Mobile Phone Operators Reject Number Portability Deadline

As is often the case, new regulations protecting consumers are often ignored by industry because the penalty for non-compliance is lower than the commercial loss they may endure from disatisfied customers.  The new regulation permits all mobile phone customers to own their mobile phone numbers and be able to assign their mobile number to the service provider of their choice and to move from that service provider to another if the special promotion or service was better.

Dtac, True (formerly Orange), Hutch, and AIS One2Call have all decided to ignore the government imposed deadline announced last year.

Mobile phone operators say they are not be able to meet the deadline to provide mobile number portability to consumers on September 1, as they "Have yet to test the system", according to the industry's spokesman.

Preemon Pinsakul, president of Clearing House for Number Portability, which was established by mobile phone operators, said they will not be able to provide mobile number portability (MNP) to consumers on September 1. The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) set the date as the deadline for the mobile phone operators to provide MNP for consumers after numerous complaints to the government from mobile phone service subscribers about billing, poor service area coverage, dropped calls and a lack of customer service.

Spokesman Preemon added that the NTC has been informed that the mobile phone operators will conduct a test for the MNP system in September. Many scenarios will be used to test the system, and it will take three to four months before MNP will be officially available.

"This begs the question of why they did not conduct these tests in time to comply with the new regulation unless, of course, they do not want to comply and are stalling for time willing to pay a relatively low fine or even worse, risk a law suit to hold up this protection to consumers even longer," said consumer advocate Jitana Boonsu.

She added, "The mobile number portability allows consumers to make a change of service provider when one of the other three providers may offer better cellular coverage in the area where the consumer makes calls or may offer lower rates to the numbers she or he call most. We should have a choice and not be held hostage to the industry."

As for the 20,000 baht daily fine for failing to meet the deadline set by the NTC, Spokesman Preemon said the operators have yet to be informed by the NTC about it, adding that each operator may handle the fine differently. Some operators may file a lawsuit, while others may be willing to pay the fine.

Sompot Panthong, assistant manager of Wireless Communication Engineering of CAT Telecom, said providing MNP must be undertaken by all operators at the same time.

Suranan Wongwitayakamjorn, a member of the NTC board, said the mobile phone operators must provide MNP according to the deadline, as NTC gave them one year to prepare for MNP. Any operator that fails to meet the deadline will be liable to pay a minimum fine of 20,000 baht a day.