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Vodafone beats Ofcom and Three in court battle

Vodafone beats Ofcom and Three in court battle Telecoms watchdog Ofcom and mobile company 3 have lost a court battle with Vodafone about the process of UK consumers keeping their old mobile number when switching networks.

A decision by the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) effectively means that there will be no obligation for network providers to reduce the time it takes for a customer to switch networks and keep their old number.

It now takes two days to do this and mobile phone owners are obliged to contact their current provider to get a Porting Authorisation Code (PAC) to give to their new provider in order to retain their old number.

During this time the current provider has a chance to sweet talk the customer out of making the switch by offering them better deals.

This, small British firm 3 argued, seriously disadvantages them from competing fairly with the big providers - O2, Orange, T-Mobile and BT - which all supported Vodafone's cause in the court case.

Commenting on the verdict, a 3 spokesman pointed out that Vodafone, 3 and O2 customers in Ireland have been able to move their mobile number between operators "in around 20 minutes for many years".

"This means British consumers are in danger of being delayed yet again in gaining the same right," the spokesman told Mobile Today.

He added: "It also leaves Britain as the only major economy where you still have to ask your old operator for permission to move your number rather than enabling the new operator to look after the process for you."

The court was scathing about Ofcom's inability to cost out the price to the mobile industry of changing the process.

A Vodafone spokesman was quoted by Mobile Today as saying: "Vodafone welcomes this unanimous judgement. It confirms Vodafone's view that any major change affecting all the UK's phone users needs to be fully thought through before firm decisions are taken to go ahead."

Which is why you will continue to receive regular irritating text messages from friends saying: "Here is my new number, please delete my old one."

Three news posted on 19 September 2008

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