Kenya delays MNP implementation deadline till April 1, 2011

Plans to launch mobile number portability (MNP) in Kenya at the end of this year have been put back until next April due to reported delays at the mobile networks. Reports indicate that three of the country’s four operators are not ready for the service.

The telecom regulator agreed to delay the MNP launch until April 1, 2011.

The Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) also said that all networks would sign a formal contract with the MNP clearing house, M/S Porting Access Kenya, which would bind the networks to offer the service by the new deadline.

Launching MNP in Kenya has been challenging. The plans, originally announced in 2004 were put on hold in 2007 after the regulator cited the high costs of implementing the system. They were then resurrected in late 2008 for launch between March and September 2009. Due to be offered by July, the deadline was pushed back to the end of 2010, and now to April 2011.

Safaricom is Kenya mobile market leader with a share of 82 per cent, followed by Zain with a share of 11.3 per cent. Econet has a share of 2.3 per cent while Orange (Telecom Kenya) counts a 4.1 per cent share.