In a major move Qatar's mobile operators Qtel and Vodafone Qatar have signed up Norway’s Systor Group as their technology partner to launch the Mobile Number Portability (MNP) service in the country.

Systor group is a leading provider of high-availability transactional database solutions, including number portability, in a diverse range of countries including India, Norway, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Portugal and Ecuador.

Vodafone and Qtel said the deal is a major step towards the launch of Mobile Number Portability (MNP) before the end of 2012.

The much-awaited mobile number portability initiative, which has been supported by ictQATAR, will allow mobile users in Qatar to retain their mobile number, while freely selecting their mobile service operator, said the duo in a joint statement.

Qtel COO Waleed Al-Sayed said: “We continue to work with partners and  regulator to ensure that customers enjoy the best possible choice and value across the market. As part of commitments of our customer charter, we recognise that customers want to be able to retain their preferred mobile numbers, and we will work to satisfy this demand.'

He thanked Vodafone Qatar and ictQATAR for their engagement in this process, which will contribute to the development of the communications sector.

Richard Daly, CEO of Vodafone Qatar said the company fully supports the introduction of MNP service in Qatar.

'We believe that customers should have complete freedom to choose their preferred operator and should always be able to keep their personal number with them.'

Saleh Al Kuwari, the regulatory authority technical affairs manager at ictQATAR and head of the National Numbering Committee said significant progress has been made in bringing the benefits of mobile number portability to telecommunications consumers in Qatar.

'This is an important part of developing a robust, and competitive telecommunications market in Qatar, and we look forward to its introduction before the end of the year,' Al Kuwari stated.

'All parties are working on the agreed process and timetable for the implementation of MNP and a full timetable will be presented to the public in the coming months,' he added.-TradeArabia News Service