Mobile Number Portability - EOI

06 05 2010 - 10:00 AM

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST (EOI)
Consulting Services on
Recommendations and Regulatory Framework for Mobile Number Portability

The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL), has received a grant from the Institutional Development Fund (IDF) under the World Bank to develop its knowledge base and implementation capacity, enabling it to design and implement Mobile Number Portability

TRCSL intends to engage a consulting firm to assist it in the establishment of the necessary regulatory framework for implementing Mobile Number Portability (MNP) in Sri Lanka.

The overall objective of the consultancy is to establish, in consultation with stakeholders, a regulatory framework for mobile number portability and provide recommendations and other related documents for the procurement of the needed system for the implementation of MNP in the most cost effective way. This is intended to facilitate and maintain effective competition among the mobile service operators with the ultimate goal of providing a cost effective, efficient service while improving the quality of service to the benefit of consumers.

This assignment will require a detailed consultation process, with the views and comments expressed by stake holders during the consultation phase to be taken into account when formulating the regulatory framework and the recommendations for implementing MNP.

Specially, the consultant will have to:

1. Prepare the consultation paper (or papers) and involve TRCSL staff at appropriate levels to ensure local relevance and completeness of analysis.   This paper may include, based on discussions with the TRCSL;
   1. An overview of the concept of Number Portability explaining the different technical options available and their merits and de-merits with respect to technical, operational and economic issues that might arise in its implementation in Sri Lanka.
   2. Summaries of international practices and experiences, especially from the South Asian Region and other countries in the world that are similar to Sri Lanka (telecom market dynamics, population, income levels etc)  with regard to (a) customer satisfaction and increased competition (b) adequacy of the prevailing interconnection arrangements (c) any technical issues in the portability of services such as SMS, data, voicemail, VAS etc, and signaling (d) Numbering Plan (e) appropriate timing of implementation.
   3. The methodology of providing the MNP service that shall cover the designing, installing and also operating and maintaining the Number Portability Database (NPDB) and the MNP Clearing House (MCH). The following options could be covered:
      1. Funding and maintaining this facility of providing the service by an MNP Service Provider  namely (a) by the TRCSL, (b) by a consortium of all Operators concerned or to (c) operate on a ‘Build, Operate and Own’ basis, or else:
      2. By a consortium of the stakeholders or a single Operator providing the MNP service with the exclusion of the MNP Database which database shall be set up and operated by an independent organization under the direction of the TRCSL.
      3. Or any other option available for providing the MNP service.
   4. Detailed analysis of the legal, technical, operational, commercial, policy and regulatory issues of MNP deployment; this shall also include cost allocation mechanisms covering set up costs, management costs and administration costs.
   5. Possible effects on the scenario with the impending migration towards NGN.
   6. Views and consensus on charges payable by both customers and Operators that shall include Port Transaction charge, Dipping Charge and Porting Charge. Whether these charges be regulated to ensure that portability is not discouraged.
   7. The consultant will need to integrate international best practices with the specific regulatory norms of Sri Lanka when preparing the detailed consultation paper which shall set out an comprehensive set of questions to respond to:
2. Stakeholder consultation workshop.  Following issuance of the TRCSL approved consultation paper, the consultants will assist TRCSL to organize and conduct a public consultation workshop of all stakeholders. This will invite stakeholders’ written and oral responses on the issues raised in the consultation paper. The consultant will also use this opportunity to engage in consensus building between the stakeholders on the issues identified in the paper.
3. Preparation of Consultation report.   Based on the discussions and submissions following the publication of the consultation paper and the workshop, the consultant will prepare a report in close coordination with the TRCSL that includes draft recommendation to TRCSL. This shall cover the best suitable technical option, methodology in selecting and funding the MNP service provider and its operation,  charges payable and the Regulations and Guidelines,
4. Specifications and Bid Documents for the Network Architecture, Number Portability Database (NPDB) and the MNP Clearing House (MCH). The Specifications shall also provide for the technical and commercial aspects of the system as a whole and shall provide guidelines for the selection of a vendor.

The Consultant will be a firm, selected based on its qualifications, experience and capacity in carrying out this consultancy. The Consultant is expected to have relevant knowledge and experience in the telecommunications sector particularly technical, operational, and regulatory aspects of successfully implementing MNP services.  The experience relevant to the implementation of MNP for the key personnel must be stated.

For the purpose of this particular work, applicant should meet the following qualifying criteria as a minimum:

1. The team leader of the consulting firm should possess a telecommunications degree or an equivalent from an internationally recognized university or an Institution with demonstrated experience in planning and deploying MNP service.  The team leader should have detailed knowledge of the engineering, commercial and regulatory aspects of mobile networks and MNP.
2. Regulatory expert, with demonstrated experience of working on mobile number portability issues, specifically on related regulatory issues.

All members of the Consultant’s team should: (i) have at least 5 years of demonstrated experience in the area of expertise; and (ii)  be fluent in English.

The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka now invites eligible consultants to indicate their interest in providing the services. Interested consultants must provide information indicating that they are qualified to perform the services (brochures, description of similar assignments, experience in similar conditions, availability of appropriate skills among staff, etc.). Consultants may associate to enhance their qualifications.

A consultant will be selected on the basis of Consultant Qualifications, in accordance with the procedures set out in the World Bank's Guidelines: Selection and Employment of Consultants by World Bank Borrowers, January 1997 (revised September 1997, January 1999, May 2004 and October 2006).

The TOR for the consultant is available in TRCSL website: http://www.trc.gov.lk

Interested consultants may obtain further information at the address below from 9:00 am to 4:15 pm local time on working days (Monday to Friday).Expressions of Interest must be delivered to the address below on or before May 20, 2010.

In evaluating the expressions of interest submitted, the TRCSL will use the following criteria and short list only those that receive a minimum of 70 points.

Director General of Telecommunications
Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka
276 Elvitigala Mawatha, Colombo 8,
Sri Lanka.

Email: consultancy@trc.gov.lk
Tel. No: +94-11-2689345
Fax: +94-11-2689341