Individual Geographic Number Portability (GNP) kicked in recently, allowing fixed line subscribers to migrate their service to an alternative operator without the need to change their number.<\/p>\n
This new development compliments Mobile Number Portability (MNP) and gives mobile phone users the ability to move to another mobile network and still retain their cellphone number.<\/p>\n
Number portability in theory will stimulate competition by making it more convenient for consumers to move from one operator to the next, but in practice it only proved mildly popular.<\/p>\n
One of the gripes from consumers about GNP and MNP is the fact that they can not easily establish which network a certain number resides on. An 083 number can now be a Vodacom subscriber while a 011 fixed line call can be to a Neotel phone rather than a Telkom subscriber.<\/p>\n
On-net calls are often priced lower – or even flat rated in the case of Telkom’s closer packages – which means that subscribers may rack up an unexpectedly large bill if they call an off-net number which looked like an on-net subscriber.<\/p>\n
After the introduction of GNP Telkom has launched a number verification service to assist users to establish whether a certain number is an off-net or on-net number.<\/p>\n
The new service is available online at: Telkom Telephone Number verification<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n