Good people,

Sometimes it is necessary to start with the conclusion then build the argument.

Conclusions:

a) Local Number Portability may, after all, never not take off, or be
of much use consumers,

b) The country need to avoid celebrating premature local Number
Portability implementation,

c) Media caution against dancing to rhythmic gymnastics: 'great new
Number Portability' tunes,

d) Communications Commission of Kenya may be further eroding it's
consumer protection teeth,

Why?

Trouble looms large on the horizon of Number Portability – a great
technology but we risk oppositely live to regret its local
implementation route. Intention hereby to provoke detailed information
responses from the concerned.

Regards the attached newspaper cutting, confidential sources
allude,“..one of the bidders felt the portability thing could be done
with around Ksh 20Million, how the 20B guys won remains a
mystery...this enormous amount will simply find its way lumped onto
the consumers after the operators have paid for it.”

My documented view has always been that Number Portability should be
funded from the Universal Service fund created by the Communications
Act.

Background:

Hello CCK, Number Portability is a Consumer Protection Tool
Alex Gakuru
12 November 2007

Consumers are stuck without the option to switch to a different
operator while keeping their mobile phone number and are hesitant to
change to avoid losing important future calls in the persistent status
quo. This is at odds with the law commanding the Communications
Commission of Kenya to ensure consumers are protected offering a raft
of implementation avenues.

But when CCK gives up implementation of number portability citing
complexity, high costs, duopolists' disinterest, and no licence
applicants for the service category, the issue escalates to bursting
limits considering the prevailing high communication tariffs that hurt
businesses but the service providers.
..
http://allafrica.com/stories/200711120436.html

A reader's reaction:

From: Okoth Okwemba <ookwemba@dtbkenya.co.ke>
Date: Mon, Nov 12, 2007 at 3:37 PM
Subject: hello CCK, number portability is a consumer protection tool
To: gakuru@gmail.com

Well done Gakuru on this article. This is excellent. The CCK has been
told, let us find a way to compel it to act swiftly and deal with the
lack of accountability that sees it get away with such laxity and
abdication of duty. The Kenya Private Sector Alliance might be an
organisiation you might want to involve.

Well done again.

Regards,
Okoth

References:

i)     Cost/Recovery: 'Funding Models for AIN-Based Local Number Portability'
http://www2.sis.pitt.edu/~mweiss/papers/lnp-funding.pdf

ii)    Increased Consumer Choice: 'Wireless Local Number Portability'
    http://www.kpmg.com.co/publicaciones/publicaciones_ICE/WLNP.pdf

iii)    Stakeholders:'Number Portability Worldwide Implementation Experience'
    http://www.canto.org/doc/gabriellago.ppt