Khaberni - Stakeholders in information technology and communications confirmed that the instructions for the mobile number portability service for the year 2025, which were recently issued in the Official Gazette, will enhance competition in the mobile phone services market in the kingdom.
They stated in conversation with the Jordanian news agency (Petra), that the mobile number portability service aims to enable the subscriber to keep their number when switching between companies, which grants them freedom of choice and enhances fair competition based on service quality and prices instead of "number monopoly".
They explained that the enactment of “cellular number portability” is an important and decisive decision, and a fundamental right for the user, and a pivotal and positive step in the Jordanian communications sector, due to its importance and clear benefits for subscribers, the market, and the digital transformation in general.
Ayman Al-Daraiseh, a member of the Board of Commissioners of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, confirmed that the portability of the numbers will enhance competition in the mobile phone services market in the kingdom, as it reduces the barriers for beneficiaries to move from one company to another without the need to change their numbers, which will drive the service-providing companies to offer better deals in terms of prices and quality, in order to retain their subscribers, and this will reflect positively on the beneficiaries.
On his part, Haitham Al-Rawajbeh, the representative of the telecommunications and information technology sector at the Jordan Chamber of Commerce, said that the mobile number portability service aims to empower the subscriber to keep their number when transitioning between companies, which grants them freedom of choice and enhances fair competition based on service quality and prices instead of "number monopoly", in addition to supporting the digital transformation and developing the telecommunications infrastructure in line with the policies of the digital economy.
He pointed out that the most significant benefits of the service for subscribers are the freedom to switch without losing their number or disrupting communication, improving prices and offers as a result of competition, enhancing the level of service through larger investments in networks and customer service, and removing the psychological barriers that were preventing many individuals and companies from changing their operator.
At the market level, he clarified that the instructions will lead to positive competition based on actual value, and encourage the introduction of advanced digital technologies and services such as the Internet of Things, mobile payments, and cloud solutions, in addition to enhancing transparency and encouraging innovation.
For his part, Bilal Hafnawi, a consultant on digital transformation and modern technologies, said that the decision is important and decisive and a fundamental right for the user, and a pivotal and positive step in the Jordanian communications sector, given its importance and clear benefits for subscribers, the market, and the digital transformation in general.
He added that the importance of the mobile number portability service lies in what it achieves for the subscriber, as it places them in a stronger position and grants them the freedom of choice and the retention of their current number, which is the most important feature, as it allows them to switch between telecom companies in search of better services, better coverage, and more competitively priced offers, and also ensures that subscribers receive a better level of service, as companies will strive to retain their customers by offering distinguished services and competitive deals, and removing barriers against switching.
He pointed out that number portability supports the digital infrastructure through the stability of the subscriber's identity, as in government systems that rely on the phone number as part of the citizen's digital identity, such as login, use of electronic services applications, or digital signing, the service ensures the stability of this identity and contributes to avoiding service disruptions, as retaining the user's number when changing the telecom company ensures the continuity of access to government, banking, and various platforms that require verification via SMS or linking to the national number.
Hafnawi mentioned that the mobile number portability service enhances the concept of "number for life", as a step towards considering the mobile phone number a permanent digital identity for the citizen, transcending its link to a particular service provider, which is a fundamental pillar for adopting advanced services such as electronic wallets and other future services that rely on linking transactions to the mobile number at the national level.
In his turn, Wasfi Al-Safadi, a telecommunications and information technology expert, stated that the mobile number portability service instructions for 2025 represent a strategic turning point in the Jordanian telecommunications market, as they come at a time characterized by intense price competition, closely matched offers, and a low average revenue per subscriber.
He added that number portability is a necessary step to transition the market from saturated price competition to a new stage based on quality and innovation and customer experience, and will enable subscribers to have complete freedom of choice, which will push operators to focus on new competitive axes such as: improving network quality, leading in fifth-generation technologies, excelling in customer service, and offering value-added services.
He explained that in the current market saturated with price offers, it has reached a stage where reductions are no longer profitable but threaten the sustainability of companies and their ability to invest, which makes the number portability system a means to shift competition from "price" to "value and quality", and is a healthy development for market maturity.
Al-Safadi clarified that the real motivations for subscribers to switch will depend on differences in usage experience, especially in network quality, fifth-generation leadership, customer service level, and innovation in services.
It is noted that under the mobile number portability service instructions for 2025, a main working committee has been formed to create a document including the operational and procedural rules for managing the governance of mobile number portability, in addition to specifying the technical specifications within the project implementation plan scheduled for 18 months for full application, where the main working committee will submit its recommendations to the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority for appropriate decisions regarding them, while the steering committee for the project will supervise the project implementation and provide executive support to stakeholders.
According to the instructions, a subscriber wishing to transfer a mobile phone number or numbers must submit a transfer request at the mobile telecommunications company they wish to move to, or one of its branches or authorized sales points, or through any other available and approved means by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, while the subscriber's desire for the transfer is confirmed by sending a free short text message to the mobile number portability service center after submitting the transfer request.
The instructions defined the mobile number portability service as the ability of mobile phone subscribers to keep their phone numbers when changing the mobile network operator (telecommunications companies) through the mobile number service center, which is granted a permit by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority and contracted by phone network operators to operate and manage the mobile number portability service.
