The Office of the Telecommunications Authority is seeking public views on issues in connection with the voluntary implementation of fixed-mobile number portability.

The fixed-mobile number portability allows fixed and mobile users to port their fixed or mobile numbers to any fixed or mobile network as they like.

This should help increase cross-platform competition between the fixed and mobile network operators, provide innovative solutions to meet customer demand and encourage more efficient use of the scarce public resource of numbers.

However, there are views asking the telecoms authority to assess carefully the impact to ensure the regulatory regime is conducive to market development and consumer welfare. 

The authority believes while there is insufficient justification to mandate the implementation of fixed-mobile number portability, individual network operators should be allowed to make their own business decisions to implement it on a voluntary basis.

Related issues

People are invited to express their views on the following issues:

* the proposed voluntary implementation of fixed-mobile number portability;

* the need for the telecoms authority to set out the necessary basic guiding principles to ensure voluntary fixed-mobile number portability's orderly implementation; and

* other associated issues, including the need to identify the asymmetrical regulatory arrangements which apply to fixed and mobile services and which may impede the implementation of fixed-mobile number portability.

The consultation exercise will run until December 30. For details, click here.