‘Lifetime’ mobile number will soon be a reality – Gatchalian

Efforts allowing the interoperability of cellphone numbers will finally be realized more than two years after the enactment of the landmark legislation, the Mobile Number Portability Act (MNPA), Senator Win Gatchalian said on Wednesday.

Following the completion of the three major telecommunications companies’ initial testing of their technical capabilities and interoperability, Gatchalian said he wants to see the telcos stick to their commitment to put in place by September 30 this year the mobile number portability services.

This, he said, will allow mobile phone subscribers to switch networks or change subscriptions without losing the mobile numbers they are currently using and without having to pay for interconnection fees for calling or texting across different service providers.

“Malaking kaginhawaan ito lalo na sa mga gustong magpalit ng service provider para sa mas maayos na serbisyo pero ayaw bitawan ang kanilang mobile subscriber number,” Gatchalian said.

“Malaking abala para sa iba ang pagpapalit ng kanilang numero lalo na kung matagal na nilang gamit ito,” the principal author and sponsor of Republic Act 11202 said.

“What we want is for the telcos to freely compete, make it feasible for interoperability and the end-goal is to drive the prices down and provide better services. One’s cellphone number has become almost akin to maintaining one’s digital identity,” he added.

Gatchalian earlier called out the telcos for the delay in the implementation of MNPA which the law provided to be in place as early as January 2020, following the issuance of the Implementing Rules and Regulations in June 2019.

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Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)