Cell C, Virgin Mobile and Vodacom announced this week, in the run up to today's launch of mobile number portability (MNP), that they would not charge porting fees to customers looking to move to other operators.
<B>The porting process</B>
For prepaid customers:
* Purchase a new starter pack.
* Log a request to port through the existing provider.
* Receive a response within an hour from the provider either approving or disapproving the port.
* Be ported between 10.30 and 11.30 that night, or on any day chosen 31 days in advance.
For postpaid customers:
* Fill out an application with the new provider.
* If that is approved, the new provider will request a port from the old provider.
* The old provider will respond within an hour either approving or disapproving the port.
* If that is approved, choose when to be ported - either that night or a date chosen 31 days in advance.
* Give the old provider notice on the contract and pay whatever fees are needed to end the contract, or continue to pay as normal, effectively running two contracts at once.
Providers can refuse to port a number if, for prepaid customers, there are administrative problems, for example: The number doesn't exist or isn't active on that network. In the case of contract customers, providers can refuse to port if the subscriber fails a credit check, is not authorised to port that number, or has an outstanding debt resulting in the phone being locked.
Reasons a port may be refused, according to the Altech Autopage Cellular Web site, are if:
* The number is excluded from number portability.
* For postpaid subscribers, the number, account number and account holder identification number do not match.
* The classification of the account does not match, for example a request is made under the prepaid procedure for a postpaid account.
* The subscriber is already subject to suspension of outgoing or incoming calls because of failure to pay a bill.
* The number is already subject to a porting process.
* The number has already been ported in the last two months.
* The number is invalid on the donor service provider.
* For a corporate entity, the number, account number and corporate registration number do not match, or the port request is unauthorised.
* The recipient may refuse to import a number that would clash with another number or code that is in use, or is planned to be used, on its network.
* Any other reason agreed to by the authority and notified to the operators in writing.
Buckley McGrath, executive for MTN's corporate business unit, says the operator will not charge an administration fee to government or corporate customers that wish to port to its network.
MTN's consumer business unit has confirmed it will also not charge any fees, although its official statement was unavailable at the time of writing.
As the operators may not charge a fee to customers leaving their networks, in terms of MNP regulations, it means they will absorb the fees payable to the Number Portability Company on behalf of subscribers looking to join their networks.
However, porting may still involve fees, specifically for contract customers. Vodacom's corporate communications head Dot Field, in a statement earlier this week, said while Vodacom will not charge clients a porting fee, "consumers should be aware they are still liable for any outstanding bills with their existing operator and may, in some cases, be subject to contractual obligations".
Altech Autopage Cellular MD Stephen Blewett, also in a statement, echoed the same sentiment: "Consumers will be able to port even though their contract term has not been reached with their current service provider. Subscribers porting in this instance will have to pay or buy-out the remaining part of their contract.
"Another factor that will also play a big part in the porting process is that the consumer who wants to port to another service provider will have to supply the new service provider with all necessary personal information. The upside though is that now you will be able to keep your number," he says.
Providers may also refuse to port a number if there is an outstanding debt on the account, or if the number had already been ported within the previous two months.
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