On 1-st July 2015, Republic of Moldova marks two years since the launch of number portability service in Moldova - essential condition for maximizing the benefits for final users and promoting concurrency in electronic communications sector.
Globally, portability was introduced in several countries exactly for this purpose, and also for allowing users to change operator without losing their numbers, which is in some way assimilated to "personal identifier", as analysts consider.
In the USA, portability began to be introduced since 1996. Since 2003, the possibility of moving the number from one network to another was mandatory all over the country. In Australia, the procedure was introduced in 2001, that was highly welcomed by public, which suddenly felt much more free to choose their telephone services.
In the same year, the implementation process began in Denmark and Norway. In Japan, one of the highest developed country in telephony, portability implementation has started in 2006. On the other hand, Kenya, one of the African states, has implemented the procedure before many Western countries in 2005.
If we are back to our country, from the launch of portability and until now, has been ported 90,788 numbers, 82,796 from them are mobile numbers that means 91% of the total and 7,992 are fixed telephone numbers. Although growth is not spectacular, it still continues. Users are using their freedom to keep their numbers, choosing handy provider.
Statistics show that on Moldavian market, over two years have been ported 1.13% of total numbering resources assigned to providers of mobile and fixed telephony services in Moldova.
In the mobile telephony segment, at this moment the leader in receiving numbers by portings-in its network continues to be Moldcell SA with 50,124, followed by Orange SA with 17,341 and Moldtelecom SA (Unite) 15,331 numbers.

Figure 1. The number of ported numbers in mobile networks, 01 July 2013 - 01 July 2015

In case of fixed telephony, until now were ported almost 8,000 numbers. Most of fixed numbers were ported to the network of Starnet Solutions SRL – 4,487 new numbers, the second being placed Orange SA – 1,840, followed by Arax Impex SRL - 493.

Figure 2. The number of ported numbers in fixed telephone networks, 01 July 2013 - 01 July 2015

To keep customers and to attract new ones, operators has been launched attractive offers for voice users, mobile internet and continue to do this.
After two years of portability launching, increased competitive environment between telephony providers, they are mobilizing to keep existing customers. And the customers themselves, enjoying new offers and lower prices for services.