Porting numbers between providers (number portability)

Pursuant to Section 3-5 of the Regulations on Electronic Communications Networks and Services (Ecom Regulations), providers who use five or eight digit numbers or standardised special numbers pursuant to Section 16 of the Numbering Regulation shall release the number to the other provider to which the end user requests the number to be migrated. This means that an end user will be able to keep his telephone number if he changes provider.

Number portability for fixed telephony was introduced in 1999, and since 2001 it has also been possible to keep the number when changing mobile provider.

Norwegian Communications Authority (Nkom), in collaboration with the providers, drew up several technical and administrative specifications which are used in connection with number portability. Some of the administrative procedures are also used in connection with the resale of fixed telephony subscriptions from Telenor.

Administrative procedures

Administrative procedures for number portability and resale of telephony in Norway - June 2009
Administrative procedures for number portability - Clarifications - June 2010
Administrative procedures for number portability and resale of telephony in Norway - Appendix 1 - June 2003
Administrative procedures were revised by the Numbering Working Group in 2012. New deadlines effective from 01/03/2013 for phase 1.

Technical specifications

Proposed technical solutions for the introduction of number portability in Norway for geographic and location-independent numbers - April 1998
Technical specification for Number Portability for geographic and non-geographic numbers in Norway (zip)

NRDB

Nasjonal Referansedatabase AS (NRDB) was established in 2000 in connection with the introduction of number portability (NP) on the Norwegian market. The company offers services in connection with number porting and the resale of telephone subscriptions, among other things. Information about NRDB’s services can be found at http://www.nrdb.no.