National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology of the Republic of Moldova

With the launch of number portability, all mobile and fixed users will be able to benefit from portability services within five business days from the date they send a request to the provider in whose network they wish to have their numbers ported. This is a provision of the Technical and Commercial Conditions for number portability implementation in the Republic of Moldova, approved yesterday, February 26, in a public session, by ANRCETI Administrative Board. Council judgment (No. 8, 02/26/2013) entered into force on its approval. The Board Decision (no.8 of 26.02.2013 - doc. in state language) entered in force on the date it was adopted.

Number portability is a service that allows telephone users to retain their telephone number when switching the service provider. Unlike other countries, in Moldova the number porting service will be offered to applicants free of charge. When a user wishes to switch from one service provider (donor) to another one (acceptor), the user will not be charged by the donor provider for number porting, the direct costs of the porting being borne by acceptor provider. After the porting request is registered, the acceptor provider is liable to fulfill it.

The user can choose to have the number ported within five days or, upon request, within a larger term, but not exceeding 30 calendar days. The user will also have the right to cancel the porting request no later than one working day before the date/time fixed for this procedure. The acceptor provider will provide the information on the porting process through customer services and other media (phone, e-mail and SMS).

Given that the numbers will not be associated with a specific network, ANRCETI required that providers originating phone calls transmit, in the case of ported numbers, free of charge, a distinctive tone or voice messages, to warn the users that the called number is ported to another network. The users will also have a web page that will be developed by centralized database (CDB) Administrator where the users can find if a number is ported and what provider offers services via that particular number at the given moment. 

The Technical and Commercial Conditions for the number portability implementation were developed by the CDB Administrator jointly with the Working Group for number portability implementation, consisting of representatives of mobile/fixed providers and ANRCETI officials.

The document establishes the technological stages of the number porting process, the obligations of the providers and the CDB Administrator, manner and procedure of settlements between providers/CDB Administrator, the quality parameters for the number portability service.

According to ANRCETI decision, the providers who are under the obligation to implement number portability, within one month, will have to review their direct/indirect interconnection agreements and sign with the CDB Administrator agreements for the provision of number portability services.

February 27, 2013