Operators push 5G, there are many inside stories about number portability, and 315 regulars will also be on the list

[[387481]]

Editor's note: The operators who provided strong protection for the COVID-19 outbreak may not be on the list this year, so let's talk about them. In the past, the official media often criticized the operators with deep roots, and spam text messages, harassing calls, and user privacy leaks were frequently on the list. Number portability has really touched the operators' cake, but everyone is on the same plate. With the advent of 5G, operators have taken the opportunity to repeat the old tricks, and it is still common for big stores to bully customers.

5G double-edged sword

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has repeatedly stated that operators cannot force or induce users to use 5G packages. Since the second quarter of last year, some operators have begun to impose 5G traffic packages on top of their packages, otherwise they will cancel the 4G package discounts. So the so-called speed increase and fee reduction is to increase the speed first and then talk about fee reduction. Canceling the original discount activities is essentially to force new business.

Using 5G services with a 4G phone is against common sense. The few 5G phones in 2020 are all expensive, so the past year was a transitional period for 5G and 4G to share base stations, and there were many cases of 4G speed reduction during this period. The three major operators have reached a consensus on the push for 5G, so users can hardly resist the trend no matter how they port their numbers. 5G is indeed very attractive, but consumers should retain the right to use the old packages.

In addition, the recent rumors of NSA (non-standalone networking) 5G users being abandoned have caused heated discussions in the industry. The transition from non-standalone networking to 5G standalone networking has caused the problem of "lost connection", and the status of 4G users can be imagined. Operators will certainly not openly block mobile phones from accessing the network, but it is certain that the signal quality cannot be guaranteed. The initial solution provided by operators is still to replace SIM cards. In fact, operators can completely virtualize base stations and signal service capabilities. The lack of transparency in signals, tariffs, and the popularization process of 5G is the crux of the problem.

Number portability is a typical example of internal competition

Operators also need to make a living. When service capabilities cannot be improved in the short term, the internal management of operators is also simple and crude. The original intention of number portability is to force operators to improve service quality, but the first decision made by operators is to set "transfer-in and transfer-out business assessment indicators". Operators' grassroots employees have to pay out of their own pockets to buy accounts of other companies and transfer them to their own companies. Serving users has become supervising and trading users. The three major operators are not a model of internal circulation.

According to the revelations, it is not uncommon for local operators to use prizes to attract users. Some even go so far as to directly find agents to buy users from other operators, with a price tag of 200 yuan per user. Number portability itself is a basic service, and it cannot be used as a gimmick to poach users. However, on the Internet platform, there are many marketing strategies for the purpose of number portability, and the chances of being named by 315 are still very high.

The high "breakup fee" for number portability also frequently appears on the hot search list. The contract system has always been the first choice for operators to deceive users. Various excuses such as "you cannot port your number during the event period" and "you cannot receive text messages normally after switching" are still heard by business hall staff. Regulatory policies often become a last resort in grassroots business operations, so users often go to do business with caution.

In the first half of 2020, the national telecommunications management agencies interviewed, notified, ordered rectification and imposed administrative penalties on 198 telecommunications companies that did not provide standardized "number portability" services. This is a clear indication of the quality of their services.

Users have been suffering from package

The unknown value-added services in the packages have never been cleared, and the packages are as complicated as test papers. The high fees of 5G packages can only be reduced by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. Initially, China Mobile's cheapest 5G package was 128 yuan, which included 30GB of traffic and 500 minutes of calls. Obviously, the speed increase and fee reduction were not carried out simultaneously.

The cost issue of operators is often discussed repeatedly in the industry. The construction of 5G base stations and high power consumption will eventually be paid by users. If 4G and 5G are to coexist for a long time, packages should not be overly tilted towards 5G before 5G low-power base stations are popularized. In essence, it is still not possible to induce or force.

Operators have simplified package design, and Internet services cannot completely replace voice calls. Current call service charges are still high. Regardless of whether the promotion of 5G messages succeeds or fails, the SMS business may have a brief recovery, which will of course bring new consumer rights issues.

315 prediction: Operators’ persistence in new businesses will inevitably lead to intensified competition in the industry. Problems such as marketing tactics, tariff prices, selling users, and fake orders will frequently arise. Local operators are likely to be on the list.