Question & AnswerQ&A (Republic Act No. 11202)
The short title of Republic Act No. 11202 is the "Mobile Number Portability Act."
The State recognizes the primary role of the private sector in economic growth and guarantees the right of individuals and private entities to own and operate economic enterprises, subject to regulation for the common good including the prohibition of monopolies and unfair competition.
Mobile Number Portability (MNP) refers to the ability of a mobile postpaid or prepaid subscriber, with no existing financial obligation to the donor provider, to retain an existing mobile number despite switching from one mobile service provider to another or changing the subscription type (postpaid to prepaid or vice versa).
Donor Provider is the mobile service provider to whose network the mobile number belongs at the time a subscriber submits a porting application. Recipient Provider is the mobile service provider that shall provide mobile telecommunications service after the porting process.
The entire porting process shall, in no case, take more than forty-eight (48) hours.
PTEs must provide nationwide MNP free of charge, set up mechanisms for MNP implementation, unlock mobile handsets upon subscriber request, facilitate porting for VNOs, provide relevant MNP information, maintain confidentiality, and comply with data privacy laws.
A PTE shall change the type of subscription from postpaid to prepaid or vice versa within twenty-four (24) hours from the time a subscriber submits the porting application.
The Donor Provider must within twenty-four (24) hours transmit a notice of clearance to the recipient provider if there is no financial obligation, notify the subscriber and recipient provider if there is an outstanding obligation allowing three (3) working days for settlement, continue service during the cutover period which shall not exceed four (4) hours, and must not impose conditions that deter porting.
No, no interconnection fee or charge shall be imposed by any mobile service provider for domestic calls and SMS after the effectivity of this Act.
The NTC may impose fines ranging from Ten thousand pesos (P10,000) to One million pesos (P1,000,000) depending on the number and severity of offenses, including possible revocation of the PTE’s franchise, and may award damages to subscribers up to Forty thousand pesos (P40,000).
The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) is mandated to implement the nationwide MNP, promulgate the rules and regulations, and mediate complaints.
The Cutover Period is the date and time when a subscriber who submitted a porting application will have no mobile telecommunications service while the porting process is being completed, and it shall not exceed four (4) hours.
The VNO transmits the MNP application to its host PTE, which carries out the porting process. The VNO interacts with the subscriber and donor provider throughout the porting process.
A subscriber shall be allowed to port the same number only after the lapse of sixty (60) days from the completion of the last porting process.
They must maintain confidentiality by not monitoring or disclosing the contents of usage transactions except as required by law, and comply with the Data Privacy Act of 2012 and related issuances.