América Móvil’s Chilean wireless unit, Claro, has won the most subscribers since Chile enacted number portability a year ago. The telecom operator received 126,358 new lines from customers who switched from other carriers to Claro. Telefónica’s Movistar lost the most: a total of 109,123 subscribers chose to leave Movistar since the implementation of number portability in the country.
According to figures released yesterday by Chile’s secretary of telecommunications, Subtel, the number of lines submitted under number portability totaled 843,422, of which 776,348 were mobile lines (435,598 prepaid and 340,750 postpaid).
Subtel highlighted that number portability has created a new dynamic in the market, forcing companies to compete with better deals and quality of service to retain and attract customers who are looking for alternative plans and services to fit their communication needs.
In July, Subtel released that from January 2012 when Chile adopted number portability until mid-2012, telecom service prices decreased by 20% to 25%. According to Subtel, at the end of the first half of July, a total of 391,882 mobile phone users had switched telecom operators while keeping their numbers.
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