KATHMANDU, APR 04 -
The Mobile Number Portability (MNP) service, which the government had considered to introduce into the market, has remained in limbo for the last three years due to the lack of interest from the Nepal Telecom munications Authority (NTA).
The MNP service allows subscribers to retain their mobile numbers if they wish to switch from one operator to another over their dissatisfaction with the service quality or the tariff. The service has been effective in markets like India and Pakistan which have high rate of mobile penetration and fierce competition among mobile operators.
A study conducted by NTA in 2011 had concluded that the NMP could be introduced once the country’s penetration rate reaches 60 percent. The country has now witnessed an increase in total penetration rate of over 70 percentage 70 percent (including 63.72 percent of mobile users) as of Mid-February 2013. The study had also suggested making some changes to the existing telecom rules and replacing the zonal numbering plan with a national numbering plan to implement the MNP service.
Consumer right activists said that customers had not been provided their right to choose service retaining the same old number and this had also led to the trend of owning more than one SIM cards. “MNP service should be introduced taking into account the concern of customers who are forced to use service of one operator fearing to loose the number they use,” said Shree Ram Khadka, central member of the Forum for Protection of Consumer Rights-Nepal.
The NTA had originally planned to introduce the MNP service in 2010, considering the increase in penetration rate, growing competition among major telecom service providers, international trends and the need to expand choices for consumers. A year later, a study conducted by an NTA committee pointed to the need of carrying out a detailed feasibility study involving an internationally reputed MNP consultant or a MNP service provider.
However, neither the NTA has initiated a detailed study nor has it made the changes to the existing laws yet. Min Prasad Aryal, deputy director at the NTA, said that the MNP was one of the best services for customers to give them a choice.
“Since we don’t have any special programme on this service for current fiscal year, it can be included in our annual programme for coming next fiscal year,” Aryal said, adding that it was necessary to know the opinion of telecom companies and bring rules to govern it first.
For long, there have been issues concerning operators not providing quality service and some of them charging comparatively higher tariff. Khadka said that if the MNP is introduced, telecom service operators will be forced to improve the quality of their service and attract users with more schemes to keep their existing subscribers.
The government surveys have showed that telecom companies’ quality of service (QoS) is below the parameter set. The International Telecommunications Union’s experts during their recent visit to Nepal has also emphasised on the MNP service to encourage companies improve their QoS.
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