
Around 5,000 customers nationwide availed of local telcos' mobile number portability (MNP) service in the first three months, the Telecommunications Connectivity Inc. (TCI) reported Dec. 23, 2021.
TCI is the joint venture which DITO Telecommunity (DITO), Globe Telecom Inc. (Globe) and Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) formed to support the government in implementing the MNP this September.
“MNP is here for customers who want to experience better services while keeping their numbers," stated Melanie Manuel, TCI General Manager.
"It is TCI’s mandate to make the porting process safe, secure, and convenient for those who need this service,” she stressed.
“Being able to implement the interoperability of all mobile players in the Philippines is a feat in itself," Manuel explained.
"What's important is that customers now have the choice which network they want to be in without changing their number. MNP gives them the power to choose the network that suits their needs.”
Systems are in place in case TCI gets a huge number of porting requests in the future, she assured.
Most recently, TCI supported the measure mandating the registration of SIM cards.
“It will complement the objective of TCI " Manuel underscored.
"Subscribers will also have a more compelling reason to keep their numbers, which would be registered under their name.”
Their curreny goal is to educate the public about MNP.
“Right now, we’re conducting customer surveys, asking for the feedback of the first adopters of MNP so that we can use this information to improve our processes and services," she noted.
"We recognize that in the first couple of weeks, there were bottlenecks, but we have addressed those issues already. There were also concerns about going to the physical stores because of the pandemic, so together with the operators, we have opened virtual stores to help facilitate MNP,” Manuel elaborated.
These virtual stores allow customers to request for the Unique Subscriber Code from their providers online.
The mobile operators also beefed up their customer service channels and mobile apps to assist their customers who wish to port.
Significantly, MNP compelled local telcos to cooperate.
Representatives of DITO, Globe, and Smart now meet with TCI on a weekly basis to ensure the smooth execution of the service.
“MNP is also here to encourage the telcos to provide the best customer experience. At the end of the day, we all want to provide our customers with the most innovative and best services to help them pursue their passions and become the best version of themselves with the help of technology ” Manuel concluded.