Trinidad and Tobago’s state-owned telecommunications provider TSTT has been told that it is legally obliged to implement fixed number portability (FNP). However, TSTT may attempt to bring the case back to court.
TSTT has said it is concerned about some aspects of the judgement and is “carefully considering all of its options including whether or not to appeal”.
According to TeleGeography's CommsUpdate, last week Justice Frank Seepersad partially upheld a 2016 lawsuit from Columbus Communications Trinidad Limited (CCTL, trading as Flow T&T ) against regulator the Telecommunication Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (TATT), over its failure to enforce the issue.
In a stinging rebuke, that referred to “callous and calculating behaviour”, he also rejected TSTT’s claims that the Telecommunications Act and its associated regulations only required that it facilitate portability, not implement it.
Interestingly, according to the Trinidad & Tobago Guardian website, the ruling has gained the support of TATT, which has welcomed the opportunity for fixed landline customers to change their service without changing their phone number.
Not surprisingly, cable and internet provider Flow T&T has called the court ruling on fixed number portability, “a victory for customers”, noting that “for close to five years customers have been denied the service and competition stifled because Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (TSTT) argued it is not legally obligated to implement FNP”.
