ANACOM publishes informative note on the allocation of the right of use of a second mobile network code (MNC).
Informative note on allocation of Mobile Network Codes
for Machine-to-Machine applications
In the exercise of its powers and responsibilities in respect of the management of the Plano Nacional de Numeração (National Numbering Plan), as defined in paragraph 2 of article 17 of the Lei de Comunicações Eletrónicas (Electronic Communications Law) - Law no. 5/2004 of 10 February, as amended by Law no. 51/2011 of 13 September - and as also defined in the "Principles and criteria for the management and allocation of numbering resources" approved on 11.06.1999, ICP-ANACOM has granted, upon request, the right of use of mobile network codes (MNC) to undertakings fulfilling the requirements detailed in ITU Recommendation E.212.
This recommendation (http://www.itu.int/rec/T-REC-E.212-200805-Ihttp://www.itu.int/rec/T-REC-E.212-200805-I), in Annex B thereto, establishes the principles governing the allocation of MNC by the national regulator, specifying, among the requirements to be met by applicants, that these must be undertakings which provide publicly available electronic communications services. However, the possibility is not excluded that more than one MNC may be allocated to the same company where warranted.
It is noted in this context that, in respect of a request pertaining to an ongoing project of a major customer, involving an M2M solution on mobile networks, with the issue of a very high number of SIM cards predicted (around 100 thousand numbers over 2 years), and given the current technical difficulties entailed in remote reprogramming these cards in case of a change of supporting operator, ICP-ANACOM granted, on condition of minimum use of these values, the right of use of a second MNC to the solution's current supporting operator for use exclusively in this operation, thereby ensuring customer mobility between operators and, as a consequence, the necessary competition in the mobile communications sector.
