Mobiles: less portable than you think

Telecoms and broadcasting regulator Ofcom said on Thursday, it is cutting the time it takes to switch existing UK mobile numbers to a new network from five days to two hours.

This will boost competition between different mobile network operators. Ofcom has previously said the five-day delay in the UK lagged behind “best practice” in other countries.

In Ireland a mobile number can often be transferred to another network in as little as 20 minutes, according to a mobile company executive.

Kevin Russell, chief executive of mobile network 3 UK said: "Ofcom have clearly looked at other international markets and have listened to consumers. The move to a customer-led two-hour porting system should have been made much earlier, but to have a clear decision today is important.

“What we now need is confidence that the move…will be implemented in the timeframe laid out and that the deadlines set will be effectively enforced."

Not that the deadline is all that fast. Two hour transfers for mobile numbers must be implemented by 1 September 2009. Before that the five-day delay must be reduced to 2 days by 1 April 2008.