100,000 subscribers port mobile numbers

TIRANA, Sept. 19 – Sixteen months after the mobile number portability service was made available, some 100,000 subscribers have ported their numbers, the Electronic and Postal Communications Authority says.
The electronic communications watchdog says the application of the mobile number portability has further increased competition among operators which are offering lower tariffs to consumers.
“The increase in competition has led to more offers and tariff plans being launched in the market benefiting consumers. Mobile users continue being active in choosing the network and the tariff plans they benefit most and adjust better to their personal demands. It is worth mentioning that the number of users who have benefitted from new tariff plans is several times much bigger than the number of the ported numbers,” says the Authority in a statement.
Since May 2011, when Albania became the last regional country to offer the number portability service, mobile phone subscribers have been able to port their numbers to any of the four mobile companies operating in Albania within three days and free of charge. According to the latest AKEP data, the number of mobile subscribers in 2011 rose to 5.2 million for a population of around 3 million, a figure which shows more than 1/2 of subscribers have at least two SIM cards.
Currently four companies, AMC, Vodafone Albania, Eagle Mobile and Plus Communication operate in the Albanian market. Increased competition and interventions by the Electronic and Postal Communications Authority have considerably lowered mobile tariffs during the past 3 years in Albania, but still remain above the average in the region.
TIRANA, Sept. 19 – Sixteen months after the mobile number portability service was made available, some 100,000 subscribers have ported their numbers, the Electronic and Postal Communications Authority says.
The electronic communications watchdog says the application of the mobile number portability has further increased competition among operators which are offering lower tariffs to consumers.
“The increase in competition has led to more offers and tariff plans being launched in the market benefiting consumers. Mobile users continue being active in choosing the network and the tariff plans they benefit most and adjust better to their personal demands. It is worth mentioning that the number of users who have benefitted from new tariff plans is several times much bigger than the number of the ported numbers,” says the Authority in a statement.
Since May 2011, when Albania became the last regional country to offer the number portability service, mobile phone subscribers have been able to port their numbers to any of the four mobile companies operating in Albania within three days and free of charge. According to the latest AKEP data, the number of mobile subscribers in 2011 rose to 5.2 million for a population of around 3 million, a figure which shows more than 1/2 of subscribers have at least two SIM cards.
Currently four companies, AMC, Vodafone Albania, Eagle Mobile and Plus Communication operate in the Albanian market. Increased competition and interventions by the Electronic and Postal Communications Authority have considerably lowered mobile tariffs during the past 3 years in Albania, but still remain above the average in the region.