All systems go for mobile number portability Thursday

Telecommunications Connectivity Inc. (TCI) on Wednesday said it is all systems go for the implementation of the Mobile Number Portability (MNP) Act this week, even as it anticipates a few birthing pains with the system.

According to TCI general manager Melanie Manuel, TCI is already prepared for porting services, as she herself successfully tried it yesterday, September 28. The MNP is scheduled to be officially implemented on Thursday, September 30.

“For MNP services, ‘yan talaga, it’s a go. Makakapag-port in, port out sila,” she said during the Laging Handa virtual briefing.

“We are of course anticipating hiccups as in any other system that we implement, meron talagang hiccups, and that will help us perfect the system,” she added.

(For MNP services, it’s a go. They will be able to port in and port out. We are of course anticipating hiccups as in any other system that we implement, there will really be hiccups, and that will help us perfect the system.)

Under the MNP, subscribers can keep their mobile numbers even when they transfer to another service provider, or when they switch their subscription from postpaid to prepaid or vice versa.

TCI is the joint venture firm set up by three of the country’s major telco players — PLDT Inc.’s mobile unit Smart Communications Inc., Ayala-led Globe Telecom Inc., and Dito Telecommunity Corp. to implement the MNP.

Under the law, all public telecommunications entities are mandated to provide prepaid and postpaid subscribers the option to keep their mobile phone numbers free of charge, as long as the subscriber has no outstanding financial obligation.

The mobile service providers invested some P120 million to set up the interoperability for the porting in and out services, with Florida-based Syniverse Technology as the mobile portability service provider.

For a transfer, subscribers will need to secure a unique subscriber code from their current provider, submit the code to the clearing house, and then fill out an application with the service provider they wish to transfer to.

Manuel on Wednesday said it will take 48 hours for a subscriber to be able to transfer to a new network once the application is approved.

“I would suggest for the people who will be porting into a new network, for now I think it’s better you advise your friends that you have moved to another network,” she said.

“For the promos of the different telcos, I’m sure they will still offer the promos kasi what MNP will actually do is to encourage our mobile providers to offer better services, better promos, expand coverage, and of course better customer experience and at the end of the day makakatulong talaga yan (this will really help) subscribers,” she added.

Manuel in July said TCI is projecting at least a million subscribers availing of the mobile number porting service.—AOL, GMA News