1. A general description of the management of number portability in Finland
Number portability in mobile communications networks
In Finland, number portability has been implemented in the fixed-wire telephone network within each telecommunications area, the nation-wide 071–prefixed number space, service numbers (0600-, 0700-, 0800–prefixed service numbers) and, from 25 July 2003, in the mobile communications networks.
Number portability in the mobile communications networks is provided in accordance with the Directive 2002/22/EC of the European Parliament and the Council on universal service and users' rights relating to electronic communications networks and services (Universal Service Directive). The Directive obligates all member states of the European Union to implement number portability by the end of the national transition period ending on 25 July 2003.
The requirements included in the Universal Service Directive concerning the portability of telephone numbers are included in the Finnish Telecommunications Market Act (393/2003; Para 51 § and 52 §). Under the said act, the Finnish Telecommunications Authority has issued the Decree 46A/2003 on the portability of telephone numbers. According to the decree, telecommunications companies are jointly obligated to ensure that a “Master System” is created for the purpose of enabling number portability.
Under the new Telecommunications Market Act, number portability applies both to fixed-wire and mobile telecommunications networks. However, portability between these two types of networks is not required.
The operator relinquishing the number may not charge the customer for porting the number but, in contrast, the operator receiving the number may require a porting charge from the end-customer. Additionally, the relinquishing operator may require a one-off lump sum equivalent to the cost incurred from the receiving operator.
Telecommunications companies are required to provide free information on the ported numbers which is maintained by Suomen Numerot Numpac Oy. The IVR number of the service is 0800 02202 and web address www.siirretytnumerot.fi
Number portability applies only to the actual telephone number. Voice mail, data or fax numbers are not portable. Similarly, pre-paid connections activated without a written subscription agreement and mobile numbers other than the voice service numbers are not portable.
According to the decree issued by the Finnish Telecommunications Authority, mobile communications operators are required to set up a joint database for ported numbers (Master Database) in which all the ported numbers are to be stored (including fixed-wire network numbers).
To implement number porting, use is made of a special Master System. With this system, calls, text and MSS messages must be routed directly to the right network using “direct routing”.
A PowerPoint presentation of the implementation of number portability is provided at Suomen Numerot Numpac Oy’s web site.
2. Number portability management company Suomen Numerot Numpac Oy
Numpac is a provider of number portability functionality for telecommunications companies and other possible parties.
The Finnish mobile communications operators have set up a special company by the name of Suomen Numerot Numpac Oy to assume responsibility for the management of the Master System required for number portability.
Suomen Numerot Numpac Oy was founded on 23 May 2003 and its registered office is located in Helsinki, Finland.
The shareholders in Numpac are DNA Oy, Elisa Oyj and TeliaSonera Oyj with each company holding 33% of the capital stock.
Numpac’s managing director is Mr Seppo Backman
seppo.backman@numpac.fi
tel + 358 50 550 4866
Numpac has filed an application with the Finnish Competition Authority for an exemption in order to be able to transact its business. The decision on the application is anticipated in the autumn of 2003.
In number porting, Numpac's role is that of a coordinator and intermediary. Being a coordinator means that Numpac is responsible for the implementation and further development of number porting. In its capacity as an intermediary, Numpac has concluded commercial agreements on the maintenance and provision of the number porting services for its customers. Numpac has signed identical agreements on number porting services with all its customers.
The overriding values that govern Numpac's operations are reliability, impartiality, and fairness.
Numpac's objective is to make none profit. Numpac's cost structure is extremely light and Numpac purchases all the services it needs from outside suppliers.
At present, Numpac offers operators mobile and fixed number porting services as well as primary network selection services. Additionally, Numpac provides a free information service for ported numbers intended for end customers required under the number porting regulation. By means of this information service, the consumer can identify the operator responsible for any mobile or fixed-line number. This information helps customers find out about the rates charged for calls to specific numbers.
Numpac is not engaged in any actual sales or marketing efforts. Instead, Numpac concludes agreements with the telecom operators on the use of the service. It is up to the individual operators to determine how they market number portability when selling subscriptions. In reality, the only way for a telecom operator to implement number porting in Finland is to rely on the Master System administered by Numpac.
Any operator based in Finland can acquire a stake in Numpac. The current owners are the TeliaSonera Finland Corporation, Elisa Corporation, and DNA Oy. The purpose of operator-ownership is that when the operators exercise the decision-making powers in the company, they see to it that its operations are organised as efficiently as possible. Numpac offers the number porting services to its owners on the same terms as to other customers. In other words, ownership does not carry any special benefits.
The Master System exchanges information related to number porting between the telecommunications companies involved, stores the ported numbers and provides information on numbers that have been ported.
For the construction and maintenance of the MASTER System, Numpac has signed a commercial agreement with Accenture Oy.
The Master System is implemented, operated and maintained by Accenture Oy under a service agreement with Numpac. A company named Softwright Solutions Ltd was involved in this project as Accenture's subcontractor in the design and implementation phase.
Responsibility for the maintenance and operation of the Master System servers rests with Hewlett Packard.
Description of the process for porting of the end-user's mobile phone number.
The party ordering a new subscription signs a subscription agreement with the mobile operator confirming that the current number will be transferred from the existing mobile communications operator to the new operator.
The subscriber selects the desired supplementary services from the new operator because services are not transferred from one operator to another in the process, only the actual phone number.
The subscriber receives a new SIM card from the new operator after making and signing the subscription agreement.
The telecommunications company receiving the number checks with the company relinquishing the number that the number involved is portable and confirms this after having been informed of the date of transfer. The customer’s old connection will remain active up until the new connection is activated. Once the new connection has been activated, the subscriber starts using it by replacing the old SIM card with the new SIM card provided by the new operator.
What is important to note about Numpac's pricing is that the same rates are charged from mobile and fixed network operators. Numpac makes use of a single service agreement with identical terms and prices.
Numpac offers two types of interfaces to the the Master Database. All operators are required to have either an M2M or WEB interface.
With the M2M interface, the operator can link its customer service system to the Master Database using a machine-language connection. The customer processes the number porting requests directly via its own customer service system with no need for a special Master Database connection for the purpose of submitting and receiving number porting requests. The M2M interface is used for online distribution of call routing data to network operators.
The M2M inteface is intended for operators with a large customer base and high volume of number porting requests.
With the Web intefrace, the customer uses a web browser for entering and reading number porting requests to the Master System.
The annual charge is paid when the service agreement is signed with the customer. Separate charges are made for the interface used for porting mobile numbers and for the interface for porting fixed numbers. The annual charges are payable in a lump sum for the entire contract period up until 2012.
The monthly charge for the interface is billed once a month. Aside from the number porting services, the charge covers the transmission of call routing data to the service provider's network operator, provision of information, and clearance of payments between operators.
The number porting charge is paid by the receiving operator. Numpac charges the porting charge for each ported number based on the actual porting transactions. The charge for a single transaction, such as the transfer of a number block in the fixed network, is the same as for a single mobile phone number.
The number porting charge varies from month to month. The basic porting charge is determined by Numpac on a monthly basis according to the total number of portings.
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