Number portability fails to take off

The regulator blamed the lukewarm response on the public's unfamiliarity with procedures in the initial phase and disputes over contract terms with operators.

Hsiao said they received some 10 calls a day requesting them to settle disputes. Companies who are found to have intentionally hindered users from switching operators will be fined up to NT$3 million, Hsio said.

But the market consensus is that the number-portability service would not shake up Taiwan's telecom market like it did in Hong Kong four years ago.

Daniel Hsiao (蕭黎明) of Taiwan Ratings Corp, a local arm of ratings agency Standard & Poor's, said such a shake-up would not happen in the medium term.

The number-portability service would not trigger a massive operator transfer, though telecom latecomers are aggressively targeting users by offering premium handsets and cheaper rates, Hsiao said.