MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte signed a law that allows mobile users to keep their numbers despite changing their service providers or subscription plans.
Republic Act 11202, or the Mobile Number Portability Act, was signed by the President on Feb. 8 but was only released recently to the public.
Under the law, all qualified subscribers should be provided with Mobile Number Portability (MNP) completely free of charge and information on MNPs including its features.
“The basic premise behind a nationwide Mobile Number Portability system is to promote consumer welfare as it fosters the freedom to choose and to respond to quality, price, and other relevant considerations without the consumers having to change their mobile numbers whenever they change mobile service providers or subscription plans,” it said.
MNP represents an opportunity to rebalance the relationship between mobile service providers and consumers in a vibrant economy and a well-served consumer sector, it added.
The approved measure also states that the National Telecommunications Commission will impose fines against public telecommunications entities for violations of the act.
Mobile service providers must also comply with the provisions of this Act, and set up a mechanism for the purpose of implementing nationwide MNP within six months from promulgation of rules and regulations.
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, the author of the measure, lauded the President for signing the law as it will spur competition and efficiency between telcos.
“The signing of the Mobile Number Portability Act before the start of operations of the third telco will spur competition and efficiency between telcos and break the duopoly in the telecom industry by removing a potential barrier for subscribers not to patronize the new entrant because they cannot keep the same mobile number,” Gatchalian said./PN
