A kick in the butt for Vodafone: mobile number portability and prepaid

Forums › One NZ (including Farmside) › A kick in the butt for Vodafone: mobile number portability and prepaid

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#101209 21-Dec-2007 09:34

BigFella:
sbiddle:
You're not even interested in keeping your own prepay customers who have been abandoning Vodafone in droves to sign up with Telecom on account since they couldn't keep their number of account with VF.

Got some numbers to back that up?

I had heard a figure a while ago of around 3000 Vodafone prepay numbers that had been ported and apparently a Telecom have been signing a lot of these up on Flexi. I'm guessing Vodafone probably aren't going to comment officially on this and when you look at their customer base it's not a huge number to lose but it still represents churn that Vodafone potentially wouldn't be suffering if they could offer their customers the ability to keep their numbers.

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#101212 21-Dec-2007 09:41

freitasm: I think you have the wrong company name. SouthPower seems to be out of business, changed its name to Orion New Zealand. There's no telecommunications services on their pages.

I am not %100 sure of the name! I will call them this and provide an update

willnz

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#101216 21-Dec-2007 09:57

freitasm: I think you have the wrong company name. SouthPower seems to be out of business, changed its name to Orion New Zealand. There's no telecommunications services on their pages.

johnr:

Was it CallSouth? They've been acquired by TrustPower...

Surely if they didn't accept or decline the port request after the prescribed period (I think it's a week?), the port will automatically go through without the losing telco's involvement. The only reason they can decline a port request is for incorrect account details. Otherwise, complain to the Commerce Commission. All local and mobile numbers must be capable of being ported out. End of story.

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#101219 21-Dec-2007 09:58

willnz:
freitasm: I think you have the wrong company name. SouthPower seems to be out of business, changed its name to Orion New Zealand. There's no telecommunications services on their pages.

johnr:

Was it CallSouth? They've been acquired by TrustPower...

Surely if they didn't accept or decline the port request after the prescribed period (I think it's a week?), the port will automatically go through without the losing telco's involvement. The only reason they can decline a port request is for incorrect account details. Otherwise, complain to the Commerce Commission. All local and mobile numbers must be capable of being ported out. End of story.

Yes thats correct just called them and checked

And not all providers have to provide number porting yet!

willnz

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#101234 21-Dec-2007 11:42

Hmm, you're right, only the "big guys" have to:

Telecom
TelstraClear
Vodafone
CallPlus
Compass
Ihug
WorldxChange
Woosh
Airnet
Orcon

jesseycy

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#101341 22-Dec-2007 02:27

Now that the "portability" issue is again brought up......

#1: For clarification, PORT IN to Vodafone Prepay is not available, neither is PORT IN to account fully able either (021 telecom number going into On Account).

#2: If Vodafone "can" configure their systems to allow port in to Prepay (and comeon, it's no big task really!?!?).... Vodafone for the past year has not allowed this... This is surely due to their "sales strategy"..... and well, as consumers, we certainly don't like that tactic that Vodafone is using here...

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willnz

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#101342 22-Dec-2007 02:30

What? You can't port 021 numbers from Telecom back to Vodafone? I haven't done it myself but I'm sure plenty of people have (to get from prepay -> postpay by going VF->TNZ->VF)...

sbiddle

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#101343 22-Dec-2007 06:31

willnz: What? You can't port 021 numbers from Telecom back to Vodafone? I haven't done it myself but I'm sure plenty of people have (to get from prepay -> postpay by going VF->TNZ->VF)...

This does not work. It has been discussed at length on here before including several people who have tried.

willnz

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#101345 22-Dec-2007 06:51

Wow. Sorry - must've missed all that :) Now that to me seems ridiculous... what excuse do they use for that?

sbiddle

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#101352 22-Dec-2007 09:23

willnz: Wow. Sorry - must've missed all that :) Now that to me seems ridiculous... what excuse do they use for that?

The fact their systems can't handle it. If you remove all the PR spin at the end of the day the only reason Vodafone don't offer full portability is because of this. Number ranges are allocated to either prepay or on account so even if you try and move a prepay number back to Vodafone the number range won't allow it to be moved to the on account system.

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#101355 22-Dec-2007 09:36

sbiddle: ...Number ranges are allocated to either prepay or on account so even if you try and move a prepay number back to Vodafone the number range won't allow it to be moved to the on account system.

OK, now here's the thing:

Will Vodafone be FORCED to get this sorted by April 1 next year according to the ComCom "clarification"?

Or not -- in which case the ComCom can only mandate PORT INs of Telecom 027 (or similar) numbers, not 021???

That is the big question...

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#101358 22-Dec-2007 10:13

Well, they're only being forced to provide the same services to ported customers as they do for non-portability customers. Since they don't allow "virgin" (unported) 021 numbers to switch between on account -> prepay, then it may well mean that any prepay numbers ported away to Telecom then back to Vodafone will only be allowed to go back on prepay, and any on account numbers ported away will only be able to come back to on account?

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#101359 22-Dec-2007 10:22

willnz: ...it may well mean that any prepay numbers ported away to Telecom then back to Vodafone will only be allowed to go back on prepay, and any on account numbers ported away will only be able to come back to on account?

Exactly! That's what I am worried about.

Vodafone seem intent on flouting the spirit of the number portability law while at the same time paying lip-service to "have[ing] MET and continue[ing] to meet the ComCom requirements."

Exactly like the Telecom of old under Theresa's watch

sbiddle

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#101360 22-Dec-2007 10:23

grant_k:
sbiddle: ...Number ranges are allocated to either prepay or on account so even if you try and move a prepay number back to Vodafone the number range won't allow it to be moved to the on account system.

OK, now here's the thing:

Will Vodafone be FORCED to get this sorted by April 1 next year according to the ComCom "clarification"?

Or not -- in which case the ComCom can only mandate PORT INs of Telecom 027 (or similar) numbers, not 021???

That is the big question...

I heard about a month ago that the 1st April was essentially an agreed date between Vodafone and the Commerce Commission. Vodafone would have their systems ready by this date and in return the Commerce Commission would not take this issue further.

I also wonder if Vodafone will have their 777 Bal, IVR balance and MYA upgraded to then to provide correct balance information to people. Vodafone still tell everybody who has Your Time 200 that their minutes are national minutes when they are infact not and are only on network. This error dates back to the initial launch of My Time addons that were all on and off network. Your Time 200 in on network only and was launched at a later date but unfortunately nobody bothered to make changes to the balance system to differentiate between these two different plan types so they are both of these addons are treated the same way by the balance service. I really am surprised Vodafone haven't been forced to fix this yet as it's clearly quite a significant issue to advise people their minutes are national nights and weekends when they are only on network.

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#101364 22-Dec-2007 11:01

Sounds all like an excuse to me, Telecom allowed full porting in and out on any service and any plan straight away and were not required to but were just happy accept customer.

Paul, Why not introduce this earlier? I suspect it's becasue You-Choose and it's associated overage catches are much more profitable.

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