Switch mobile network, keep your number from Sunday
12:28PM Sat 21 Dec, 2013
Dubai: Consumers are set to see more valued-added features and services from the two telecom operators in the UAE as mobile number portability (MNP) is to be implemented on Sunday.
MNP is the actual switching of a mobile operator/mobile service provider without having to change one’s mobile number. However, only active mobile numbers can be ported.
“End users are going to benefit as price competition has come into the picture. A telecom operator who can provide better value-added features and service will benefit from MNP,” Bhanu Chaddha, senior telecom analyst at research firm International Data Corporation, told Gulf News.
The TRA had planned to launch MNP by end of 201. The launch has been delayed several times due to technical issues and non-readiness of the operators.
Given the fact that a large majority of subscribers in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries prefer prepaid payment plans, Chaddha believes that MNP will only be a limited success in these countries.
“Prepaid subscribers have higher propensity to churn than postpaid customers, and are generally not worried about changing their numbers, which puts a question mark on the need for MNP in GCC countries,” Chaddha said.
Even Othman Sultan, Chief Executive Officer at du, also said that MNP will not be a “game changer”.
Du has 47 per cent market share of the UAE mobile market while etisalat has 53 per cent.
Shaji Varghese, a bank employee in Sharjah, said that MNP will not be a success in the UAE as there are only two operators. For MNP to be a success and for customers to see huge benefits, he said there should be more than three operators.
According to TRA statistics, smartphone penetration rate has reached 73.8 per cent and feature phones 181 per cent.
MNP will introduce greater levels of competition in the UAE telecom space and “improve the level of service available for consumers,” Chaddha said .
He said the sweet spot for telecom operator is the mobile data, so it is going to be commoditised.
IDC believes the launch of MNP to be a step in the right direction, as it could bring benefits to consumers in terms of lower service tariffs and improved quality of service, and also help regulatory authorities to stimulate value-based competition.
MNP is likely to result in operators becoming more customer focused and offering need-based and micro-segmented tariff plans. One direct benefit could be an improvement in the quality of customer service, which remains a key pain point in the region.
Oman became the first country in the region to introduce MNP in 2006, Saudi Arabia followed suit after that.
Bahrain became the next country to introduce it in July 2011 while in Qatar, MNP was launched in February 2013.
As of now, number portability (fixed, mobile or both) is available in 75 out of 193 UN member states, plus some 15 different territories in the world. Discussions are on-going in around 50 countries and territories all over the world, but mainly in Africa, Central America and East Asia, plus in Russia and China.
Gulf News
Photos
