A. What is Mobile Number Portability?A. What is Mobile Number Portability?Mobile Number Portability (MNP) enables customers to retain their mobile telephone numbers when changing from one mobile network operator to another mobile network operator.
All mobile network operators in Hong Kong have been provided the MNP service from 1 March 1999 onwards.
You can make an application to your preferred (or new) mobile network operator at its sale outlet and complete the required MNP application form. Your new mobile network operator will then pass your information to your original mobile network operator for verification. Upon successful porting, you can start using your mobile telephone numbers for the services of the new mobile network operator. You do not have to approach the original mobile network operator to apply for termination of services. The original mobile network operator will terminate the previous mobile services for you.
If you wish to withdraw your application after submitting it, you must make sure that it is done before 5:00 p.m. on the day before the cut-over date, otherwise you will have to apply for a new porting.
Depending on your requirements, you can port your existing mobile telephone numbers which include the main handset number, pre-paid SIM card number, voice mail services number and short messages services number etc. However, you are not entitled to port these numbers if you have already terminated the services or consumed completely the stored value of your pre-paid SIM card as these numbers would have been returned to the original mobile network operator for further deployment and assignment to other customers.
You need to provide the following information in the application form:
Normally, it will take about one to two days for operators to complete the porting process. Since it is necessary for the original network operator to verify the above information against your record, it is advisable for you to provide and complete all the required information in the application form correctly. If not, there may be a chance that your application would be delayed or even cancelled.
All your existing services such as value added services and IDD services provided by the mobile network operator will be terminated at the cut-over time/date of your porting. You need to subscribe to all these services once again with your new mobile network operator. This new mobile network operator will advise you on how to use the ported mobile telephone numbers for these services. However, registered IDD services provided by fixed network operators such as "00X" and external telecommunications services provided by other operators may not be affected.
Your original mobile network operator would not charge you for porting out your mobile telephone numbers. However, it is at the discretion of the new mobile network operator whether or not to charge you a service fee for porting into its network. In porting your mobile telephone numbers to the new mobile network operator, you have to check carefully the terms of the service contract with the original mobile network operator. You will have to settle all the outstanding payment with the original mobile network operator and get back any refund of the deposit from it when leaving the existing services.
Yes, you can further port your mobile telephone numbers to another new mobile network operator. What you have to do is to repeat the process of MNP application as mentioned above.
The new operator should explain clearly to you the terms and conditions of the new service, including any "minimum contract period", before you decide to join the service. If there is a "minimum contract period", you should have the option to leave the service during this period and you should not be required to pay a fee for leaving the service early unless this fee is fair and reasonable - for example, it represents a fair compensation to the operator due to your early termination of service (one of such compensation is the unpaid cost of the subsidised handset supplied to you). If you have any doubt about the fairness of the "minimum contract period", you may contact the Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA).
For any queries about the MNP services, you may contact the relevant mobile network operators or if you have any questions or complaints about the MNP services provided by operators, please call the following telephone hotline of OFCA: 2961 6333.