We refer to your email dated 27 July 2015.
As you may be aware, IDA has put in place Number Portability requirements to enable consumers to retain their numbers when they switch mobile service providers (i.e., allows pre-paid or post-paid mobile customers to port their numbers within the respective service offerings). This is in recognition that our consumers would choose mobile services based on their needs and most would likely stay as a pre-paid or post-paid mobile customer when they switch service providers. The intent of Number Portability is to ensure that there is no barrier to switching service providers because of the number.
Notwithstanding, IDA had reviewed the demand for porting of post-paid services to pre-paid (and vice versa) by surveying consumers and found that the demand for such services to be rather niche at this juncture. Considering that the cost of implementing this feature may not be commensurate with the current demand, IDA has not required mobile service providers to implement the feature.
The above is different from customers wanting to switch services within the same operator. In a competitive market environment, IDA leaves it to the mobile service providers on what services they wish to offer to their own customers. Hence, whether a service provider allows its customers to convert from post-paid services to pre-paid services (while remaining with the same mobile service providers), or vice-versa, is left to market forces. IDA notes that all the mobile operators already offer switching of pre-paid services to post-paid. IDA does not currently foresee a compelling reason to require the operators to offer a service that allows switching in the other direction.
IDA will continue to closely monitor market developments. In the absence of a post-paid to pre-paid conversion service, you may wish to contact the mobile service providers to find out whether there are alternative services that would meet your needs.
With regard to your feedback on the Caller ID service provided by the mobile operators, we would like to take this opportunity to share that the telecommunication service market is fully liberalised and competitive. IDA is not in a position to intervene and dictate the kind of services and prices an operator should offer, and operators should be given the flexibility to compete on service innovation, prices and service quality. However, IDA has required the operators to comply with all regulatory rules and requirements which include the need to clearly disclose the prices, terms and conditions of their services or equipment, prior to offering them to end users.
We understand that the Caller ID service is currently offered as an optional value added service, and sometimes it is given free to the customers, depending on the different service plans. You may wish to find out more about these service plans offered by the mobile operators and make an informed choice to meet your needs.
Thank you for your feedback.
