The process of porting telephone numbers makes it possible for the users to keep their phone numbers while switching telephony providers. The porting process is initiated by a user submitting a request therefor to the new provider (acceptor provider). Upon receipt of a porting request, the former provider (donor provider) has the obligation to answer by sending a standard message to the database through which the number portability is managed (the centralized database). This message confirms that the number can be ported or, on the contrary, there is a well-grounded reason why the porting process cannot be achieved (for example, the porting request was not submitted by the rightful holder of the number). If the donor provider does not send such a message, the porting process is eventually cancelled by the centralized database.

 

Following a series of complaints submitted both by Telekom Mobile users, and by other telephony providers, which revealed that the porting process could not be achieved or was delayed for a significant amount of numbers, ANCOM initiated a control action. Thus, the Authority found that during 1 May – 21 July 2017, Telekom Mobile failed to send the standard message for 7,213 porting requests, which drove to the fact that - until 21 August 2017 - the porting process had been cancelled for 1,232 single individual numbers, respectively delayed for further 4,941 single individual numbers.

Having breached some provisions of the electronic communications legislation, Telekom Romania Mobile Communications was fined with RON 200,000, which the company will have to pay to the state budget.

 

During this year, ANCOM received 364 notifications from users regarding the progress of porting to various fixed or mobile networks. The main issues complained about concerned malfunctions that occurred during the porting process (such as the non-synchronization of user identification information or failure to send messages between databases), leading to extended deadlines or even to the cancellation of some porting processes. A large number of users turned to ANCOM for additional information on the status of their porting process.

Number portability enables the users to keep their telephone number, while switching providers. Since the launch of this service, more than 4.2 million telephone numbers have been ported, among which 3.5 million were mobile telephony numbers and approximately 700,000 – fixed telephony numbers.

For information purposes, ANCOM makes available to the users the website www.portabilitate.ro, where they can find the network of any ported telephone number used in Romania, may it be ported or not. The website offers details on the steps to be taken in order to port a telephone number or to cancel a porting process, answers to frequently asked questions in case of porting a number, as well as advice for preventing possible problems in the porting process.