Draft determination extending number portability released by Commerce Commission
Published11 Nov 2010
The Commerce Commission has today released a draft determination which would extend the number portability determination for both local and mobile telephone numbers for another six years. Number portability enables a customer to change telecommunications companies but retain the same telephone number.
The Commerce Commission has today released a draft determination which would extend the number portability determination for both local and mobile telephone numbers for another six years. Number portability enables a customer to change telecommunications companies but retain the same telephone number.
"The first number portability determination was issued in 2005 and expires in December 2010. Number portability has been working well since its introduction in April 2007 and has enabled telecommunications consumers to switch providers. All parties are in agreement that the determination should be extended. The Commission has issued a new determination to continue to give effect to the number portability service," said Dr Ross Patterson, Telecommunications Commissioner.
The draft determination continues the standards and systems from the original determination. These standards and systems include those for providing number portability, as well as the formula for allocating the cost between telecommunications companies for providing the service.
The draft determination is available on the Commission's website
Interested parties are invited to make submissions on the draft determination by 9 December 2010. Submissions can be sent to telco@comcom.govt.nz
The Commission expects to issue a final determination by the end of the year.
Background
Local and cellular telephone number portability are both regulated services under the Telecommunications Act 2001.
Local number portability enables a customer to change their telecommunications provider but retain the same telephone number within a local calling area. Cellular number portability enables a cellular customer to change their provider but retain the same telephone number, including the same cellular network access code.
Under the Act, a person who qualifies as an access seeker for either number portability service may apply to the Commission for a determination of:
the functions that must be performed by a system for delivering number portability and the standard to which those functions must be performed; and
the formula for how the cost of delivering number portability must be apportioned between the access seeker and all access providers of number portability.
