Firms reach number-portability deal

Five private and state telecom operators have reached a preliminary agreement gradually to expand the capacity for mobile-phone-number portability according to actual market demand.

A source at one telecommunication operator said the firms would convene next week to come up with an estimate for actual demand and to inform Clearing House for Number Portability Co – a joint venture established by the firms to manage portability services – of their decision. 

They will then submit the result for consideration to the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC).

Number portability enables users to switch to different networks using their existing mobile-phone numbers.

Earlier, Advanced Info Service (AIS), Total Access Communication (DTAC) and TrueMove sought a quick, joint expansion of number-transfer capacity on an unlimited basis, but TOT and CAT Telecom opposed the plan, saying it would cost them a huge amount and gain them nothing. 

CAT also said it would be a time-consuming process to seek a budget for the expansion of portability capacity.

The firms’ current combined number-transfer capacity is 40,000 per day. 

However, the five firms have yet to reach agreement on a proposal to shorten the time required for the process to one day from the present three, and have yet to lower the fee below Bt79 from the present Bt99 per transfer, as requested by the NBTC. The commission wants to see the firms expand portability capacity to serve the concession expirations of TrueMove and Digital Phone Co on September 15 to enable their existing combined 18 million customers to migrate to other networks. 

AIS and DTAC are keen to migrate premium customers from their state concessions to third-generation 2.1-gigahertz networks of their subsidiaries, Advanced Wireless Network (AWN) and DTAC Network, respectively. AIS reportedly aims to migrate 9 million existing subscribers to AWN’s network this year.