though porting takes 48 hours in Kenya, the NCA has directed mobile operators to carry out porting within 24 hours.
Porting Access Ghana, a merger of Dutch firm, Porting Access BV (PXS) and CIS Ghana, will facilitate porting among the six mobile operators in the country-Airtel, Vodafone, Glo Mobile, MTN, Tigo, Expresso.
For every number that is ported, Porting Access Ghana will charge about US$2.50 or less. The cost of porting is driven by a formula involving price ceilings and volume of calls, but it stands at maximum of $2.50.
However, phone users in Ghana will not pay any amount whenever they port their numbers to other networks, as mobile operators in the country have agreed to bare all porting costs.
But in order to ensure that mobile phone users do not abuse MNP by frequently moving from one network to the other, the NCA, Porting Access Ghana and the six mobile operators in the country have agreed that subscribers will have to stay with a network for at least one month before they are allowed to move to another network.
Ultimately, MNP is expected to benefit mobile phone users, with analysts predicting improved network quality, improved customer care services and lower tariffs.
However, some mobile operators may find themselves at the wrong end of MNP, as many subscribers have expressed the desire to port their numbers to other networks as soon as the service takes effect today.
MNP is already being offered in some African countries including South Africa, Egypt and Kenya.
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Category: Blog, Business, Mobile, Social Ramblings, Technology
like your post. it has really educated me a lot on the mobile portability in Ghana. hope to receive more of your post. God bless you.
Thanks a lot, Gideon. Yes, there will be many more posts.