The government of Botswana says it plans to implement mobile number portability (MNP) at some point in the next twelve months, enabling consumers to retain their existing phone number when changing their service provider. Transport and Communications Minister Dorcas Makgato has told Parliament that the service will be introduced in the financial year beginning 1 April 2019.
State-backed telco Botswana Telecommunications Corporation (BTC) says the move would allow operators to compete on service quality and pricing. A report from Mmegi says BTC is hoping to increase its share of the mobile market from around 16% currently to as much as 30% thanks to MNP. As well as BTC, mobile customers in Botswana are served by larger players Mascom and Orange.
Makgato told Parliament: ‘Let’s introduce MNP so we can compete on service. Allow customers to choose. Customers tend to stick to operators even when they are not happy with their services, in fear of losing their specific mobile numbers which they might have used for many years. This will provide customers with the flexibility and freedom to switch between service operators without fear of losing their mobile numbers.’
Source: https://www.telegeography.com/products/commsupdate/articles/2019/04/02/botswana-to-introduce-mnp/