The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) is expected to introduce a mobile-phone number portability policy within 10 months, enabling cellphone users to switch to different cellular networks and keep their existing phone numbers.

This follows a study of number portability conducted by Chula Unisearch of Chulalongkorn University, commissioned by the NTC. The first public hearing on the study was held yesterday.

The research agency has suggested that the NTC should introduce mobile-phone number portability first, because the number of cellphone users in Thailand is approaching 40 million. Later, it should introduce fixed-line number portability.

Chula Unisearch has proposed that the NTC finish the public hearing process on the policy this month, then announce policy regulations and launch a public campaign about the policy in the following two months.

In the three months following the public campaign, cellular operators will prepare their numbering and software systems to enable number portability, after which the system will be test-launched for a further three-month period.

The university agency said nine countries in Asia had already adopted number portability, including Singapore and Taiwan. Malaysia will introduce it in October.

It said that in Europe cellular operators reported a cost of ¤12.80 (Bt594) per subscriber for enabling them to move to different networks. They take between one and 30 days to complete the process of switching a subscriber to another network.

Some local cellular operators in yesterday's hearing voiced concern that number portability would prompt cellular operators to launch a price war to draw customers from competitors' networks.

However, Chula Unisearch said that in Japan's case just a few per cent of mobile-phone users switched to different networks after the country's adoption of number portability last October. The main reason was not price, but searching for better value-added services.

According to Chula Unisearch's survey, most respondents fully support the introduction of number portability. The cost of moving to different networks should be around Bt200 to Bt300, it said

Respondents also want to see the policy in place within this year and cellular operators adopting a process of switching subscribers to another network in no more than one day.

Prasit Prapinmongkolkarn, an NTC commissioner who oversees the development of the number portability policy, said he had already asked cellular operators to work out a possible charge for subscribers wishing to switch to different networks.

The NTC will hold two more public hearings on the policy this month.

Usanee Mongkolporn

The Nation