Mobile number portability

Number portability is the ability in the field of telephony, to retain the same number when changing providers. The number portability is enshrined in Germany in § 46 German Telecommunications Act ( TKG). However, § 46 TKG does not include the right to number portability changes to the Treaty, in which the old and new phone provider are identical. Technically it the number is disconnected from the old port and registered in the connection of the new provider. This process of number portability underlying is called porting, and can be fraught with porter fees.

The number portability in the fixed network is also referred to as Local Number Portability (LNP ) or landline number porting. This will keep the site-specific telephone number when switching to a new network provider. Not to be confused with it is also possible retention of a phone number when moving within a local network without changing the network provider.

The number portability in mobile networks is also known as Mobile Number Portability (MNP ). This will keep the complete telephone number including area code when switching providers.

• 2.2.1 Early porting during the contract period
• 2.2.2 provider query
• 2.2.3 Sequential
• 2.2.4 costs
• 2.2.5 Number portability with prepaid contracts

EU legal framework

The European Court of Justice ruled on 13 July 2006 that national regulatory authorities may set a price ceiling for the mobile customers at the old provider fees to be paid. The price must be cost-oriented and can not act as a deterrent.

A entered into force on 25 May 2011 package of reforms to EU telecoms regulation stipulates that consumers in one day can change their phone provider, and not have allowed to take their phone numbers.

Germany

The statutory scheme for number portability in Germany can be found in § 46 TKG. It involves the implementation of the Universal Service Directive (Directive 2002/22/EC ). Universal Service Directive DIRECTIVE 2002/22/EC represents OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 7 March 2002 on universal service and users' rights relating to electronic communications networks and services. The changes to the Universal Service Directive by Directive 2009/136/EC has been implemented by an amendment to the Telecommunications Act in 2012 into national law ( § 46 TKG). In February 2014, the Federal Network Agency has first imposed after several months of investigations fines of 75,000 euros against three telecom operators who had failed to fulfill its obligations offered exchange. In article 30, paragraph 4 Universal Service Directive, as amended by the Directive 2009/136/EC is:

" Porting of numbers and their subsequent activation takes place as soon as possible. For participants who have an agreement to port a number to a new undertaking shall have that number activated in any event within one working day. "

Landline

In Germany LNP has been possible since 1998. The method used was the " Working Group for numbering and interconnection " ( AKNN ) by a working group ( " sub- working group Administrative and operational issues when changing the subscriber or connection network operator " ) elaborated, composed of employees of individual network operators. Details for porting a phone number in the local network are regulated by the Federal Ministry of Posts Official Journal available 282 of 19 November 1997. It works in contrast to the Mobile Number Portability mostly manually. An electronic method is being tested.

Expiration

Porting requests are being sent along with the termination of the contract either by fax or via an electronic interface from receiving network operator to the releasing network operator. The contract should for some operators at this time is not yet terminated (especially in the telecom, as a port with other systems is only possible complicated otherwise ). The porting date will be fixed depending on the binding contract or the notice period from delivering network operator. On this date (switching windows) are made ​​the mesh technically necessary transfers within a specified period. During which time the connection for a short period of time is not available. Once the failover partner the two of porting the operation of the other German fixed network operators so that they can adapt their routing to the relevant number. This must happen within a certain period, the Rufumlenkzeit. For this, the number data banks of all connected network operators will be updated in the process of porting data exchange.

The Rufumlenkzeit is currently 60 days. During this time, in the uninvolved network operator calls may still lead to the former network operators, it switches a Rufumsteuerung, so routes calls to the correct destination network further. After the Rufumlenkzeit he may switch off these Rufumsteuerung so misdirected calls not necessarily reach their destination after. This sometimes leads to the effect that a first apparently successfully ported connection after two months is suddenly no longer reachable by some network providers. Reason for this is often the case that at least one of the two network operators involved has failed to publish the message on the porting data exchange.

Mobile

The mobile number portability ( Mobile Number Portability ) was introduced in Germany in 2002. Due to the high interconnection fees of various providers was questionable whether it makes sense here. Experience ( other countries) show that the classification adapts to the new situation.

In Germany the number portability is possible since 1 November 2002 in all mobile networks.

While the ceding provider is a regulatory obligation to port the number, the receiving provider can not, however, perform the porting according to § 46 TKG (no obligation to contract ). In practice, this offers virtually every service provider to attracting new customers.

Premature porting during the contract period

The amendment to the Telecommunications Act in 2012, including through the revision of § 46 paragraph 4 sentence 3 of the TKG, the end user receives in accordance with article 30, paragraph 4, sentence 1 and 2 URL (Universal Service Directive) entitled to it, by providers of publicly accessible mobile services at any time to require the transfer of the assigned number. This option is independent of the underlying civil law contract with the end user so that the end user may require porting his number before the expiry of the contract period. In § 46, paragraph 4, sentence 4 of the TKG is made clear in legislation that shall remain in the existing contract between the end user and the issuing providers of publicly available mobile services and resultant claims remain unaffected. ( See § 43 Section 1 No. 8 TKG) which applied when the agreement - - According to § 46, paragraph 4, sentence 4 of the TKG is the donor provider is obliged to provide information on all costs, which in particular any outstanding monthly charges until the end includes a fixed-term contract. This ensures that the end user can make a choice in full knowledge. By § 46, paragraph 4, sentence 6 TKG the end user receives a claim to get assigned a new number for his previous contract with the issuing provider. This transition issues can be avoided with the entry into force of the new regulation in § 46 para 4 sentence 3 of the Act, as thus not necessary to distinguish between the old and new contracts.

When ported numbers the network membership is no longer seen from the code. Because the respective tariff will be charged to the actual network and therefore can not be obvious additional costs at first glance, the network operators offer a network query.

Provider query

To query which provider a given number is connected, there are the following options:

• Telekom landline: Call 01805-001133 (14 cents / minute from a landline, mobile phone maximum of 42 cents / minute)
• Telekom mobile: call 4387 ( internal network for free, also applies to Congstar ) or SMS with the phone number on speed dial 4387 ( depending on your plan )
• Vodafone: Call 12313 (network internally free), call 0800-5052090 ( free / for non - Vodafone customers reached )
• E-Plus: Call 10667 ( internal network for free )
• O ₂: SMS " WEB number" on speed dial 4636 ( internal network for free )
• Mobilcom debitel and Talkline also have a query about their website at ( customer login required)
• Data protection: call 2145 ( internal network for free )

Online:

• Network Finder (free, without registration 3 queries per user every day, every day with Application 10 queries per user)
• Per Mobile App for Apple iOS and Google Android operating system

Expiration

In order to take the phone number of the first contract with the old service provider has to be canceled in consideration of the Contract, then porting to the new service provider may be requested. The application for number portability could be made ​​no earlier than 123 days before the expiry date. Since 2012, the immediate number portability is possible. Even after the contract ends the previous owner has 30 days right to the entrainment of his phone number, the application should be received on the basis laid down in the process times for processing applications no later than 15 days after the end of the contract to the new provider.

When porting of numbers in prepaid plans instead of a termination, a waiver is necessary.

The customer can not choose himself the porter date, it is defined by the old service provider.

Costs

The porter fees vary by service provider and giving off usually amount to about 25 euros. For this, the porting charge is set at the receiving network operator, which will, however, often omitted in practice; partially lure customers switching providers instead, even with bonus payments.

The Regulatory Authority for Telecommunications and Post ( Regulatory Authority ) has end of November 2004 set the price cap for a mobile number portability in time 29,95 EUR (gross). Due to the rise in VAT from then 16 % to 19% today, this results in a current price ceiling of € 30.72, which is also required by some providers.

Number portability for prepaid contracts

Unlike fixed-term contracts, prepaid contracts are " terminated " by means of the waiver. The waiver must be made with a variety of vendors for a particular form which is comprised of various data for number portability:

• Phone number to which omitted or to be taken
• SIM card number
• Name / date of birth or company name / ID of the previous provider.

The waiver is filed with the required data with the previous supplier, and causes the release of the phone number. Only then the number can be transferred to the new provider.

Austria

Since 16 October 2004, the mobile number portability exists in Austria and was used until October 2005 of 70,000 mobile customers.

The porter fee is 15 euros and will be charged by the losing mobile provider. In addition to the porter fee, the customer still has a cost of 4 euros for the so-called NÜV information count ( the number portability regulation provides the legal basis for MNP in Austria ), here it is a charge that the the donor operator for the compilation of all on customers offset by the number portability costs. The NÜV information includes information such as the result of the binding contract still to be paid base fees and costs for SIM unlock your mobile phone.

Some operators take the porting costs by credit incurred in the foreign provider fees after the contract on one of the first month bills.

The porting in Austria can be performed quickly, within three working days prior notice of the mobile phone contract with the source operator is not required, but the open base fees must be paid.

Switzerland

In Switzerland, number portability to other providers is possible for some time and is also used often. In the wake of the conclusion of the code to the provider in many cases is not crowned with success. As the provider, Swisscom and Sunrise offer other tariffs to " own " mobile numbers as to " foreign numbers " in both a beep can be turned on, indicating the caller if the call does not remain in the own providers.

Other countries

EU-wide have ported their number to another provider until October 2008, according to the European Commission, 10.3% of the customers.

Singapore 1997 was the first country to adopt the mobile number portability.

In the U.S., mobile number portability since November 24, 2003 imposed, but which is viewed as a temporary and a system operator may, fees for long -term re-use of the telephone number request (Long -Term Telephone Number Portability End -use batch). In addition, it is prescribed only for the heavily populated regions. The FCC introduced shortly before, on November 10, also clear that the number portability also applies to local numbers that were connected to a mobile phone connection.

In Australia, the number portability applies since 2001. Previously, distributed the numbers with prefix 04x1, 04x2 and 04x3 for Optus, prefixes 04x4, 04x5 and 04x6 for Vodafone, as well as primaries 04x7, 04x8 and 04x9 for Telstra. The number portability is free and usually takes place within a few minutes, in exceptional cases, in a few hours. A cancellation is not necessary. The porting is verified on the basis of date of birth.

Although Canada is aware of the number portability in the local network, but has so far not introduced mobile number portability. Exception here is only Microcell Fido since 2004.

In Belgium you can find out the seller, make a free request on 1499.be.

In Italy, MNP is generally possible to support all network providers from both - as well as incoming MNP free, usually there are special offers for changing customer who bring their number. It is sufficient to apply for the entrainment of the number at the new provider, a separate notice is not required. The change is usually in up to 3 days. The network query is carried out uniformly for free by the digits 456 are placed in front of the call number. The caller receives information as to the affiliation network, then the call is transferred.