Gov’t Working to Meet May 31 Number Portability Deadline

Minister of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining, Hon. Phillip Paulwell, is assuring that number portability will be available to Jamaicans by May 31 this year.

He informed that he has issued a Number Portability Administrator licence to Porting Access B.V. a company out of the Netherlands, which is working to ensure that this deadline will be met.

The Minister was making his contribution to the 2015/16 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on Wednesday (April 15).

To last for a period of 10 years, the licence took effect on March 16, 2015. The company is mandated to establish operate, manage, coordinate and maintain a number portability central reference database and an automated central order handling system and related activities for the provision of number portability.

Mr. Paulwell pointed out that this number portability arrangement will allow Jamaicans to move from one service provider to another while retaining their mobile and fixed telephone numbers.

The Minister said it will also enable greater competition amongst players within the telecoms industry.

Studies indicate that the introduction of number portability facilitates greater competition in the telecoms market which can result in lower prices and more innovative products and services.

Number portability can also eliminate some of the costs, delays and inconvenience that businesses and individuals encounter when changing from one telecoms provider to another.

The rules on number portability have been gazetted since September last year.