Mobile phone subscribers in Kenya will soon be able to retain their mobile subscriber numbers whenever they change service providers. This follows the Commission’s award of licence for the provision of number portability services to M/s Porting Access Kenya Ltd today. 

Number portability is a feature that allows service providers to change networks and service types without having to suffer the inconvenience of having to change their subscriber numbers. Speaking at the licence award ceremony, CCK Director-General Charles J.K. Njoroge said the service would be rolled out before the end of the year.

He said implementation of number portability would bolster the level of competition in the mobile telecommunications market and enhance consumer choice. Introduction of number portability services is also expected to level the playing ground for operators in the market.

Subscribers porting their numbers to a different network shall pay a one-time fee of about Kshs200 per port (i.e. change of service provider). All other applicable retail tariffs in the new network shall also apply.

“This one-time fee per port is considered competitive, and is unlikely to act as barrier to the uptake of the service,” said the Director-General. Mr. Njoroge said that the Commission would, by July 2010, develop the requisite procedures and guidelines for the provision of number portability services in consultation with the mobile service providers.

M/s Porting Access BV of Netherlands beat six firms to win the international tender for the provision of number portability services in the country. The tendering process for the service began in December 2009 and was concluded in March this year.

The award of the licence comes after extensive consultations between CCK and the mobile service providers.  The first consultation exercise, which was carried out in 2004, showed that the market was not ready for the implementation of number portability due to the existence of a duopoly then. The second and third consultation exercises were conducted in 2008 and 2009 respectively, and showed overwhelming consensus in favour of introduction of the service. 

Kenya joins 62 other countries in the world where number portability has been implemented, including Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa.  M/s Porting Access provides number portability services in 12 European countries.  

Click here for the Director-General’s speech