Ofcom delays plans for two-hour mobile number transfers

 

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By Barry Collins

Posted on 3 Aug 2009 at 12:22

Ofcom has postponed plans to accelerate the speed at which customers can transfer their mobile phone number from one network to another.

Back in 2007, the telecoms regulator told mobile phone networks that they had until 1 September 2009 to complete the process in two hours.

However, Ofcom's plans were scuppered last year when the Competition Appeals Tribunal (CAT) ruled that the regulator had failed to prove that accelerating the process would cost networks only £5m. Vodafone successfully argued the cost would be closer to £37m.

Today, Ofcom has issued a fresh consultation on the issue, which is less ambitious and puts off the deadline for another two years.

Today's proposal "sets out options for faster porting including completing the process within two hours or within one working day".

Ofcom says it "aims to have any new porting process arrangements in place during 2011", after a lengthy period of consultation with the industry.

A spokesperson for Ofcom defended the delay and watering down of the proposals, claiming that the regulator has to "consider the cost of the proposals for the industry".

"We've gone back and looked at the issue afresh and done some pretty detailed cost calculations," the spokesperson told PC Pro. "These things take a while."

The spokesperson also claimed that the two-hour deadline would put Britain ahead of the rest of Europe, with the EC currently consulting on proposals to bring number porting to within one working day.

Ofcom also wants to simplify the way number transfers are handled. Instead of customers having to ring their existing network and request a Porting Authorisation Code (PAC) that has to be supplied to the new network, Ofcom wants the new network to handle the entire process.