RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MOBILE NUMBER PORTABILITY AND CONSUMER CHOICE OF ACTIVE MULTIPLE MOBILE PHONE NUMBERS IN GHANA

摘要

The use of multiple mobile phone numbers in Ghana has become a dominate phenomenon in recent years. The introduction of mobile number portability (MNP) makes it possible for a subscriber to conveniently switch from one mobile network to another without losing his or her number. Because of mobile number portability, we expected that use of multiple numbers would become less attractive. This study examines how mobile number portability has affected the use of multiple phone numbers. We use top, middle and lower level managers of both private and public formal sectors of the economy for examination. Thousands of multiple mobile phone number subscribers were surveyed from Accra where all the mobile networks operate and porting is well known. This study uses the mean and standard deviation to measure the relationship between mobile number portability and multiple phone number use. The study revealed low customer appreciation for mobile number portability, and customers' negative perception of service quality since introduction of mobile number portability. The article further showed weak or no relationship between number portability and use of multiple mobile numbers. Further, we show the introduction of number portability cannot be a panacea to the use of multiple phone lines even in the near future.