Malta, Ireland with best record for mobile number portability

Malta and Ireland have been ranked by the European Commission as being the most efficient in mobile number portability. A Maltese customer can now keep his original mobile number and switch his network provider in just one day.

This Maltese benchmark is now going to be adopted across the EU if Commission proposals to reform the EU telecommunications sector are approved by the European Parliament and member states.

Number portability has been available in Malta since April 2006 as a direct result of the strict EU rules aimed at protecting consumers.

Originally, Malta had taken quite a long time to adapt to this new situation due to resistance by local telephony providers. However, following insistence by the Commission and rules drawn up by the Malta Communications Authority (MCA), Maltese clients now enjoy the ability to switch their networks in the shortest possible time.

Unfortunately, according to the Commission, this efficiency is still not the rule when it comes to number portability in the fixed telephony market currently operated by Go (Maltacom) and Melita.

The one-day switchover possibility for all types of number portability is now set to become the EU's objective.

Proposals submitted by the Commission last November and which are currently before the European Parliament state that within one working day consumers in the EU should be able to change their fixed or mobile operator while keeping their phone number.

The Commission argues that this is a key facilitator of consumer choice and effective competition.

It still takes eight days on average to switch in the EU while keeping one's own number. France is the best performer in the fixed segment, Malta and Ireland in the mobile sector. In Estonia it still takes a month to switch fixed operators while a mobile operator transfer in Slovakia can take up to 20 days.

European telecoms Commissioner Viviane Reding, who is piloting this reform, said that delays in number portability facilities are not to be permitted any longer.

"In Australia, it is possible to switch operator in two hours - we should really be able to get this done in one day in Europe," she said.

If everything goes to plan the EU telecoms reform should be given the green light by the end of this year.