Singapore - MNP 2.0

Singapore To Enjoy Full Mobile Number Portability From 13 June

Come 13 June, Singapore’s mobile subscribers will enjoy Full Mobile Number Portability1, and with this, greater benefits in terms of flexibility and choice of subscription plans as competition among mobile operators is expected to intensify. Currently, Singapore’s mobile subscription stands at more than 5.8 million.

The Full Mobile Number Portability solution will replace the current solution where a mobile subscriber holds two numbers, so that calls to his old number are Call-Forwarded to a new one. Singapore mobile subscribers were one of the first in the world to enjoy mobile number portability through this Call-Forwarding solution when it was launched here in 19972.

When implemented from 13 June, Full Mobile Number Portability will allow anyone who wishes to keep their current number when they switch mobile operator, to do so by the next working day. This spares them the hassle of updating their family, friends, and business contacts about a new number.

Today, with advances in technology, Full Mobile Number Portability allows a mobile subscriber who has switched operator to:

* Retain full use of his mobile number, which will continue to appear on his contact’s Caller-ID when he makes a call or uses the Short Message Service (SMS)/Multi-Media Message Service (MMS)
* Continue receiving MMSes on his number from his previous mobile operator

Pre-paid mobile subscribers can now also enjoy the same benefits of retaining their numbers when they switch mobile operator.

IDA Deputy Chief Executive and Director-General (Telecoms) Leong Keng Thai said: “Full Mobile Number Portability is expected to bring about a sea-change in Singapore’s mobile market. Consumers will be empowered with greater flexibility to choose from the offerings from mobile operators. This in turn intensifies competition and pushes the operators to work harder to attract and retain their customers. As we can expect to see more competitive pricing or better value-for-money mobile service deals, even those who choose to remain with their current mobile operator should benefit. We can expect even more exciting times ahead for our mobile market with Full Mobile Number Portability, and consumers will be the biggest winners.”

Full Mobile Number Portability is also expected to open the doors to new business opportunities for non-traditional telecommunication service providers like wireless broadband providers and Voice-Over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) providers. Its centralised database infrastructure will be well-placed to facilitate the entry of new players and evolution of new capabilities and services in today’s converged voice and data space.