Commpete has welcomed the Australian Communications and Media Authority’s (ACMA) decision to approve new timeframes for switching phone numbers (porting) between telco providers.
In the wake of this decision, the majority of Australian organizations will only need to wait 15 working days, rather than up to five months, to switch providers while retaining phone numbers.
Commpete has long campaigned for this change, particularly after the lack of porting timeframes caused significant delays for organizations wanting to port numbers during the COVID lockdowns in 2020.
Commpete has lauded the new rules as a win for competition and the promotion of consumer interests. “The rules governing the speed of provider switches were established two decades ago and have failed to keep pace with technological advancements, automation, and peoples’ expectations for swift number transitions between providers,” Commpete said.
“In our members’ observations, there is a lot of uncertainty around how long it will take for a customer to be able to switch and enjoy the benefits from opting for a new provider. In rare cases, porting can take between 120 and 150 days, despite the fact it can be accomplished in 15 working days with regulatory attention and inter-company focus.”
Click below to share this article