Half million taken old number to new phone company

PORTING: FUN FACTS

• 1 April 2007 – the date local and mobile number portability was introduced
• $100 million – the estimated cost of implementing number portability
• 19 – the number of telecommunications service providers that port numbers
• 43.4% - the overall proportion of ported numbers that are local landline numbers
• 17,300 – the most mobile numbers ported in a month (August 2009)
• The 500,000th port was completed at 2:30pm on Wednesday, 17 November 2010

Source: TCF.org.nz

A Northland road marking company has become the country’s 500,000th telecommunications customer to ‘port’ their phone number when changing service providers (that is, take their current phone number with them when they switch phone companies.

The half-million milestone has arrived quicker than many expected, and is the aggregate of local and mobile numbers ported as at 17 November.

It is testament to the consistent month-on-month growth in popularity of number portability since its launch in New Zealand less than four years ago, according to Telecommunications Carriers’ Forum chief executive David Stone.

The TCF maintains porting statistics on behalf of its members, who include Telecom, Vodafone, 2degrees and TelstraClear.

Introduced to New Zealand in April 2007, number portability allows customers to take with them residential or business phone, fax, and mobile numbers when switching providers. It’s currently provided by 19 telecommunications companies (including ISPs that offer phone service, and companies that offer a rebadged mobile phone service, such as Vodafone wholesale partners CallPlus and Compass).

Although porting was introduced four years ago, it has accelerated since 2degrees launched in August last year.

The mobile newcomer has benefited from upwards of 100,000 Telecom and Vodafone customers moving their 021 or 027 number to its network (2degrees' rivals do give it some jip for refusing to say how many of the porters remained loyal, and how many defected back).

The downside of porting - at least for those with a so-called "on-net" plan that offers a cheaper rate for calling those on the same network - is that it's now hard to tell, simply from their phone number, who's belongs to which mobile phone company.