People interested in upgrading to the 4G telecom service can start doing so on Monday, after the National Communications Commission finalized the amendments on Regulations Governing Number Portability (號碼可攜服務管理辦法) and Regulations Governing Telecommunications Numbers (電信號碼管理辦法).
NCC spokesperson Yu Hsiao-cheng (虞孝成) said that the amendments, by law, should be uploaded to the Web site of the Executive Yuan on Friday, which will be displayed to the public for three days before the amendments take effect. He said that mobile phone users wishing to upgrade to the 4G service and to carry their existing telephone numbers over to new carriers can start doing so on Monday.
However, if users simply want to upgrade to 4G service with the telephone numbers they have now and stay with the same carrier, Yu said that they will have to wait until Wednesday, when the commission reviews the telecom carriers’ applications.
Asked why users staying with the same carrier would have to take a longer time to upgrade to the 4G service than those switching carriers, Yu said that the commission is legally bound to enforce the Telecommunications Act (電信法).
“Article 20-1 of the act states that telecommunications numbers must not be used or altered without the approval of the NCC,” Yu said. “We cannot break the law.”
The commission is entrusting the Telecom Technology Center with studying the possibility of shortening the processing time for people upgrading the service while they stay with the same carrier.
Currently, people wanting to carry their telephone numbers over to new carriers have to wait one working day before they can start using their new services, and those wishing to do so without changing carriers have to undergo the same process.
Three of the six 4G telecom carriers — Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Telecom and Far EasTone Telecommunications — have launched their services and announced their service plans.
The commission confirmed yesterday that Taiwan Star (台灣之星) has also obtained an operational license.
The commission said that consumers can experience 4G service for free for seven days before they decide to sign on to the services. They can choose to terminate the service after the trial period.
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