The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) is launching a public awareness campaign leading up to the implementation of number portability in September.

Number portability, otherwise known as number porting, allows users to keep their current telephone numbers when switching from one telecommunications service provider to another. This feature will apply to fixed line customers in Abaco, Eleuthera, Grand Bahama and New Providence.

 Landline customers whose numbers have not been barred or suspended from making outgoing calls may transfer their numbers under the current proposal. The process is expected to take five working days after the initial request is made and calls to the number will be received on the customer's old service until it is moved to the new service.

Mobile portability is expected to be in place when a second cellular license is issued in The Bahamas.

"URCA sees number portability as a critical enabler for the promotion of sustainable competition in the Electronic Communications Sector (ECS) in The Bahamas and also providing persons in The Bahamas with choices to access electronic communications networks," said Kathleen Smith, URCA's CEO, at a news conference yesterday at the regulator's office.

URCA launched its public consultation on number portability in April 2011. As a result, a number portability working group was established in November of that year, including representatives from Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC), Cable Bahamas Ltd. (CBL) and IP Solutions International (IPSI). The goal of the working group, chaired by URCA, was to draft a detailed plan for implementation of number portability in The Bahamas.

Stephen Bereaux, URCA's director of policy and regulation, told the media yesterday that Porting Access BV, or Porting XS, was selected to provide the portability system. Porting Access Bahamas, LLC, is its local licensed company. The contract between Porting Access and telephone service providers was signed on April 9.

Inter-operator testing is expected to start in July. September 3 is the scheduled implementation date of the system.

 URCA has planned a multimedia information campaign to educate consumers on key issues related to number portability, including eligibility costs, the porting process and various business rules that operators will be required to observe.

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