Press Releases

MTN ready to embrace Mobile Number Portability (MNP)

MTN SA is confident that it will successfully implement mobile number portability (MNP) on its network beginning November 10 having completed intensive testing on its systems and infrastructure over the past few months.

Testing on MNP is ahead of schedule and MTN is looking forward to implementation in support of ICASA’s mandate to provide wider choice for consumers and enhance communications within the mobile communications market.

“We are excited at the introduction of MNP for consumers and we see it as a positive development in the mobile telecoms market,” says Bernice Samuels, MTN’s General Manager: Strategy and Marketing Communications.

“MTN is confident that customers wishing to join the growing MTN network can do so comfortably without any glitches, bearing in mind that we are the only operator with a dedicated network exclusively for its customers; we have the widest land mass coverage at 72 percent; the most international voice roaming partners at 431; and the most data roaming partners at 118."

As with any new product or service in the market, education to create awareness is a necessary exercise and MTN fully supports the launch of this important public awareness campaign by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), aimed at enlightening customers about MNP. MTN believes that customers deserve choice, informed by quality information and the awareness campaign serves to emphasise the customer-centric approach that MTN upholds.

This is the first implementation of MNP across the African continent where the MTN Group has entrenched itself as the leader in telecommunications, including the Middle East. It follows launches in Hong Kong, UK, Germany, France, Norway, Italy, Ireland and Japan, all of whom endured similar challenges that South Africa is now facing.