Number portability offers a special enhancement to consumer choice in markets where there is more than one telephone service provider. Number portability or number porting, enables users to keep their current telephone number when switching from one telecommunications service provider to another. Removing the hassle/ inconvenience of having to inform all of their contacts – family, friends, customers etc.– that their telephone number has changed.
From Monday 3rd June 2019, number portability for mobile or cellular telephone numbers will be available across the ECTEL region (the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, the Federation of St Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines).
FAQS
If your new service provider fails to meet promised quality of service, then you can reverse the porting (i.e. port back to your previous service provider) within 14 days of your porting having been completed. After that period has elapsed, you may not port the same number again (whether to your previous operator or to any other operator) for sixty (60) days after the port has completed.
Is my former service provider allowed to try to dissuade me after I have decided to switch?
No. Your old service provider is not allowed to contact you during the porting process to try and persuade you to stay with them. Your old service provider is prohibited from contacting you with the intention or effect of encouraging you to return to them for re-sign up for their mobile/ cellular telephone services for a period of sixty (60) days following the completion of the porting process. However, your old service provider can contact you to recover outstanding payments.
Messages which have been sent to you, but not delivered, may be erased. You will lose your old voicemail, sms, mms and ancillary services, and you will need to set these up again with your new operator.
Who do I contact if I have a problem with switching?
If there is any problem with porting or for any other query during or after the porting process, you should contact your proposed new service provider, who will coordinate the complaints process (even though the problem may not have been caused by that provider).
No, And there is no charge for you to port your telephone number. All porting charges are met by the network service providers.
Will there be ‘hidden’ costs/charges?
Not related to porting, however, note that there may be contractual charges due as a result of ending your contract with your current service provider.
Will this mean additional fees/charges for local calls made between/across operator networks?
The charges applicable to your service after switching will be on the terms and conditions of your new provider, and you will now be on their network. As such, charges may be different from those of your previous service provider, including increased charges for making calls from your new network to numbers on your previous network.
Will I incur any penalty costs for leaving a provider? [Post-paid customers only]
You will receive a bill for your usage up to the time your number is switched to the new service provider, and your service terminated with your current service provider.
If you have not completed a minimum required term of the contract with your existing service provider you may be required to pay the outstanding balance of monthly rentals due under the contract. You should investigate this carefully with your existing service provider before switching in order to avoid any surprises.
Who will be eligible for the number portability service?
Any post-paid mobile/ cellular customer whose telephone number has not been barred or suspended from making outgoing calls, and also provided you have no more than one bill that has not been paid by the due payment date and is still unpaid or your outstanding account balance exceeds the deposit you have made to your current service provider.
Any pre-paid mobile/ cellular customer whose telephone number has not been barred or suspended from making outgoing calls.
Your telephone number is the property of the Government and it is assigned to the service providers through the local NTRC for use by subscribers. You rent the telephone number from your service provider and you have the right to use the number provided your account remains active. As long as your account with your current provider is active, you are able to port or move your number to another service provider using the MNP service. Please check the terms and conditions of your current service provider to confirm their specific requirements for your account to remain active.
Can a service provider under any circumstances, refuse to allow me to retain my number?
If your telephone number has been barred or suspended from making outgoing calls for non-payment or any other reason the port will be refused by your current operator. The operator you wish to move your service to will conduct usual credit checks and may require the payment of an appropriate deposit before providing service or, in some circumstances may refuse to provide service to you.
If you have no more than one bill that has not been paid by the due payment date and is still unpaid or your outstanding account balance exceeds the deposit you have made to your current service provider.
Provided that your telephone number has not been barred or restricted from making outgoing calls, you are eligible for porting. You will still remain liable to pay any outstanding balance due to your current provider.
