SA welcomes number portability, despite issues

27.10.2005
Von Computing SA

The Communications Users Association of South Africa"s (Cuasa"s) Ray Webber says that the organization welcomes the long-awaited publication of Number Portability regulations.

However, he warns that the evident lack of user consultation and various other issues are cause for concern.

"Number Portability regulations which were promulgated and published in the Government Gazette earlier this month will form the framework for a critically important component of effective competition," says Webber.

"Users who currently wish to switch mobile networks face a daunting task of notifying their contacts of their new telephone details. The result is that most users simply do not change their network, even if another provider offers significant price or service advantages.

"Cost-effective and reliable number portability would enable users to easily switch networks, forcing providers to concentrate on more competitive pricing and services," he adds.