Number portability initiative still on stream to be completed before year end

Despite, the June timeline having passed for the implementation of the number portability project, the Minister of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs), Utilities and Energy Melford Nicholas is still optimistic that it will be completed before the end of the year.

Minister Nicholas was speaking on state media earlier this week when he gave an update on the recent delays and the overall progress of the service.

The government has been in discussions with the country’s three primary mobile carriers, INET, Digicel, and Flow, to finalize the necessary arrangements for this transition.

According to the minister, both Digicel and Flow have indicated their readiness, but it is local provider APUA who is a bit setback.

“It has come down now to the lagging indicator, really and unavoidably, it’s the local public utilities authority, APUA and this is not to throw any derision at them. I think APUA has been managing a numerous amount of projects this year. The completion of the negotiations with the Celia Cable, that was a major undertaking. You know, the resources come from the central pool and I, too, have been guilty of making water a priority.

“So, they had really, to come back from behind that, those two realities. I think what they’ve said to me now and to the telecommunications unit at my ministry is that we’re working with a consultant. APUA has hired on another consultant.They had the unfortunate situation where the original gentleman who had been leading the implementation with APUA passed away and there was a six-month gap in which they had to find additional personnel, but that person is on board now and I reckon they planned to give me two-week updates.  I’m due to get one this week but the forecast was that it would take them another three months before they are able to get to that frontier.

“The other operators have already indicated their readiness and so I think within the next three months we should be in a position to complete the process,” Nicholas shared.

Number portability allows residents to switch mobile network carriers without changing their phone numbers, offering users greater flexibility and choice in their telecommunications services.