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Charity Ruzvidzo  Business Reporter
ZIMBABWE’S second largest mobile phone operator, Telecel Zimbabwe, has introduced a Mobile Number Portability (MNP), a platform that allows subscribers from other service providers to switch over to its network while retaining the last six digits of their current numbers.

The firm’s head of marketing, Clever Isaya, said the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) was yet to regulate MNP.

He said the matching initiative, which was under their new switch-over campaign, would ease the process of changing networks.

“We’ve introduced the number matching initiative to make it convenient for subscribers from other networks who wish to move to Telecel to retain their last six digits from their current line when they join us,” Isaya said.

“The switch-over campaign is an answer to requests from potential customers who’d like to move over to our network yet are worried about losing the identity that comes with the mobile number they’ve become accustomed to.

“Number matching takes care of the inconvenience of having to memorise or having to share very different mobile numbers with your contacts who’re used to your old numbers.”

Isaya said Zimbabwean mobile subscribers had of late been requesting MNP.

“Telecel’s number matching initiative does point in the right direction in terms of helping customers retain part of their mobile numbers although full mobile number portability is yet to be introduced into the country by the regulating authority,” he said, adding that the campaign offered free airtime and data.

In addition, the matching initiative offers subscribers free SMS, airtime and data.

Mobile subscribers who wish to match their  mobile numbers have to verify that the last six digits they want are available by logging onto the Telecel website.

Some of the African countries that have implemented MNP include Nigeria, South Africa and Ghana.