| | |  Technology News | July 2008 
Mexico Experiences Phone Number Portability Startup Glitches
 Ken Parks - Dow Jones
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Mexico City - The implementation of number portability in Mexico got off to a bumpy start, with reports of call failures after phone companies migrated their networks to the new system over the weekend.
Telecommunications regulator Cofetel said in a press release there had been problems in completing calls, which should be resolved by the end of the month.
"In no situation ... have there been complete networks that were cut off from the rest of the (telecommunications) system," Cofetel said Sunday.
Under number portability rules, Mexican consumers for the first time are able to keep their fixed or mobile telephone numbers when they change service provider.
Starting July 5, consumers could request a change of carrier, with the first number transfers taking effect Monday morning.
According to Cofetel, the data base administrator responsible for managing the portability system had received 5,784 requests to switch providers as of Saturday morning.
Portability, which affects 22 phone companies, is part of President Felipe Calderon's attempt to boost competition in key sectors of the economy such as telecommunications.
Mexico's telecommunications industry is largely in the hands of two firms controlled by Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim.
Telcel, a unit of Latin America's No. 1 mobile operator America Movil, has about three-quarters of the country's mobile subscribers, reporting 51.5 million clients at the end of March.
Former state monopoly Telefonos de Mexico, or Telmex, controls about 90% of the country's fixed lines with 17.8 million lines in service.
In a press release Saturday, Telmex said that more than 35 major cities have been affected by service failures, which it attributed to shortcomings at rival firms.
Meanwhile, the No. 2 fixed-line carrier Axtel said all operators had experienced problems following the migration of their networks Saturday.
"We believe the networks will be stabilized much more quickly if all operators channel more resources and interest in solving in a more expedient way reports of (service) failures," Axtel said. "No operator can claim an impeccable implementation."
ken.parks(at)dowjones.com |
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