CPA asks government to expedite action on mobile phone portability service

mobile survey data from Ghana

Surveys conducted by the Consumer Protection Agency (CPA) show that consumers of telecommunications services are more satisfied with their telephone numbers and would like to retain them while switching to other operators.

This is causing uncertainty for mobile phone subscribers in deciding on the operator who is the most suitable in providing services.

A press statement issued by Mr Kofi Kapito, Chief Executive Officer of CPA and Nana Prempeh Aduhene, Head of Programme and Research in Accra on Tuesday, said the headache of switching from one network to the other to satisfy subscribers quest for quality service has been resolved since the introduction of Mobile Number Portability (MNP) in many countries across the world including the European Union.

With the MNP service, subscribers can choose a new service provider while retaining their previous number to receive services.

This facility, which is now available for both fixed and mobile phone numbers has improved the attractiveness of the market and increased the penetration level of the product in countries where they are in practice.

MNP comes in three different approaches: change of the consumers physical location, change of the type of service required and change of the service provider (operator).

But the latter is the main approach in offering this service.

The statement said the ability to keep ones mobile phone number when moving to a new provider has been a major problem to mobile phone subscribers in the country whiles a technology exists to make it possible.

The practice is already in use in 60 countries including Europe, India, Sweden, Denmark, Greece, South Korea, Singapore, Spain, Malta and the USA.

-The Minister of Communications, Haruna Iddrisu, even before he became a Minister had been advocating for the introduction of Mobile Number Portability,- the statement said.

This position is supported by numerous industry players and nearly all subscribers in the country.

-The problem, however, is that the Communications Ministry is looking at introducing this service in Ghana by June 2012,- the statement added.

It said although the announcement created a lot of excitement among a great number of subscribers in the country, questions have been raised as to why the ministry would wait for that long before introducing the concept in Ghana?

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