Less than 1 per cent of total mobile subscribers have registered for mobile number portability (MNP) services after three months of deployment, according to the Ministry of Information and Communications.

The MNP service allows users to change networks but retain the same phone number.

The Viet Nam Telecommunications Authority (VNTA), under the Ministry of Information and Communications, organised a review of the deployment of MNP services this week.

By February 20, after three months of deployment, 115,185 subscribers had registered for MNP services, less than 1 per cent of total mobile subscribers nationwide, approximately 120 million subscribers.

However, the average rate of successful network transfer subscribers is more than half, at 59.73 per cent.

Viettel reported that there had been 56,771 subscribers moving on to its network and 43,007 subscribers moving out. Successful rate of moving-in and moving-out of Viettel subscribers was 49.87 per cent (28,309 subscribers) and 82.82 per cent (35,619 subscribers), respectively.

VinaPhone had 45,387 subscribers moving in and 34,801 subscribers moving out. Successful rates were 70.32 per cent (31,916 moving-in subscribers) and 68.62 per cent (23,882 moving-out subscribers), respectively.

MobiFone had 12,135 subscribers moving in and 30,257 subscribers moving out with successful rates of 68.88 per cent (8,358 moving-in users) and 26.30 per cent (7,959 moving-out users), respectively.

Vietnamobile had 892 subscribers moving in and 7,118 subscribers moving out with successful rates of 24.55 per cent (219 moving-in users) and 18.85 per cent (1,342 moving-out users), respectively.

Viettel is the network with the highest rate of subscribers moving out and it is considered the most convenient network for customers to switch network, followed by VinaPhone and Vietnamobile.

At the meeting, there were opinions proposed to remove barriers to customers, and operators needed to reduce the conditions for subscribers who registered for network transfer services. — VNS