Number portability

Soon, mobile telephone subscribers can shift from one service operator to another without having to change their numbers.

Just recently, the country’s three mobile network operators (MNO), namely, Smart Communications, Globe Telecom and Dito Telecommunity  successfully concluded the initial tests of their technical capabilities and interoperability as they work with government for the implementation of mobile number portability (MNP) as required by Republic Act  11202.

According to the law, mobile number portability will promote consumer welfare by fostering the freedom to choose and to respond to quality, price, and other relevant considerations without the consumers having to change their mobile numbers whenever they change mobile service providers or subscription plans.

The move will also encourage mobile service providers, whether a public telecommunications entity or a virtual network operator, to compete with each other to provide consumers with the best overall value that they can offer, thus encouraging technological innovation to stimulate even greater demand for telecom products and services.

The three MNOs have announced that the outcome of the initial technical tests are within expectations. With the initial tests yielding positive results, the next step will be to streamline the external porting process, implement fraud and security safeguards, optimize systems and backend business operations in time for a smoother and faster porting experience for customers by Sept. 30.

Smart, Globe, and Dito have worked diligently to meet the July commitment with the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to achieve initial technical readiness before the actual interporting demonstration with the telco regulator, a key milestone in the MNP process.

The law also requires all public telecommunications entities (PTEs) to provide nationwide MNP to all qualified subscribers free of charge. The PTE shall change the type of subscription from postpaid to prepaid or vice-versa within 24 hours from the time a subscriber submits the porting application. However, a subscriber shall be allowed to port the same number only after 60 days from the completion of the last porting process.

It likewise provides that PTEs shall unlock upon demand and completely free of charge the mobile telephone handset of a subscriber who has requested and has complied with the requirements for MNP.

Upon receipt of the MNP application, the recipient provider shall transmit the application to the donor provider so that the latter can clear the mobile number for porting. It shall then activate the subscriber’s ported number under its network within 24 hours upon notification that the mobile number has been cleared for porting. However, only those subscribers who have been cleared of any financial obligation by the donor provider can avail of the MNP.

Mobile phone service subscribers are sure to experience better and more affordable service in the future as the three MNOs compete to keep subscribers from one provider to another.

Filipinos embrace digital wallets

The movement of money through digital channels has increased significantly as more and more Filipinos transact business or conduct their activities online.

The growth in the so-called digital gig economy, resorted to by many who are looking for new or additional opportunities to make money given the slower economic growth and physical restrictions, as well as e-commerce, have also fuelled the need for electronic or e-payments.

According to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the use of e-payments increasing by more than 5,000 percent. This, on the other hand, was aided by improvements in smartphone and mobile internet accessibility, as well as the increasingly ubiquitous use of QR codes and other features that are intended to ease the movement of money between people and merchants.

For his part, WorldRemit country director Earl Melivo noted that while Filipinos have been using mobile wallets way before the outbreak of COVID-19, the pandemic has accelerated the usage of digital methods, such as mobile wallet services, for making payments.

But, Melivo said, even after the pandemic subsides and is over, digital adoption for transactions would continue among Filipinos here and those living and working abroad.

Melivo said that since launching its instant international transfer service to GCash, PayMaya, and Coins.ph wallets in April 2020, WorldRemit’s own numbers suggest that there would be continued significant growth in the adoption and use of mobile wallets in the Philippines.

More importantly, the growth of the digital economy and the increased prevalence of mobile wallet transactions has allowed greater access to financial services for the unbanked and underbanked sectors.

Melivo said that a majority of first-time digital payment users in the Philippines are unbanked or those with no access to formal banking services. According to a BSP survey, 71 percent of Filipinos were still unbanked towards the end of 2019.

He explained that one of the key benefits for users, like World Remit, of digital payments  is lower transaction costs, therefore giving back more to the customers. In addition, digital payments eliminates barriers to owning a transaction/financial account and reaches tens of millions of unbanked customers.

Melivo said that using WorldRemit’s digital platform and/or app to send or receive money promotes a safer, faster, and more convenient method of transacting in the new normal where everyone is adapting accordingly.

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