Pay per number

Poles are finally able to switch their telecommunication provider without switching their phone number. After being threatened by the European Commission, Poland's parliament passed the requisite law, which came into force on January 1, 2006. As of yet, pre-paid customers are excluded from the number portability service, though when a recent amendment to the law comes into effect, pre-paid users will also be allowed to keep the same number while switching from network to network.

There is some bad news for callers - phone users are being charged for making the switch. Clients of the Era, Orange and Plus networks now have to pay zł.122 in order to take their old number with them. Fixed-line service providers will also charge customers who leave the network and keep their old numbers. Telekomunikacja Polska will charge the same zł.122 fee for switching fixed-line numbers as the mobile providers, while Netia will charge zł.73, and Dialog zł.146.

However, some networks are also attempting to gain new customers, instead of just trying to prevent the old ones from leaving. Every new Plus GSM customer will be reimbursed for the charge paid to the client's former provider. Era GSM will lower fees for business customers if they switch to their network.

Experts estimate that around 500,000 people will switch providers while keeping their old number in 2006.

"We do not forecast any revolution in the market connected with the portability service," Zbigniew Lazar, Era GSM's spokesperson says.