Indotel Seeks Feedback on Number Portability Rules

The Dominican Republic's telecoms regulator Indotel has launched a public consultation on proposed regulations for introducing number portability, local daily Hoy quoted Indotel executive director José Alfredo Rizek as saying.

The Dominican Republic's general telecommunications law already stipulates that users should be guaranteed freedom to choose to keep existing numbers if they switch operators, Rizek said.

The period for feedback ends on July 28 and after revising the comments Indotel will hold a public hearing on the matter.

Rizek expects regulations for number portability to be ready before year-end, at which point Indotel will set a deadline by which operators must adopt the system.

Indotel will prioritize the mobile sector for introduction of the system, given its dynamism and importance in the telecoms industry. Then the rules will be applied to fixed line numbers in specific areas, expanding to portability of numbers between larger geographical areas and finally between services, such as the transfer of a mobile number to a fixed line.

To achieve all this will take years and require important investments by the operators, Rizek added.

BNAmericas.com"

Posted to the site on 5th July 2006