Implementing Mobile Number Portability in Africa:

The Kenyan ExperiencePresentation by: Mwende Njiraini

MNP Project ManagerCommunications Commission of Kenya

at:International MNP Implementation and Management Summit

15th – 16th November 2012 Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Number Portability Drivers

• Consumer concerns: inconvenience/cost associated with change of number.

• Regulatory tool:– Promote competition in a multi-operator environment– Enhance consumer freedom of choice

• Customer decision to port:– Price– Quality of Service (QoS)– Service Coverage – Retail shop/agency proximity

International MNP Implementation and Management Summit, 15 th – 16th November 2012, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

MNP Implementation Process

• 1st Public consultation; 2004– Regulations Governing Number Portability– Public Consultation Document on Introduction of Number Po

rtability in Kenya• Responses:

– 1 fixed operator - no favourable porting operator– 2 Mobile operators – unnecessary customer churn– Consumer concerns – lack of tariff transparency of on-net

and off-net • Decision to defer until:

– The market had at least 3 mobile operators – Differential between on-net and off-net tariffs narrowedInternational MNP Implementation and Management Summit, 15 th – 16th November 2012, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

MNP Implementation Process

• 2nd Consultation: Introduction of Service Provider Number Portability (SPNP) in Kenya, 2008

• Right environment created for introduction of MNP services

International MNP Implementation and Management Summit, 15 th – 16th November 2012, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

5

The right environment: Regulatory Reform

Post-Regulation

EraUp till 1999

Exclusivity/Monopoly

Era 1999

Partially liberalized

Era 2000-2004

Post exclusivity

Era:Technolog

y Neutrality

2004 to 2008

Post exclusivity

Era:Unified

Licensing 2008 to

date

International MNP Implementation and Management Summit, 15 th – 16th November 2012, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Ref: Unified Licensing Framework (ULF)

6

The right environment: Unified Licensing Framework

Content Service Providers

Application Service Providers

Network Facility Providers

• Premium Rate Service Providers

• Number Portability Service Provider (NPSP)

• Internet Service Providers (ISP)

• 4 mobile operators (Safaricom, Airtel Networks, Essar Telecoms, Orange)

International MNP Implementation and Management Summit, 15 th – 16th November 2012, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

The right environment: Mobile Termination Rates

• Determination on Interconnection Rates for Mobile Telecommunications Networks - August 2010 – on-net and off-net tariffs narrowed

International MNP Implementation and Management Summit, 15 th – 16th November 2012, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Nominal KES. 1st July 2010

1st July 2011

1st July 2012

1st July 2013

Mobile Termination

2.21 1.44 1.15 0.99

MNP Introduction

• International tender: 28th October 2009, the Commission

• Porting Access BV, The Netherlands– Winning bidder on basis of lowest porting charge– Max per port charge = €1.62 =KES 172 ex-VAT– Registered local company: M/s

Port Access Kenya Limited licensed 21st June 2010

International MNP Implementation and Management Summit, 15 th – 16th November 2012, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Consultative process: MNP Documentation Development

• Working Groups:• Process Working Group• Technical Working Group• Legal Working Group

International MNP Implementation and Management Summit, 15 th – 16th November 2012, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Process Working Group

• Development of Procedures and Guidelines for MNP issued 17th October 2010– Requirements on the Recipient Operator when

taking a porting request

International MNP Implementation and Management Summit, 15 th – 16th November 2012, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Technical Working Group

• Technical Guidelines signed 17th December 2010 – Number Portability Scheme: All Call Query (ACQ)

justification • Merits:

– Recipient /originating network determines call routing– Once a number is ported, it can be removed from the

database of the Donor network

• Demerits: – Additional processing capacity – All call querying may result in call set-up delay

International MNP Implementation and Management Summit, 15 th – 16th November 2012, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Technical Working GroupAll Call Query (ACQ)

NPDB(Number Portability

Database)

Originating NETWORK

RECIEPIENT

DONER NETWORK 3

12

Dire

ct R

outin

g

Direct Routing or all call query

International MNP Implementation and Management Summit, 15 th – 16th November 2012, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Technical Working Group• Tariff transparency: Audible warning for off-net calls• Readiness status monitoring

– MNP Web Interface testing• Web Service testing • System integration • End-to-end tests

• Equipment Installation Status– Equipment procurement and installation status– Implementation of routing databases

• Operational Status– Identification of retail outlets– Training of relevant staff/agents

International MNP Implementation and Management Summit, 15 th – 16th November 2012, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Legal Working Group

• MNP Service Agreement signed 17th December 2010• Contract

– Obligations of operators and Porting Access – Indemnity– Confidentiality– Dispute Resolution– Service specifications, etc

• Schedules:– Cost and payments– Procedures and Guidelines for the provision of MNP – Service level agreement– Business Rules and Processes– Project Plan

International MNP Implementation and Management Summit, 15 th – 16th November 2012, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Legal Working Group: Project Plan2010 2011

September October November December January Febr

uary

March April

1st Phase Test system availability

Preparation of Go Live

Working Groups: Final Document Review and MeetingsRelease of Guidelines

CEO Signing

of Contract

Training and consultations with Porting Access

2nd phase Operator

End-2-End tests

with system

connection to SMSC

Inter- operator tests

Debugging

Fr

e

e

z

e

d

at

e

M

N

P

G

o

Li

v

eInternational MNP Implementation and Management Summit, 15 th – 16th November 2012, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

MNP Service Launch

• MNP Service Launch; 1st April 2011– FAQs– Print and electronic

media campaign– Radio and TV

interviews

International MNP Implementation and Management Summit, 15 th – 16th November 2012, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

MNP Service Launch

International MNP Implementation and Management Summit, 15 th – 16th November 2012, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Airtel : Ni Kuhama

MNP Service Launch

International MNP Implementation and Management Summit, 15 th – 16th November 2012, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Telkom Kenya: Mobile Number Portability

MNP Service Launch

Safaricom: Karibu tushererekee

International MNP Implementation and Management Summit, 15 th – 16th November 2012, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

MNP Service Launch

International MNP Implementation and Management Summit, 15 th – 16th November 2012, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Essar Telecom: Join YU today for Free

MNP Service Launch: Challenges

• Technical hitches among operators in porting and routing

• Timed out requests• Porting request on

‘Awaiting SMS’• Port out requests

unreachable from donor operator

International MNP Implementation and Management Summit, 15 th – 16th November 2012, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

MNP Service Audit

• End-to-end tests of SMS delivery to toll free short code 1501

• SMS Queuing tests• Confirmation of automatic routing table updates

International MNP Implementation and Management Summit, 15 th – 16th November 2012, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

MNP Service Audit

Point of Failure Link connecting Test ParameterPoint 1 Subscriber to

donor operatorDelivery of SMS 1501 to SMSC

Point 2 Donor Operator to Porting Access

Delivery of SMS 1501 to Porting Access

Point 2

Donor operator Central Database 1501

SMS 1, 2

Point 1

International MNP Implementation and Management Summit, 15 th – 16th November 2012, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

MNP Service Audit: Recommendations

• Amending MNP Procedures and Guidelines:– Removal of a specific body text of SMS to 1501– Automated MNP system • Maximum 48 hours porting process• Immediate (maximum 15minutes) database updates

– Enforcement action of the Kenya Information and Communications (Compliance Monitoring, Inspections and Enforcement) Regulations, 2010

International MNP Implementation and Management Summit, 15 th – 16th November 2012, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

MNP Service Audit: Recommendations

• Strict compliance with the provisions of MNP framework:– Relevant license conditions– MNP Procedures and Guidelines– MNP Service Agreement

International MNP Implementation and Management Summit, 15 th – 16th November 2012, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

MNP Service Audit: Recommendations

• Consumer education– Full disclosure of the terms and

conditions/implications of porting– Step by step porting procedure– Operator customer service staff training

International MNP Implementation and Management Summit, 15 th – 16th November 2012, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Number of In-Ports

International MNP Implementation and Management Summit, 15 th – 16th November 2012, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Oct-Dec-11 Jan-Mar-12 Apr-June-12 Jul-Sep-12 Oct-Dec-120

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

Source: CCK Quarterly Sector Statistics 2nd Quarter of Financial Year 2012/13 (Oct-Dec 2012)

Is MNP a Success? * Mobile Number Portability. Lessons learnt. *Mobile number portability - is it worth it?

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATOR1 How long does it take to complete the

porting process?Porting times are short (Automated process)

2 Does the customer have to pay to port?

Porting customer does not have to pay for porting

3 Which operator does the customer have to contact to start the porting process?

Customer has to contact only recipient operator only.Donor may seek to dissuade the porting customer or frustrate the porting process

4 Is the availability of MNP well publicized and marketed?

MNP is actively promoted and welcomed

Questions?

www.cck.go.kemnp@cck.go.keinfo@cck.go.ke

International MNP Implementation and Management Summit, 15 th – 16th November 2012, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania