200,000 move number to 2degrees - TCF
Mobile newcomer's number portability campaign is paying off, according to new figures supplied by the independent Telecommunications Carriers Forum (TCF).
2degrees said this morning that 200,000 people had moved or "ported" their existing Telecom or Vodafone to its network as of July 1. The figure was confirmed by the independent Telecommunictions Carriers Forum, which pulls stats from all its members.
The mobile newcomer has been the only phone company to actively market number portability - or the option to take an 021, 027, or 022 number with you if you move to a rival network.
A regulatory change allowing porting was introduced by the government in April 2007 as one of a series of measures to boost competition.
But although porting has surged in popularity according to the TCF's figures, a majority of 2degrees customers are choosing to take an 022 number. For some, it will be because they're keeping their Vodafone or Telecom handset as well; some will be making a clean break; others will be getting an 022 number allocated to a device like a tablet or USB modem.
When 2degrees first released a porting stat, in February last year, it had 206,000 active customers, by its own count.
If the same ratio has held, then the carrier has continued to add customers at pace since March claim that it had 580,000 total customers.
Ports to 2degrees
Feb 26, 2010: 53,000 (total customers claimed: 206,000)
June 4, 2010: 75,000
July 20, 2010: 83,000
July 31: 92,000
Sept 2010: 100,000
July 2011: 200,000 (most recent total customer claim, from March 2011: 580,000)
In November, the Commerce Commission recommended that number portability be extended for six years.
NBR staff
Wed, 27 Jul 2011
Wed, 27 Jul 2011
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200,000 move number to 2degrees - TCF
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