Portable phone numbers to be investigated

The Commerce Commission today announced it would investigate the mechanics of a system to provide telephone number portability.

Number portability allows local and cellular phone users to take their phone number with them if they change service providers.

Late last year Telecom, TelstraClear and Vodafone jointly applied to the commission for a determination of the functions and standards of number portability.

The submission asked the commission to clarify a range of issues about the functions that must be performed by a system delivering the local and cellular phone portability services, and the standard to which those functions must be performed.

This will be the second investigation the commission has undertaken over number portability, having already looked into the costing of the service.

The commission's draft findings about costings, released in December last year, said local and cellular phone firms should split the set-up costs so customers could change service providers. Set-up costs should be based on individual service firms' market share as measured by subscriber numbers.

Submissions on the costing draft are due on February 7.

- NZPA