The act has finally been signed into law
President Rodrigo Duterte has signed the Mobile Number Portability Act or Republic Act No 11202 into law, which finally allows consumers to keep their mobile number even if they decide to switch carriers.
The act was signed on Feb. 8 and basically states that telecommunications companies should allow their subscribers to keep their numbers completely free of charge, even if they go to another company/competitor.
Under the law, telcos should be able to completely port over numbers from one company to another in 48 hours, or face steep penalties.
A company is fined Php 10,000 when a mobile number isn’t performed on time, but was nonetheless delivered by the company in question on or before the complaint was filed.
If the number was not ported by the fifth time, they will be fined up to Php 1 million and their franchise to operate will be revoked if the mobile number portability is “unjustly refused even after mediation.”
The National Telecommunications Commission was also authorized by the law to award up to P40,000 per subscriber for damages.
