During two years since the launch of the number portability service in Moldova, more than 90,700 numbers have been ported. According to the National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology, 91% of these are mobile phone numbers, while 9% are landline numbers, IPN reports.
In a communique, the Agency says the number portability service became an efficient instrument for ensuring the freedom of choice of phone users and for stimulating competition between providers, especially the mobile phone carriers.
Statistics show over 50,000 of the 82,700 mobile phone numbers ported in the period were ported to SA Moldcell, over 17,300 to Orange Moldova, while 15,300 to SA Moldtelecom (Unite). About 56,600 numbers and, respectively, 5,100 numbers were ported from SA Orange Moldova and SA Moldtelecom to other mobile phone carriers. Also, approximately 21,300 numbers were ported from SA Moldcell to other carriers.
The almost 8,000 landline numbers were ported to fixed-line networks of 24 providers, primarily of Starnet Solutii (about 4,500), SA Orange Moldova (1,800), and Arax Impex (about 500).
Any phone user can have the number ported within five workdays of the submission of a relevant application to the chosen provider. In Moldova this service is free of charge.
