The management of the Telecommunications and Posts Regulatory Agency (ARTP) confirmed the launch of the portability of mobile telephone numbers is still scheduled for Tuesday 1^st September 2015. It coming into force should increase competition on the national telecommunications market. Consumers will have full powers and freedom to not put up with bad network or service quality from any telecom operator.

Indeed, with portability, telecoms subscribers have the possibility of changing service suppliers while keeping their telephone number. Simply put, an Orange, Tigo or Expresso client, dissatisfied with services offered by his/her operator, can port his/her number to a competitor’s network without having to purchase a new SIM card. No more need to communicate the new number to all their contacts.

In Africa, Senegal joins the very exclusive club of countries who already practise portability. Nigeria and Ghana are part of this club. It is from 2010 that the Pan African Institute for Citizenship, Consumers and Development (CICODEV - Institut panafricain pour la citoyenneté, les consommateurs et le développement) requested that the telecom regulatory organ introduce portability in Senegal. But for the organisation, its launch this day will be “a great opportunity wasted”. Amadou Kanouté, Director of this organisation, explains that “the necessary appropriation to support this type of innovation cannot take place now, because the preparation or advertising campaign necessary to achieve it was not there”.