HA NOI (Biz Hub) — Mobile phone users can now change networks and still keep their phone numbers, following Decision No.1178 of the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) published on Wednesday. But don't hold your breath, the new service is about four years away.

Mobile subscribers can change the network and still keep the phone numbers. Photo soha.vn

A national network transfer centre will be set up before June 30, 2015, at the Department of Telecommunications under the Ministry of Information and Communications.

The ministry will implement a six month pilot service and finish it before June 30, 2016. The network transfer service will come into operation officially in January 1, 2017.

About 70 countries offer the same-number service for customers, including the United States, Germany, Japan and Sweden.

The new decision is expected to force mobile network providers to put more effort into attracting users. Customers will not have to pay much money to change networks.— VNS