Moving towards common use of mobile phone nos.
View(s):The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) has been receiving requests from the public regarding the introduction of Number Portability (NP) services.
In line with this, TRCSL has announced the steps taken to introduce this service following a long delay of over 17 years due to various obstacles including regulatory issues, financial constraints and objections of telecom and mobile phone service providers. .
The new government is planning to allow number portability from June 2025, according to a statement on the proceedings of a Ministerial Consultative Committee on Digital Economic Affairs held at the parliament recently.
“The Committee discussed the possibility of mobile phone users to retain the same mobile phone number they used when changing their mobile phone network operator, and in response, the officials said that this facility will be implemented from next June,” the statement said.
Consultations with telecom operators were held first to determine an implementation plan. A Public Consultation Paper was issued in 2021 to receive comments from stakeholders. Following that, TRCSL collaborated with telecom operators to determine an appropriate technical model.
To facilitate operations, Lanka Number Portability Services (Guarantee) Ltd (LNPS) was formed, incorporating all fixed and mobile operators.
TRCSL granted LNPS the necessary license to operate NP services. Additionally, the Attorney General’s Department approved the NP Rules and Guidelines, which were formulated in coordination with telecom operators.
LNPS then initiated a procurement process to select a suitable entity to provide the required technical system. By January 2025, the financial evaluation was completed, paving the way for selecting a supplier and installing the system, with service commencement anticipated soon after.
The delay in implementing NP has been an ongoing concern. The Sunday Times Business previously reported on the challenges faced since 2010, when TRCSL received a US$472,000 financial facility from the World Bank’s Institutional Development Fund (IDF) to develop regulatory and implementation capabilities.
Mobile Number Portability (MNP) allows users to keep phone numbers in case they switch network operators, increasing competition and safeguarding consumers.
Sri Lanka remains one of the last South Asian countries without number portability.
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