Globe Telecom of the Philippines has vowed to start implementing mobile number portability (MNP) by the third quarter of this year, finally allowing subscribers to keep their mobile phone number when switching service provider, and also lift interconnection fees for domestic calls and texts.
The telco confirmed that the pledge was made in compliance with the Republic Act 11202, also known as the Mobile Number Portability (MNP) Act. The Act – which also removes interconnection fees charged to subscribers for calling or texting across different networks – was signed in February 2019, while the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) were issued on 11 June 2019 and took effect on 2 July 2019. Last month, meanwhile, PLDT-owned Smart Communications and Globe Telecom teamed up with the country’s new third telco DITO Telecommunity to establish a company to handle number porting requests, in a move seen locally as ‘an important first step’ towards the full implementation of Republic Act 11202.