Cable & Wireless Optus (Optus) customers are now better positioned to take complete advantage of full number portability, the Australian Communications Authority (ACA) announced today. This follows Optus' development of solutions to overcome technical issues that enabled the withdrawal of its application for exemption from certain local number portability (LNP) obligations.
ACA Chairman Tony Shaw welcomed the move by Optus to bring forward its provision of LNP for all its customers. "This withdrawal indicates Optus' commitment to the implementation of full LNP in the expanded marketplace," he said.
Full LNP means customers can keep their local number when changing phone companies and get the same service as any other customer of that company. This has been mandatory since 1 January 2000, however the ACA has recognised that in some cases it has not been possible for full LNP to be provided for all local services. Separately, Optus customers were limited in the number of times that they could change providers.
Following inter-network testing with other carriage service providers (CSPs), Optus has confirmed it will be able to provide for:
- customers to change phone companies and retain the same number (two party LNP); and
- customers to move to another CSP any number of times (third party LNP).
Optus had requested the exemption on the basis that it had not developed automated support processes to provide these capabilities for its customers. At that time, manual process were seen to be onerous, costly, and likely to be unreliable.
Specifically, Optus applied to the ACA for an exemption from the obligation to provide:
- Two party LNP with all other CSPs other than Telstra for simple services, until 30 October 2000;
- Third party LNP for simple services, until 30 October 2000; and
- Third party LNP for complex services, until 30 December 2000.
Following extensive ACA investigations, which included wide industry consultation, Optus has now revised its approach. Optus will now include some manual processes to provide LNP for its customers, and intends to implement automated processes as soon a possible.
The ACA is currently considering another exemption application from Optus to provide two party LNP with other CSPs for its Multinet SVC service, a broadband ATM service which establishes a private circuit network for business customers. Optus requested an exemption until twelve months after a competing provider has entered the market.
"The ACA's decision on this exemption is expected to be finalised by early next month," Mr Shaw said.
"Exemptions are only granted on the grounds that it would be in the long term interests of end-users, or that number portability is not technically feasible in the circumstances. Whenever exemptions have been granted, the ACA has required those CSPs to speedily address the matter."
Mr Shaw said that, "The prime objective is having local number portability available across the entire industry as early as possible so that consumers can access benefits through a change in service provider while retaining their telephone number."
