By Robert Andre Emmanuel
The implementation of mobile number portability in Antigua and Barbuda will see further delays, with Information Minister Melford Nicholas expressing frustration that the initiative may not come on stream until the new year.
During his 2025 Budget presentation, Minister Nicholas directed criticism at telecommunications providers, especially Flow, for their apparent reluctance to move forward with the project, furthering the delays.
“This is not the first time that Flow and Digicel are being involved in a mobile number portability programme.
“It has been done throughout ECTEL—it was done in Trinidad, it was done in Barbados, and it was done in Jamaica and in all of these markets, both Digicel and Flow have been a part of similar negotiations,” he said.
However, the minister added that he expected that in a few days, contractual arrangements would be signed off with a third-party company responsible for managing the number porting process.
The service, which would allow residents to keep their phone numbers when switching mobile carriers, has seen its implementation date repeatedly pushed back.
The repeated delays have frustrated local consumers who have long demanded the service, as number portability would eliminate the inconvenience of having to inform contacts of new phone numbers when switching providers.
Initially targeted for late 2023, it was subsequently rescheduled for June 2024, then August, and is now expected in early 2025.
In April this year, Nicholas had projected a June 2024 completion date, citing delays due to team members being diverted to assist with preparations for the fourth Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS-4).
Prior to that, in June 2023, the Cabinet announced a postponement to April 2024 following a meeting between the three main carriers – INET, Digicel, and Flow – along with consulting teams and ministry officials.
Technical challenges have also contributed to the delays as Minister Nicholas had indicated that INET’s service provider needed until the end of September to complete technical changes to their network, after which training and testing would begin.
Despite the setbacks, Nicholas maintains that implementing mobile number portability remains a priority for his ministry.
“Hopefully – it is my expectation, and I will drive for it – in the first few weeks of the new month… We will move towards implementation of that objective,” he assured Parliament.
