Ahead of the nationwide introduction of Mobile Number Portability (MNP), Uruguay’s mobile operators have signed contracts with the appointed MNP database administrator.
According to the country’s regulator URSEC (Regulatory Unit of Communications Services), this is aimed at ensuring that MNP is implemented before the end of 2021. In August, the regulator selected a consortium of Cleartech and Cietel to oversee the development, implementation and management of MNP for a five-year period between 2021 and 2026.
TeleGeography reports that in July 2020, Uruguay declared number portability to be a right for all mobile telephony users. In September that year, a committee featuring various industry stakeholders – including representatives of operators and regulators – was set up to prepare for implementation.
In January 2021, Uruguay’s government approved the general rules, regulatory terms and timetable for implementation, with testing slated for July followed by a commercial launch on 1st October 2021. In May, these deadlines were pushed back to accommodate additional assurances around security and transparency of MNP.
Under the proposals, operators are obliged to cover all costs associated with transferring numbers, and the process must take no longer than three days.
