14 months after the launch of number portability in Romania, 201,104 telephone numbers have been ported. 66% (132,644) of these were mobile telephone numbers, whereas 34% (68,460) were fixed telephone numbers.
In the mobile telephony field, the order of the operators, by numbers ported into their own networks, remained unchanged (as of 21 October 2009): Cosmote – 47,283, Vodafone – 44,279, Orange – 38,763, RCS&RDS – 1,699 and Telemobil – 620. Since the last reporting term, most numbers (10,609) have been ported into Orange’s network, followed by Cosmote (+ 9,259), Vodafone (+ 6,626), RCS&RDS (+ 320) and Telemobil (+ 85).
The statistical data show that the mobile telephony users with a monthly subscription ported their numbers more frequently than the prepaid card users. Thus, out of the total number of mobile telephony users who ported their numbers, 75% had subscriptions and only 25% were prepaid card users.
The 68,460 fixed telephone numbers were ported into the networks of 27 fixed telephone providers: UPC – 29,328, RCS&RDS – 12,651, Vodafone – 10,345, Orange – 7,664, Romtelecom – 5,755, Dial Telecom – 810, New Com Telecomunicatii – 574, GTS Telecom – 460, Digital Cable System – 188, Euroweb – 154, Ines Group – 134, Telemobil – 82, Cobalt IT- 69, Intersat – 49, Media Sat – 48, Atlas Telecom – 26, Datek Telecom and Telcor Communications 21 (each), Digicom Systems and Prime Telecom 17 (each), World Telecom Network – 11, Iristel and Necc Telecom Romania – 10 (each), Air Bites – 6, Canal S – 5, Cosmote – 3 and A&G Communication – 2.
Compared to the last reporting period, UPC has managed to attract more clients – 6,746 new ported numbers, compared to Orange, which registered 3,007 new clients, RCS&RDS – 2,692, Romtelecom – 2,570 or Vodafone – 1,498. Two new providers have performed the first porting processes into their networks: Intersat and Digicom Systems.
December 2009 was the month of the largest number of fixed telephone numbers ported since the launch of the service – 7,094. As for mobile telephony, more than 10,500 numbers were ported in December 2009; June 2009, however, holds the record as regards the number of porting processes: more than 13,400 of mobile telephone users switched operators while keeping their telephone number.
Most fixed telephone numbers were ported in Bucharest (19,189), followed by the counties of Cluj (5,245), Prahova (4,108) and Timis (3,259).
Number portability enables the telephony users to keep their telephone numbers when they change their provider. Fixed, mobile and Premium Rate numbers (i.e. in the 0800 or 0900 range) may be ported. The porting is only possible within the same category (fixed-fixed, mobile-mobile). The service has been available in Romania since 21 October 2008.