Like the arrival of a second national fixed lined operator, the advent of mobile number portability (MNP) was generally expected to reduce the cost of telephony and improve choice for the average consumer. But that hasn`t happened. While the hope still exists that the increased competition will make a difference, the signs are not promising in the short term. Estimates vary but it is generally believed that 60 000 users ported in the four months after MNP became available locally.

However, this figure could not be confirmed by Clive Fagan, GM of the Number Portability Company (NPC), an organisation jointly owned by the three cellular networks and which operates as a type of automated clearing bureau of cellular numbers.