To what extent is the possibility of "steal" with a number will help the notorious competition and need this opportunity for us with you at all? One may recall not so recent past AMPS, NMT-450 and DAMPS, when a caller to buy from your operator is not only the number but also tied to a specific network handset. Becoming thus a kind of hostage, not only one operator, but the administration - the sad fate of Moscow the "Sonnet" is a very recent example. Worldwide popularity of GSM is largely due to it ease the transition into the network of another operator with its own phone number (enough to insert into the machine the other SIM-card), but the problem is changing the phone number remains. For many people, changing the usual number - much nastier to buy a new tube, and for the business person, this procedure almost always means a loss of customers and financial losses. A couple of years ago, independent experts in the UK estimated that the average user decides to change rates and a shift to another operator only if the rival offers for at least 20-25% more competitive rates. Or a completely new and useful to this particular service user. And a lot of the most telling (and profitable for the operator!) Clients just the most conservative in the preservation of your phone number. This has been successfully used by telecommunications companies worldwide, offering all sorts of discounts and bonuses are basically just new subscribers.
If all is well "behind the hill?
More recently, U.S. law, the UK and other countries provides for the right time "carry" with them and their phone number. It is gratifying that the Ministry of Communications of Russia in this matter should be the most modern world trends, and intends to release mobile phone users from the "registration of slavery." Technical problems, but they are solvable, albeit not without reservations / limitations - the same one the U.S. does not guarantee preservation of a landline telephone number when changing residence. With the mobile phone number is easier, but even to save it can not always. Last but not least we are interested in the issue price.The service is store the number of calls from the operator of the additional costs and, of course, these costs are passed on to subscribers: telecom administration the right to oblige the operator to give his capricious subscriber numbers, but can not compel the operator to do it for free. There are two basic models of settlement: the subscriber obliged to pay monthly "rental value" number or a lump sum to pay a certain amount - for example, a three-month contract price. In other words, the term "connection fee" to the past, but it appears the concept of "cost of trip."Who needs it, and whether
The first impression is "without thinking" - a permanent, unchanging number is needed by all. However, in reality it is not so. A certain number of business people certainly benefit from this service regardless of its value for other potential consumers of the permanent facilities will be the deciding factor in the price. A large segment of the market - those users who have a permanent phone number is not needed at all, very big - buying prepaid-boxes of different operators for outgoing calls. To some it may seem strange, but many are quite active subscribers do not remember or never even knew his phone number. It can be assumed that the price "ticket outlet in $ 100 and expensive to maintain service facilities in Russia will take advantage of one percent of subscribers. Worry about the constant and massive "jumping" the numbers from one operator to another is not necessary: the benefits of short-term marketing deals hardly block the financial losses associated with maintaining facilities. Thus, to effectively block such a populist decision Mininformsvyaz operator will be sufficient to establish the price barrier height and organize moderately sick of bureaucratic procedures.Complicated existence of companies operating in the present life of numbering capacity. There are many telecommunications companies, not only small and medium-sized. To retain existing and attract new customers such companies have either to establish modern intellectual platform with a full range of additional services; trade only "air" of city numbers will be much harder.
Direct Moscow number has quite a specific market price, but "the package" can be purchased very inexpensively. For example, to connect to one of the cheapest tariff plans of MTS and Beeline. In this case, the cost of renting direct number is less than $ 10 a month, by Moscow standards quite well. No altruism: the traffic in the TA is relatively expensive. With these subscribers from operators may have problems, "transfer" a direct number to a competitor can quickly pay for themselves in spite of the price barrier.
Operators, willy-nilly will have to reconsider its policy of relations with "heavy" contract subscribers. These users are relatively few (as a percentage of total subscribers), but each of them in the truest sense of the word "work for ten" in part brought by profit. In case of dissatisfaction with the conditions or quality of service of such subscriber's money "off the ticket" will not stop, will pay for room and go to another. Short-term actions such as "two weeks of free calls on Sundays," a contingent not hold, the question will have to take seriously. The most obvious way - flexible long-term program to encourage loyalty.Nothing can be done: in the case of the disappearance of the whip as a "neunosimogo" phone number will get out of zagashnika gingerbread.
It will be interesting to look at the behavior of alternative operators. At the same Corbina "large percentage of subscribers with direct numbers to the semi-anlim, service plans long" frozen "and connections are left only on expensive unlimited TA. Despite the excellent quality of voice communication no roaming and advanced services irritates many people. Ability to take away a number may disrupt the existing balance and, quite possibly, "Corbin" will have to radically revise the tariff policy.
And come the great chaos?
Technical aspects of conservation rates for the subscriber, we will not discuss. Enough to know that this possibility exists. Clearly, in the case of certain "facilitator" and switching of all calls through it the scheme for mobile networks is complicated, but it will affect the speed and quality connections, we learn soon. More importantly: in the current context of existence of tariff plans with different pricing schemes complexity is inevitable. Imagine the mood of the subscriber TP-007 Jeans, "which after a long conversation with a colleague on the network detects that the source has long suffered a number to another operator! Similar problems will inevitably arise with charging for incoming calls.A radical solution to the problem - the transition to charging only outgoing calls (CPP, "Calling Party Pays") and a corresponding revision of the majority of tariff plans. Logical to introduce all operators of single value calls on all direct local numbers on all federal mobile, regardless of network affiliation. In this case, the portability of telephone numbers will be painless for all customers. How all this will be realized in fact (and whether or not implemented at all) we will know soon enough if you believe the promises of the Minister - later this year. It seems that the year 2005 Russia will be a year of radical changes in communications.