MNP's side effects

[rpm]

http://www.mybroadband.co.za/nephp/?m=show&id=4919

 

[ic]

Cell C and joint venture partner Virgin Mobile in turn hope for a bonanza of defecting subscribers, with Cell C opting to absorb the so-called porting fee.

Well I have finally decided to become one of those defecting subscribers, and will be leaving the CellC network in a cloud of dust - I'm tired of dropped calls between sparse CellC cells [ironically not enough cells available from CellC], and then there is the small matter of CellC refusing to invest in a modern data-centric network: I need at least vanilla-3G and CellC has said it has to get its ordinary GSM network sorted out and will not spend money on 3G|HSPA.

Goodbye CellC, best of luck to you for the future and perhaps give some serious thought to WiMax if you're never gonna go the 3G|HSDPA route - your target market [young demographic] demands a data-centric network - otherwise change all your marketting and target the OAP market...

 

[bekdik]

I think the LCR companies will be under the bigger threat of the cell companies dropping the cost of interconnect charges, either by being forced so to do by IICASA, or by the effects of MNP pushing cost of ownership for up.

 

[Roman4604]

THE LACK OF ENTHUSIASM for mobile number portability from Vodacom and MTN is understandable.

Well thats exactly the point. The primary reason why a regulator would introduce MNP is to use it as a beating stick to incentivise the lowering of cellular costs (over time), rather than a tool that is actually used widely.

If one provider decides to get agressive and lowers pricing, the threat of MNPs existance and opertation increases the movitation for the others to counter so that a porting fest does not occur.

Thats the theory anyway.

 

[(DmZ)Wrecky]

It would be interesting to see the stats of MNP. Who is getting and who is loosing.

 

[mikef]

One exercise carried out by this writer showed that to buy out the contract (including termination and claw-back charges) on a mid-price deal (the MyCall, Weekend Everyday/CasualChat type of contracts) with a none too fancy phone that had only three months before termination was in excess of R2 000 - a cost that would probably put off most post-paid subscribers used to free phones and early upgrades

I consider it unethical of the cellphone companies to charge termination costs at anything above the present value of the remaining installments due in terms of the contract. This is after all what they would receive if one just stopped using the phone until the contract expired.

 

[Cara]

http://www.mybroadband.co.za/nephp/?m=show&id=4919Well I have finally decided to become one of those defecting subscribers, and will be leaving the CellC network in a cloud of dust - I'm tired of dropped calls between sparse CellC cells [ironically not enough cells available from CellC], and then there is the small matter of CellC refusing to invest in a modern data-centric network: I need at least vanilla-3G and CellC has said it has to get its ordinary GSM network sorted out and will not spend money on 3G|HSPA.

Goodbye CellC, best of luck to you for the future and perhaps give some serious thought to WiMax if you're never gonna go the 3G|HSDPA route - your target market [young demographic] demands a data-centric network - otherwise change all your marketting and target the OAP market...

Our CellC number also drops, but generally only at home. Thought it was just something with our tower but seems to be more widespread. Also thinking of leaving, just waiting to see how MNP works out.