Mexico number portability up 17% in H1

Mexico's number portability jumped 17% in the first half, according to data from telecoms regulator IFT, with the focus almost exclusively on mobile phones.

Mexicans switched phone numbers from one company to another 10.7mn times, versus 9.1mn in the same period a year ago, according to data seen by BNamericas. Of those, close to 98% requests were for mobile phones, with only 228,968 operations for fixed line numbers.

The number of mobile lines ported in the first half is close to 10% of all mobile lines in the country. Mexicans have been able to change telephone providers while keeping their number since 2008.

Telcel, the local unit of América Móvil and the leading mobile operator, has been the main beneficiary of the policy since its inception. So far this year, the company has received 5.3mn phones versus the 3.5mn it has ceded to other operators.

Both Telefónica and AT&T have shown negative portability rates so far this year. Telefónica lost 3.13mn numbers during the six-month period while it received 2.7mn, while AT&T, the third largest player in the market, lost 3.6mn numbers versus 2.3mn gained.