The Communications Commission will approve new porting regulations to make the porting of fixed and mobile telephone numbers easier for consumers. The aim of the regulation is to enable subscribers to easily switch from one provider to another without changing their number. The changes to the Regulations on Portability are in line with the Electronic Communications Code of Europe. These changes will increase competitiveness, which will ultimately benefit the consumer. 

The new regulations will affect both fixed and mobile communication network service providers. The consultation document regarding the changes has been published on the Communications Commission website for public consultation and improvement purposes. Stakeholders will have until 13 May 2022 to present their comments and opinions, after which the Commission will approve the updated regulations. 

Once the changes are approved, consumers will be able to remotely apply to have their number ported, change to another network and receive a new SIM card without having to visit a service centre 

The changes will also affect landline phone services, whereby providers will have to enable consumers to retain their number when porting from one fixed network to another. Geographic numbers will be routed to the same geographic zone, while non-geographic numbers will be routed to a non-geographic zone.