The Communications and Information Technology Commission Statutes in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia state that the portability of numbers from one Service Provider to another Service Provider is a Customer right, in order to stimulate competition, reduce prices, develop services and provide options to customers. Accordingly, the Commission has issued a Decision mandating Mobile Networks Operators to implement and support number portability.
It is well known that a subscriber calling other subscribers of another service provider may incur additional costs, Since rates for off-net calls are usually higher than those for on-net calls. Callers can normally identity a Service Provider through the numbering codes allocated to every Operator. With implementation of number portability, it becomes difficult to identity a Service Provider through their numbering codes. This may lead customers to unknowingly incur additional costs as a result of making calls to numbers which have been ported to other Service Providers.
The Communications and Information Technology Commission would like for customers to be aware of the cost of calls before dialing them (to the extent possible), hence it seeks to determine the appropriate and most consistent methods to inform the customer that the called party has ported his number to another Service Provider. The CITC invites public comments including justifications and supporting information (if any) on which of the following methods for informing the caller that the number he is dialing has been ported to another Service Provider is recommended :
When calling a customer who has ported his number, the caller will receive a voice message before the called party answers informing him that the owner of the number he called has ported his number to another Service Provider (with the possibility of activating or de-activating this feature by the caller).
- When calling a customer who has ported his number to another Service Provider, the caller will receive a tone before the called party answers indicating that the party he is calling has ported his number to another Service Provider (with the possibility of activating or de-activating this feature by the caller).
- Inquiry before calling by dialing a specified number (which contains a data base of transferred numbers). The caller would enter the number he wishes to call and receive an advice on whether or not the number has been ported to another Service Provider.
- Inquiry before calling by sending a message to a specified number ( which contains a data base of the ported numbers). The caller would enter the number he wants to call and receive a message indicating whether the number has been ported to another Service Provider or not.
- Inquiry before calling, the party wishing to make a call would visit an Internet website containing a database of ported numbers, and enter the number he intends to call to determine whether it has been ported or not.
- No advance notice
- Other methods
The CITC invites interested parties, experts, subscribers and the general public to provide their comments and proposals in this regard together with clarification of the related reasons and additional information before 15/1/2006. The CITC intends to take comments into consideration in choosing the best method. This Document and all answers to it will not constitute any obligations on the CITC.
Comments and answers can be delivered by hand or by express delivery mail to the following address:
- Deputy Governor for Technical Affairs
Communications and Information Technology Commission
P.O. Box75606
King Fahad Road
Riyadh 11588
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - Or by e-mail to the following address:
Last updated: 3/18/2006
