Dialog hails TRCSL’s move to implement number portability

The country’s largest mobile telecommunication services provider, Dialog Axiata PLC, yesterday welcomed Telecommunication Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka’s (TRCSL) decision to take initial steps towards implementing number portability in Sri Lanka.

Number portability, which enables switching of mobile and fixed line numbers across competing service providers, is a customer facility widely practiced internationally and is a key facet of a liberalized  telecommunications market. 

“We are very happy to see the TRCSL moving forward with the next steps in the liberalization of our industry and we congratulate the TRCSL for initiating the process of implementing number portability in Sri Lanka. Dialog is also optimistic that the TRCSL will move forward swiftly with other similar enablers of consumer choice,” Dialog Axiata Group CEO Supun Weerasinghe said.

While Sri Lanka’s telecommunications market has been recognised globally for affordability and quality of services as well as the state-of-the-art in technology and advanced facilities, enablement of the portability of mobile and fixed numbers across networks has not been implemented to-date. 

Dialog Axiata also welcomed re-initiation of a roadmap by the TRCSL to reach international best practices in maximising customer choice in the telecommunications industry.  “Dialog first proposed in July 2008, the initiation of a roadmap to alleviate consumer choice bottlenecks including number portability. The company believed then and has continued to champion over the years the paradigm that maximising consumer choice would result in the enhancement and development of the industry overall resulting in benefits to all service providers and their customers,” a Dailog Axiata statement said.

Dialog and its principal shareholder Axiata Group Bhd also holds the distinction of being Sri Lanka’s largest FDI with a total investment to-date of US$ 2.7 billion directed at telecommunications infrastructure development.