Mobile Number Portability / Wireless Number Portability

Mobile Operators are in a race to retain customer and offer its customers best services to save them from porting.  It is like a blessing in disguise for the customers, as they would get better service irrespective of the carrier, albeit with the same number.  The increased competition in the mobile space will trigger a completely new dimension of relationship and commerce. 

 

Keep in mind that number porting only applies to moving your phone number from one carrier to another.  All the other restrictions on cell phone service still apply; if you try to switch carriers before you current calling plan commitment runs out, there is a chance of an early-termination fee.  Many wireless providers have already boosted up their early cancellation fees, which may be a tactic to curb WNP

 

While WNP will remove a significant barrier to changing wireless service providers, consumers should bear in mind that handsets might not function on different wireless carriers networks due to different network technologies.  There may be an initial cost of buying new equipment.

 

In addition, not all services may be transferable from one carrier to another; and not all the services that a customer has with one service provider will be supported or provided by another Mobile provider.

 

Due to WNP mandate, all of wireless carriers’ systems are affected.  Examples of systems and processes affected are: billing, customer service, order activation, call delivery, roamer registration and support, short messages service center, directory assistance, caller ID, calling name presentation, switches, maintenance and CSC systems, home location registers (HLRs), and visiting location registers (VLRs).

 

In the short term, the churn will increase; however, there are only so many players so once loss is another’s gain.  The subscriber base will grow at a healthy rate but the ARPU will reduce.

 

In the initial stages it will be a huge mess due to churn and related issues i.e. when a customer plans to shift, the old service provider (OSP) has to perform a query to identify if there are any billing amounts pending, which they need to recover before the subscriber moves to the new service provider (NSP).  Now if the subscriber wants to switch over smoothly, keep your finger crossed.

 

A mobile company focused on enhancing the mobile experience of the user with excellent customer support will succeed. 

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