Over 610,000 landline and mobile telephony numbers changed carriers in the first eight months of this year, up 3.9% year-on-year, according to data from the local telecom regulator ANCOM analyzed by Profit.ro.

Operator RCS&RDS attracted 52.9% of the 570,567 mobile telephony numbers that changed networks in the first eight months of this year, meaning 302,253 numbers. Orange Romania received 119,323 numbers in its network, and Vodafone Romania 99,522.

Telekom Romania Mobile Communications (the former Cosmote Romania) attracted 37,404 numbers, while Telekom Romania Communications (the former Romtelecom) attracted 12,059.

The number of network changes on the fixed telephony segment went up 13.9% in the first eight months of the year, to reach 39,957. RCS&RDS attracted 15,827 numbers, while Vodafone Romania 13,193. Orange Romania brought into its network 4,577 numbers, UPC Romania 4,090 and Telekom Romania Communications 976.

The data published by ANCOM refers to new numbers attracted by operators from other networks, but not the phone numbers lost by each network.

Romania introduced the number portability in 2008. By the end of January 2017, 3.66 million users changed their phone network, according to ANCOM data quoted by Profit.ro.

editor@romania-insider.com