Good news, folks. Soon, the nightmare of orchestrating a text blast to each and every contact (and the ensuing small talk that happens when someone decides to reply) will become obsolete.
On Feb. 20, President Rodrigo Duterte signed the Lifetime Cellphone Number Act which allows mobile network users to keep the same mobile number for good, and that also means across networks. The law allows that we can retain the same number even if we shift from one service provider to another, or shift between prepaid or postpaid. No more guessing what network your 09xx number is.
The important question is, will this be free? The answer is a sweet, sweet yes. The law mandates that telecommunications companies provide the “mobile number portability” feature for free, and can be charged up to P1 million or revocation of operation rights for failure to do so.
The law will also mandate the removal of extra fees, which is currently at P1 per minute during calls for Globe and Smart, when contacting a number different from your mobile network. Now that’s good news.
Good bye, “new phone, hu dis?” texts. You won’t be missed.
Still from Mean Girls (2004)